John Hudgens (Director, Instructor)
John began his career in the fly fishing industry at the age of 16 when he was hired by Bob Jacklin to work at Jacklin’s Fly Shop in West Yellowstone, Montana. He has guided fishing in Montana, Idaho, and Yellowstone National Park since 1998. John has a B.S. degree in Wildlife Biology from the University of Montana and worked for Idaho Fish and Game as a junior fisheries biologist. John won the Simms Guide Olympics (“Ice Out”) in 2013 and is a member of the pro staff for R.L. Winston Rods and Hatch Reels. He guided fishing in Chile for many seasons and has worked for Yellow Dog Flyfishing Adventures was the South American Program Director for over a decade. John started The Angler’s Academy because he wanted to create an opportunity for others to experience the privilege of learning from some of the most famed personalities of fly fishing in a setting that would instill a sense of respect for the rich traditions that underpin the sport while also cultivating a deeper understanding of all the other elements of fly fishing that make it such a special pursuit.
John Juracek (Head Casting Instructor)
John lives in West Yellowstone, Montana, and was a partner in Blue Ribbon Flies for over twenty years. He has a degree in Fisheries Biology from the University of Wyoming and worked in that field for several years. Over the years, John has published many articles related to fishing, and his photographs are widely used in calendars, websites, and publications. John is also a writer and authored his own book, Yellowstone: Photographs of an Angling Landscape, and co-authored three books (with Craig Matthews) Fly Patterns of Yellowstone, Volume One, Fishing Yellowstone Hatches and Fly Patterns of Yellowstone, Volume Two. John has been teaching fly casting for 40 years, privately and at well-known fishing schools.
Bob Lamm (Instructor)
Bob has been guiding the Henry’s Fork River since 1974 and was awarded “Guide of the Year” from Fly Rod and Reel magazine in 1993. He was featured in the book, CastWork: Reflections on Fishing Guides in the American West. “Lamm” as he is known to most everyone, served two terms as a board member for the Henry’s Fork Foundation and has worked as an instructor and guide for the famed Mel Krieger fly fishing school as well as for Andy Puyans’ fly fishing school. Lamm has been a mentor to many of the young guides in the industry and stands out as one of the most well-known and respected trout fishing guides in the American West.
Alice Owsley (Instructor)
Alice has been guiding fishing in the Greater Yellowstone Region since 2001. She’s an accomplished fly tier, a terrific instructor, and a skilled caster who has won several casting competitions. She’s a field advisor for R. L.Winston Rods, a member of the Simms Fishing Products Pro-Team, and an ambassador for Scientific Anglers.
Jonathan Heames (Instructor)
Jonathan Heames is a co-owner and senior guide at Big Sky Anglers in West Yellowstone, Montana. Jonathan has been in the fishing industry for nearly three decades, getting his start in West Yellowstone under the guidance of Bob Jacklin in 1994. Since 2004, Jonathan and his wife, Sarah, have managed a fishing lodge in Chilean Patagonia during the winters. Jonathan is an Ambassador and Field Tester for Simms, a Hatch Reels Pro Staffer, and ranks as one of the top guides in the Greater Yellowstone Region.
John Cochran (Instructor)
John began his guiding career on the rivers near Vail, Colorado. In 1994 he founded Gorsuch Outfitters, which became one of the largest guide operations in the country, and which he ran until 2007. Since then, he has managed and consulted with several large fly fishing retail and outfitting services in the mountain west and has trained hundreds of professional fly fishing guides. John is recognized as a leader and innovator in the fly fishing industry and has been a presenter at the AFFTA/IFTD industry trade show. He currently works as a business consultant to the fly fishing industry with his company Outdoor Recreation Strategies, LLC. Over the past 25 years during the winter months, John and his wife spend time in the Florida Keys.
