The Gunnison Area Drainage in Colorado
73 Bambi Lane - Gunnison, CO. 81230
I’ve rowed inflatable to ridged, single hull to cat style watercraft and none compare to my new HYDE Pro Series XL, low side! This boat tracks true and is effortless to row. Row the rest and then buy the best!
I was raised in a family of five boys who all enjoyed fishing, boating and many other outdoor activities. We angled by any means possible that would catch a fish, but as I grew older I found myself gravitating more to fly-fishing. I rounded out my outdoor education as an Eagle Boy Scout and at this same age began tying flies. During my 20’s I had an art studio in Denver Colorado and spent my summers painting outdoor landscapes and fly-fishing my way through the Rocky Mountains.
I began my guiding career after moving to Gunnison Colorado in the early 1980’s and from 1990 to the present I have guided from a boat at least 3 days a week during the summer months. The Gunnison River from Almont to the Blue Mesa Reservoir is where I guide float fishing and this stretch of the river has some fast and rocky sections. The river can have flows changing from 300 to 2000CFS during the season and all this can make for some very challenging and technical floats, especially while trying to “put someone on the fish”. When not guiding, I have floated and fished most of the floatable rivers in Colorado, southern Wyoming and northern New Mexico.
I have appeared on television, (ESPN, OLN, The Sportsmen Channel), hosted my own local outdoor radio and television shows and I’ve been published in fishing magazines. I am a Pro Staff member for Ross Reels and Pro Team for Whiting Farms and tie flies in at least 5 fly-fishing shows a year. My flies are “famous” in the Gunnison area and they have gaining popularity wherever they have been introduced. My wife and I often lecture and demonstrate different fly-fishing skills during our travels and we produce a program called “Dream Fly” which is a 2 day event covering many different aspects of the sport. I have been a member of Trout Unlimited for 20 years and have served as the President of our local chapter on 3 different occasions.
Each summer, for the past ten years, my wife and I have floated and fished many different rivers throughout the western United States. We have explored rivers in Colorado, Wyoming, Montana and Washington State and Sarah has joined me in my annual spring fish/float trip at the Flaming Gorge in Utah. This float is special to me and I have only missed doing it once in the past twenty-five years. Our new interest is floating the rivers of the Northwest, fishing for steelhead and salmon.
When I’m not fishing or floating a river, I am the owner and operator of Judsons Signs & Graphics, a one-man business catering to custom graphic design and sign making. I play the drums in a Country & Western / Classic Rock Band called Rawhide and I also have a part-time job with SkyWest Airlines, which allows us the opportunity to travel and visit our 8 children and 6 grandchildren (soon to be 7).
What can I bring to The Hyde Boat Company? First of all, I believe the Hyde family makes the best boat in the market today. I am respected and have maturity in the industry and my wife and I know many other people who enjoy floating for fish. I travel to many different shows and fishing locations and would wear the Hyde hat proudly. And, my graphic skills could be used by Hyde to add a personal touch to others boats. I look forward to the opportunity to working with the Hyde family.
