River Quest Charters
Coopersville, MI
tkuieck@altelco.net
www.riverquestcharters.com
” Light and a delight to row, my Hyde is appealing to the eye and well appointed. More important, I can’t say enough about how good this boat feels to the hand and how functional it is as a working guide’s office. Then, too, Steve Hyde and the entire Hyde staff are most gracious and helpful. I therefore recommend Hyde drift boats enthusiastically, without reservation. ”
– Tom Kuieck
Tom Kuieck, a retired teacher and assistant superintendent of schools, has a life-long passion for trout, salmon, and fly fishing. Introduced to trout fishing at an early age, Tom has cast streams across Michigan and today enjoys shares his love of fly fishing and the out-of-doors with people from across the United States. Having fished the Muskegon River, his home waters, for over 30 years, Tom introduced his son Steve to fly fishing at a young age, only to see his son become the lead guide and owner of River Quest Charters a full service fly fishing guiding operation hosting trips from the St. Joseph in the south to the St. Mary’s in the north. Tom joins his son and full-time guide, Dave DeVries, in guiding for River Quest.
I especially enjoy introducing people, younger and older, to fly fishing and the two rivers on which I guide, the Muskegon and the Pere Marquette. In my former professional life, I supervised principals, curricula, and teaching. Ironically, though, like most guides, I suspect, I do more teaching in one day on the river than I would do in a month or so as an assistant superintendent. Fly fishing is a never ending quest to learn more, to refine techniques, and to learn the water and trout and salmon we seek. Moreover, guiding professionally enables me to meet interesting, successful people from across the United States. The conversation is rich and lively, leading us to develop wonderful friendships and to connect on the river year after year.
For more accomplished fly fishermen, I recognize their need for space and freedom and benefit greatly from watching and listening to them as they share their years of acquired skill and expertise. For them, my goal is to give them at least one tip, technique, or insight new to them and useful to their casting and fishing. Novice or expert, I enjoy sharing days afloat with them all.
Michigan’s professional fly fishing guides have elevated the sporting ethic on our rivers significantly, and I’m proud to work with them for betterment of our cold water resources. Having witnessed the Muskegon, my home river, during the gold rush fever of the first days of Pacific salmon fishing and then its quick decline into cue sticks and anchor – sized treble hooks where ropes replete with gashed king salmon were the badge of fishing prowess, it gives me great hope and encouragement to see how our sporting ethic has changed dramatically for the better. Today, seemingly more fishermen than not on the Muskegon use fly tackle and let a photograph record a fish brought to hand, released, and celebrated. I credit professional guides for showing this better way for a resource so spectacular and generous. To that end, the new Hyde Distribution Center, so ably led by Steve Hyde and his staff in Newaygo, has supported this evolving embrace of fly fishing. Without question, Hyde drift boats are the drift boats of choice on the Muskegon – first of guides and increasingly of fishermen wishing to row the best on their own.
