You will be responsible for the following:

• A Maryland or Virginia freshwater fishing license for the date of the trip (I’ll ask to see this before we depart)
• A liability waiver and agreement to reimburse for equipment damage due to carelessness or negligence for all members of your party prior to boarding the vessel
• Protective clothing for sun / rain / cold (hats, jackets, rain slickers, neck gaiter, etc.)
• If fishing the Upper Potomac in March, April, September or later, definitely bring something warm to wear during long, fast boat transits up the river
• For Upper Potomac transits in the summer, bring a neck gaiter to cover your face, or you will be picking bugs out of your teeth
• Polarized sunglasses, if you have them
• Comfortable, rubber, non-marking shoes that can get a little muddy if needed; cowboy boots or other hard-soled shoes are not permitted on board
• Food and beverages for the day for your party
  
• Ice in a cooler if you intend on keeping your fish (keep this in your car while we are fishing)
  
• Transportation to the boat ramp
• A few chuckles at my lame jokes, and a few jokes of your own in return

I am a catch-and-release fisherman.  All walleye, largemouth, smallmouth, striper, and carp will be returned to the river; this is a firm policy.  However I recognize that you might want to take perch, crappie, catfish, sizeable bluegill, or snakehead home to your dinner table.  You can take those species home with you, but you are responsible for cleaning your catch and your own bags / coolers / ice to transport your fish home.

You are welcome to use your own gear.  Before we depart, I’ll take a look at whatever gear you bring and provide you my honest assessment on whether you should bring it or leave it in your car.  My goal is for you to learn and catch fish.  I’ve got the rigs and setups that will catch fish; you should feel welcome to use my gear.  You are also welcome to bring your own fly gear, but I will not be able to advise you on flyrodding matters.  

You will be responsible for any damage caused to my equipment due to negligence or carelessness.  I will assess the cost to repair or replace any damaged items, and we will arrange reimbursement following the trip.  I understand that lures will be lost on snags and hang-ups; it’s a part of fishing.  However, if you consistently launch my lures into trees, trying to hook into birds, we will discuss reimbursement.  Birds are not the target species during my charters.

There is a zero tolerance policy for illegal substances on my boat.  I also reserve the right to end the service if my passengers comport themselves in an unsafe manner.  My passengers are welcome to legally partake in alcoholic beverages, but will be brought back to the ramp immediately if things become unsafe or unruly.  In these instances, a refund will not be issued.

All aerosols–sunscreens and big sprays–are prohibited due to the effects of the aerosol on the equipment and lures.  Scented sunscreen is strongly discouraged.  I encourage you to cover up from the sun with long sleeves, light pants, and hats instead of slathering on sunscreen.  Sunscreen stinks.  Fish don’t like it.  And if fish don’t like it, neither do I.  So please be mindful of sensible, protective attire during sunny days.

Firearms are not permitted on board.  Leave it at home.  We will not be shooting fish.

And lastly, bananas are really bad luck for fishing…. Under no circumstances shall bananas, plantains, Savannah Bananas or UC Santa Cruz team swag, your pet banana spiders or banana slugs, or any other products containing or referencing any forms of curved yellow fruits of any kind be brought on board the vessel, spoken of while under way, or even remotely thought about while fishing.