Our Guides

Please meet our 2012 guide staff. Many of you have known these guys for over 20 years through Kinsley’s. I am blessed to have a group like this that has my back. Each one has more on the water experience than most other guiding company’s total staff. How did I get so lucky? Be rest assured that with every trip, you are in good hands.

Thomas Schneider

Where to start with my bio? My earliest memories of fishing came from a central Wisconsin impoundment, Fox Lake, where an older cousin helped me dig for worms, tie mono to a stick, and decimate the Bluegill population. My family moved south to Alabama around grade school and with that endless lakes, streams, and the Gulf of Mexico became my playground. I came to Boulder in the Fall of 1985 and graduated in 1990 with a degree in German from the University of Colorado. The fishing hit high gear at the Universitat Regensburg in Bavaria on study abroad with a compatriot from Vanderbilt. Wanted posters still hang in some small Alpine villages where Kirk and I haunted. I have since fished around the world and am truly blessed by all those experiences. The funny thing I have discovered is that, with all those miles of travel, the best coldwater fishing lies right in my own backyard. Colorado has incredible trout and surprisingly still holds some secret places, flies, and techniques to catch those gorgeous creatures. Pounded, over fished areas led to the tying of my own patterns, of which I still have a hard time letting go to all but a select few to see. Like it really matters because you still have to give it to them the correct way. I have been guiding professionally since the early 1990's. One of the highlights in my career as a fisherman, came last season when Sunrise was named Orvis' Guide Service of the Year. The award let us know we are on the right track. The client's smile and satisfaction after a day on the water is what makes it all worth it. I am not a numbers kind of guy. All that stuff works out in the end if you approach the sport with an open mind. It's the whole experience that keeps me doing this day after day. Let's face it, we're not getting rich off this sport. What guiding does allow for is a great quality of life and a fantastic office. I have my wife Laura to thank for our financial security and the raising of my two children. Without her, none of this is possible. We are dreaming of the day where half the year is spent in Mexico and the rest in Colorado. You cannot take every guide trip. Be rest assured though when you do go out with us, we will make every effort to put you on the best available water, teach you a little something about this wonderful sport, and maybe a little something about yourself. Thanks and see you out on the water!

Adrian Gram

One of the originals from the old Kinsley’s staff, Adrian would stop by the shop on a daily basis throughout his college career. His fun loving stories had us crying from laughter. Not much has changed in 20 years. Mastering trout years ago, his love for Saltwater has him chasing tarpon and permit whenever he has the chance. University of Colorado Grad.

Andrew Unkefer

Another original from Kinsley’s, Andrew bleeds black and gold. After fifteen years of anguish, we both agree that CU finally got it right. A native Boulderite, Andrew has seen the peaks and troughs of our local fishery in his 30 years as an angler. His frequent jaunts to south Florida feed his saltwater fix. With a growing family, I might stick around long enough to have his son guide for me soon. Andrew arranges many of our donated trips for worthy charities and organizations. He is another that just flat knows everybody in town.

Chris Kish

Back when I worked at a local fishing shop after graduating from CU, I met this kid, a Boulder High student, who walked through the door and talked about a certain Power Station where the fish were so huge they pulled you out of your shoes. The rest is history. That's been more than 20 years ago. I have spent more time fishing with this kid and his family than probably anyone else. Chris is the head of our float-fishing program. Kish has logged more water miles than the fish he has you catch. Fifteen years as a professional guide in the Roaring Fork Valley and a lifetime spent with my Hero, his Pops, Chris has learned just a bit about trout. Never wanting to blow his own horn, his modesty is truly refreshing in this sport of super egos. With a no nonsense approach to fishing, he may produce for you a best day ever as he does for many of his clients. Chris loves to zero in on exactly what the fish are eating. He is known to change your fly before you even know it's done. Safety in his boat is a priority, so please respect your captain and do what he says. Always ahead of the curve, Kish can show you new flies, techniques, and methods to catch your fish of a lifetime. CU Boulder and DU grad.

Colton Maloney

One of our newest additions to the staff, Colton started with Sunrise in 2010 and was referred to us by our friends at Fly Fishing Outfitters in Vail. A Colorado Springs native, his passion for the sport is evident upon first meeting. His love for popping trout on small streams makes him the perfect guide for the Front Range. Don’t let his young looks fool you, he has plenty of time in on the Dream Stream and South Park waters. Colton’s instant connection with our younger clients has been demonstrated many times. Honest, respectful, and extremely hard working, Colton is ready to show you the latest greatest in the fly fishing world.

