I am a Colorado native, born in Denver. I have been fishing and hunting since I was nine years old and learned my early outdoor skills from my dad. I graduated from Colorado State University in 1969 with a B.S. degree in Fisheries Biology. During my years in college, I worked summers for the Colorado Game, Fish & Parks as a research assistant for their biologists stationed in Ft. Collins, Colorado. My career path led me into real estate where I worked for 39 years in new home sales and sales management.
I have been married for 49 years to Phyllis (aka Nana) and have three children, Ken, Jeff, & Lori, and two grandsons, Brandon & Shawn. I am an avid fly fisherman and have been fly fishing for 59 years and tying my own flies for 58 years. I fish mostly in Colorado but have fly fished in Wyoming, Utah, Montana, Minnesota, Canada, Hawaii, California, and Alaska. I semi-retired in 2007 and have spent time as a guide for fly fisherman in the spring, summer, and fall, and as a snowmobile guide in the winter.
My hobbies are fly fishing (naturally), hunting, hiking, biking, camping, fly tying, working on construction projects on my home, and spending time with my two grandsons, Brandon (14) and Shawn (12), both of whom have already been introduced to fly fishing and have caught trout on our outings. My oldest grandson, Brandon, is responsible for my nickname, Ampa (he could not pronounce Grampa when he was learning to talk). So, Ampa it has always been!