One Castlegar, British Columbia, guide is at the bleating edge of fishing companions. By Vince Hempsall. Photos by Peter Moynes.

Despite her horizontal pupils, which give her a somewhat alien appearance, this goat is the cutest thing I’ve seen in a fishing boat. Owned by Graham Cloutier of Chillbilly Sportfishing Charters in Castlegar, British Columbia, the two-year-old Nigerian dwarf goat is about the size of an Aussie shepherd, with tiny horns and huge ears. Her name is Green Eggs and Ham, and she’s a permanent part of Cloutier’s fishing business.

Raised in Kelowna, British Columbia, Cloutier, 45, has loved fishing and farming since the age of five. He moved to the Kootenays 15 years ago and set up a hobby farm with pigs and chickens in Pass Creek, about 10 kilometres north of Castlegar. At the same time, he started his guiding business, which specializes in fly-fishing tours on the Columbia River. Last summer, he was having beers with his buddies when he decided he’d like to have a pet goat join him on his fishing expeditions. “A few beers later, I texted a friend who has a farm and asked if she had a baby goat, and she did,” he says. He admits the details got hazy as the night progressed. “The next morning, I was like, ‘Did I buy a goat last night?’ Sure enough, I had.” It turned out to be a great investment: the goat loves hanging out in his 17-foot drift boat, his clients adore her, and she’s become something of a local celebrity. “Does she ever eat any of your catches?” I ask Cloutier. “No,” he replies. “She likes chips.”