Court Dixon

Court and I met through his leadership in Boulder Fly Casters back in the early 1990’s. I guided for Court for over a decade at Kinsley’s(at the time, the oldest Orvis Endorsed Outfitter west of the Mississippi). As owner of Kinsley’s, Court now haunts some of the best fisheries on the planet. Except this time he is doing it full time. His world wide experience has been an endless fountain from which Sunrise Anglers drinks up. Needless to say, our PR go to guy. It has been a blessing to know this classic figure of fly fishing. If not fishing with us on our destination trips, his contacts put you you in touch with the right guides and lodges. Court is one of the sharpest dressed men I have ever met. Orvis should to do a spread on this guy’s wardrobe. The Sporting Life! Never a hair out of place even when casting for Cutthroats in a 50 mph wind down on Spinney. I think a certain Mexican cervesas commercial comes to mind when fishing with Court. He is the most interesting man in the world.

David Sugar

I met Shug on Kinsley's staff in the 90's. Early on, I always wanted to be paired with him because the guide trips just went smoother. He is one of the calmest guys I have ever met, even when I'm screaming at him to back row to get me into that pocket that no one fishes. Nothing fazes this guy. A University of Colorado grad, his knowledge of western waters is a great resource to Sunrise and to our clients that want to get the skinny on where, when, and with whom you should go. As owner of a fine framing shop located in Longmont CO(David Sugar Wholesale Framing), his meticulous nature shines though when you spend the day on the water with him.

George Gumerman

Ok, one collective sigh,,, George is stuck in New Zealand for 2012. Watch him come home with a super model as well. University of Colorado Boulder Grad, finally!

Julia Day

An accomplished saltwater angler, Julia has turned her attention to the trout of the West. Julia grew up fishing with her father Joel off the coast of Florida and countless other destinations. As a VP for Leisure Trends in Boulder, Julia knows practically everyone with almost 30 years in the fly fishing industry. Wheaton College(Mass) graduate and former director of sales for Fly Fishing in Saltwaters Magazine and Saltwater Flyfishing Magazine, Julia has incredible customer service. This is just one of the reasons why Julia is the best in her business. Corporate trips are a breeze with her skills on and off the water. My son is one lucky boy, as she is also his godmother. Spoiled rotten!

Dr. Michael Kish

I cannot have a guide profile section without mention of this gentleman. Much of what I teach you has been gleaned from the years of fishing with this big Hungarian. It’s easy to see why Chris is over the edge into fly-fishing. Dr. Kish can be found on his home waters of the Roaring Fork Valley most of the time although far flung destinations are always on this plate.

Scott Stevenson

One of Sunrise Anglers’ most accomplished Fly Fisherman. A true gentleman, Scott has fished all over the planet. His time on the water includes stories from Iceland, Labrador, Nova Scotia, Key West, Alaska, British Columbia, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Mexico, Honduras, and Belize. Safe to say if you have a destination, he has the contacts to put you in touch with right people. There is not a trip that goes by that he and his client do not discover a personal connection. He was the former general manager of Turneffe Flats/Orvis Saltwater School with Truel Myers. Introduced to me through Peter Berntsen, his personal motto “Have Rod - Drift boat will Travel” has all wishing that they had made the choices this man has made. Incredible, patient teacher.

Shawn Bratt

Raised in Castle Rock, I met Shawn in the late 90’s at Kinsley’s in Boulder. From a guy that endlessly asked me questions when I first met him, to the confidant master angler he is today, Shawn is a first class guide and guy. Shawn started, then mentored the University of Colorado’s Fly Fishing Club for well over a decade till 2011. Hard working and patient, his spirit carries through in all facets of his life. Designing fly reels, producing flawless cane rods (he almost has me converted), or casting two-handed speys, Shawn never stops challenging himself to master new talents. He is one of those classic guys who just has to do “it” for himself. With a real job, you can request him for weekends only, that's if he not traveling the world chasing fish. University of Colorado at Boulder Grad. For fine reading and interesting thoughts on the fishing lifestyle, you can catch his blog at: http://greendrakebamboo.blogspot.com/