Bob Jacklin
August 1st 2008
Bob Jacklin owns the West Yellowstone, Montana full-service fly-fishing shop
having the longest continuous service tenure under original ownership. He
arrived in West Yellowstone in 1967 and gained experience in all aspects of
regional fly-fishing through employment at Bud Lilly’s Trout Shop and Jim
Danskin’s Tackle Shop. In 1974 he began his own business, Jacklin’s Fly Shop that has evolved into a premier destination retail business in the
fly-fishing world.
Born in New Jersey, Bob began in the fly-fishing world while living there.
An ardent fly fisher, he began tying flies in 1961 and selling flies in 1963, eventually acquiring skills suitable for tying all types of flies, and was honored by the late Lee Wulff with a letter of authenticity recognizing the quality, durability and pattern identity of his dressings of the Wulff series of flies. As a fly tier and fly-casting instructor, Bob has been featured at many Sportsman’s Expositions and Conclaves in this country and in Japan. He was a principal instructor at the landmark Fenwick Fly Fishing School for nearly a decade. His literary contributions include articles to The Big Sky Journal and Fly Tyer magazine, and Fly Fishing the Yellowstone in the Park, co-authored with Gary LaFontaine and published by Greycliff Publishing Company.
Bob has toured and lectured on diverse fishing subjects including basic
entomology, fly tying, reading water, casting techniques, selecting tackle,
knot tying, the history of fly fishing in the West Yellowstone area, and fly
fishing the West. He has produced several videos on all aspects of fly-fishing and on fly tying techniques. He has functioned as a consultant and advisor for regional fish and game departments. He is a member of the
St. Croix Rod Company Advisory Team, the Ross Reel Pro Staff, the Whiting
Farms Pro Staff, and is a contract fly tier for the Umpqua Feather Merchants.
He is a certified casting instructor with the American Casting Association and a master certified fly casting instructor with the Federation of Fly Fishers (FFF). In 2000 he was the thirty-first recipient of the FFF’s Buz Buszek Memorial Award for fly tying excellence. He is a life member of the FFF, with continuous membership since 1967. A founding member of the Central Jersey Chapter of Trout Unlimited, 1970. With continuous membership in TU since then. He is a member of the Anglers Club of New York and of the Theodore Gordon Fly Fishers. He is an advocate for protection and preservation of regional coldwater fisheries and is very active in preserving the fly-fishing heritage of the Greater Yellowstone region. On October 23, 2004 Bob was inducted into the very prestigious “Fly Fishing Hall of Fame.” On July 23, 2008 Bob received the FFF’s highest award, “The Order of the Lapis Lazuli for his many years of dedication to fly fishing and the FFF.