George Ochenski (left) and Bud Lilly (best) envisioned here in 2007 (Image thanks to George Ochenski).
Bud Lilly’s Trout Store opened in West Yellowstone, Montana, in 1952, and he ran it for more than 3 years. Even after brand-new owners took control of in 1982, the name stayed till 2020 due to the fact that Lilly had actually produced such a renowned brand name. His store was a Capital for fly fishers from worldwide, and his brochure brought a taste of Montana to those living somewhere else. It was just recently revealed that Lilly will belong to the 2025 class of conscripts– in addition to Paul Weamer, Adriano Manocchia, Walt Carpenter, and Izaak Walton— into the Fly Fishing Hall of Popularity.
Composing in Daily Montanan, George Ochenski pays homage:
A paean is “an impassioned expression of happiness or appreciation.” When it concerns the long and continuous battle to maintain the extraordinary tradition of Montana’s world-famous trout fishing rivers and streams, Bud Lilly, who was recently inducted into the National Fly Fishing Hall of Fame, should have every bit of the appreciation– and the happiness.
For countless young anglers the gorgeous flies envisioned in Bud Lilly’s brochure brought imagine fishing the Holy Waters of Montana’s famous trout streams. For those fortunate adequate to in fact hang out in Bud’s West Yellowstone Trout Store, the selection of those mixtures of fur and plumes connected so artfully on small hooks was excessive– although few people had adequate cash to purchase even a portion of what we so busily wished to connect to our leaders.
Click here for the full story in Daily Montanan