Simon Chu (Instructor)
Simon is a passionate angler and native of New Zealand. A member of the New Zealand Professional Guide Association, Simon started guiding his first anglers in 1989. While his primary career was focused on education, a deep love for fly fishing kept his foot in the door and had him guiding part-time and writing articles for Fly Life magazine. In 2018, Simon returned full-time to the fly fishing industry when he moved to Montana to work for Yellow Dog Flyfishing Adventures as the New Zealand, Australia, and Cook Islands Program Director. He is an ambassador for The Manic Tackle Project in New Zealand and spends his time writing, guiding, and teaching streamcraft in Bozeman, Montana.
Bob Jacklin (Speaker)
Bob founded Jacklin’s Fly Shop in West Yellowstone, Montana in 1972. He was the President of the Rocky Mountain Council of the Federation of Fly Fishers (FFF), and one of the first certified Master Casters in the country. In 2004, Bob was inducted into the Fly Fishing Hall of Fame. Bob is an accomplished fly tier, author, and is considered to be the preeminent living historian of the fly fishing industry. In fact, Bob will be releasing a book this summer about the history of fly fishing in the West Yellowstone, Montana area.
Mike Lawson (Speaker)
Mike founded Henry’s Fork Anglers Fly Shop in Last Chance, Idaho in 1976. Mike is a noted author, fly tier, and lecturer. His book, Spring Creeks, has already become a classic, and his most recent book, Fly Fishing Guide to the Henry’s Fork, is a must-have for anyone planning to fish these storied waters. Mike is a founding member of Henry’s Fork Foundation and founder of the Upper Snake River Fly Fishers.
Jim Klug (Speaker)
Jim Klug is the founder and director of Yellow Dog Flyfishing Adventures and co-founder of Confluence Films. In 2017, Jim was awarded the American Museum of Fly Fishing’s “Izaak Walton Award,” given out once a year to honor and celebrate individuals who live by ‘The Compleat Angler’ philosophy. In 2018, Jim was awarded the annual “Lefty Kreh Industry Leadership Award” by the American Fly Fishing Trade Association (AFFTA). Jim’s writing and photography appear in numerous magazines and publications in several countries. In 2014, Jim released his first full-length book project, Fly Fishing Belize. Jim has been a fishing guide, a sales rep for fishing gear, a travel coordinator, and has fished in over 50 different countries during his career in the industry.
Mike Bias (Presenter, Entomologist)
Mike holds a Ph.D. in Wildlife Ecology from the University of Cal Berkeley and is the Executive Director for the Fishing Outfitters Association of Montana based in Twin Bridges, Montana. Mike has been a licensed Montana Fishing Outfitter and guide in Idaho since 1997. He has several published papers in various scientific journals and has authored over 30 scientific presentations on wetland restoration ecology, wildlife population and habitat ecology, and aquatic entomology.
Rob Van Kirk (Presenter, Scientist)
Rob is a Senior Scientist with the Henry’s Fork Foundation, a nonprofit conservation organization in Ashton, Idaho, and has been fishing the Henry’s Fork since 1977. Dr. Van Kirk has been active in collaborative fisheries and water-resources research and management in the Snake River basin since 1994. He has authored or co-authored 35 peer-reviewed publications and dozens of technical reports and has received numerous awards for his research and contributions to conservation. Rob has a B.A. and an M.S. from Humboldt University and holds a Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of Utah, where he focused on the mathematical modeling of fish and wildlife populations.
Bryan Gregson (Presenter, Photographer)
Bryan is an accomplished outdoor photographer and angler and has traveled around the world fishing and shooting photos. He has worked with Yellow Dog Flyfishing Adventures, Patagonia, Scott Fly Rods, Hatch Outdoors, TroutHunter Lodge, Casa Blanca and Playa Blanca Resorts in Mexico, Las Pampas Lodge in Argentina, Rainy’s Flies, William Joseph, Trout Unlimited, Scientific Anglers, The Drake Magazine, The Flyfish Journal, NW/SW Fly Fishing, and dozens of other brands and conservation groups. Bryan’s work has become almost ubiquitous within the world of fly fishing.
