Fishing guides for hire in Clayton
A young guide shows off a muskie while other guides sit on benches outside the Clayton Opera House, hoping to be hired for the day. Clayton, NY. Circa 1940. Photo: Personal archives of Jeff Garnsey
Type of Work: Sport, Recreation, and Tourism
Showing off a catch on the St. Lawrence River
Guide Roly Garnsey, left, with a client showing off an impressive day’s catch in downtown Clayton, NY. Circa 1940. Photo: Personal archives of Jeff Garnsey
One day’s catch on the St. Lawrence River
Guide Roly Garnsey (second from left) with clients after a day’s fishing. Clayton, NY. Date September 26, 1940. Photo: Personal archives of Jeff Garnsey
Guide cooks shore dinner
Guide Joe Garnsey cooking the French toast course of a shore dinner for clients on Grindstone Island, NY. Circa 1980. Photo: Personal archives of Jeff Garnsey
A day’s catch near Clayton
Young dockhand (and future fishing guide) Joe Garnsey with two clients showing off a day’s catch. Clayton, NY. Circa 1950. Photo: Personal archives of Jeff Garnsey
Guide Roly Garnsey cooking a traditional shore dinner on Grindstone Island
Guide Roly Garnsey cooking a traditional shore dinner on Grindstone Island. Shore dinners were traditionally served on guiding trips after a morning of fishing. They had three courses – first, a salt pork sandwich, then the fish caught that morning (cooked in the grease from the salt pork) and then thick french toast with maple […]
Prize muskie in front of Bertrand’s Hotel in Clayton
The Bertrand Hotel was a popular destination for summer tourists, who would often stay the whole summer. While staying in Clayton, they would hire guides like the Garnsey family to take them fishing. This picture shows three tourists after a day of fishing with their guide (back left). Clayton, NY. Circa 1970. Photo: Personal archives […]
Competing in the WISE fishing tournament on the St. Lawrence River
Fishing guide Joe Garnsey (standing inside the boat) and two clients competing in the WISE fishing tournament on the St. Lawrence River. Thousand Islands region, NYS. 1978. Photo: Personal archives of Jeff Garnsey.
Fishing guide Joe Garnsey on the St. Lawrence River
Joe Garnsey, a fishing guide in the Thousand Islands, holds a northern pike. 1977. Thousand Islands region, NYS. Photo: Personal archives of Jeff Garnsey
Guide Roly Garnsey in Clayton
Fishing guide Roly Garnsey kneels in front of three fish caught by his day’s clients (unknown, standing in back). Roly was a guide on the St. Lawrence River from 1920 until his death in 1979. Thousand Islands region, NYS. Circa 1960. Photo: Personal Archives of Jeff Garnsey