105 Yellowstone Ave, West Yellowstone, MT 59758
Jacklin's Fly Shop is one of the oldest and most storied fly fishing establishments in West Yellowstone, founded by Bob Jacklin, a professional fly tier, guide, and author whose contributions to the sport span more than half a century. The shop has operated from Yellowstone Avenue since the late 1960s, accumulating an institutional knowledge of the greater Yellowstone area's fisheries that is difficult to replicate and impossible to replace. Bob Jacklin's career as a fly tier and educator placed him in extended conversation with the sport's greatest thinkers, and the shop continues to reflect the serious, craft-oriented ethos he established.
Bob Jacklin is best known for developing the Rio Grande King Trude and numerous other productive patterns for Greater Yellowstone waters, and the fly bins at Jacklin's carry a comprehensive selection of his signature ties alongside current-season patterns from a rotation of local tiers who fish the same rivers their flies are tied to imitate. The shop's approach to the fly selection is methodical rather than trend-driven: what works on the Madison in late June, what fish in the Firehole are eating in September, what the Yellowstone Park cutthroat are keying on in the high summer — these questions drive the inventory.
The guide program at Jacklin's draws on decades of accumulated river knowledge, with professionals capable of navigating the specific regulations and access requirements of Yellowstone National Park alongside the public water of the Madison and Gallatin corridors. Bob Jacklin himself has guided fishing trips in this region for longer than most of the other shops in town have existed, and his influence on how the shop thinks about guiding — patient, educational, attentive to the angler's development as much as the day's catch — remains evident throughout the operation.
Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Mountain Whitefish
Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Cutthroat Trout
Cutthroat Trout, Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout
Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout
Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout
Westslope Cutthroat Trout, Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout
“This is the best shop in town. The staff are incredibly friendly and the shop is still independently owned. I came in looking for a backup rod and ended up chatting with the staff for 20 minutes. If you want a friendly shop that is all about getting you the right gear to get on the water, you can’t beat Jacklin’s”
“Came in looking for a tiny fly rod that my 5 year old could learn to fish with. The owner offered my son a chocolate coin they keep on the counter that he noticed. I mentioned it was his birthday so he could have the treat and went to the back where owner pointed out I might find something. We looked and didn’t find anything that would work and headed out. The guy at the counter mentioned another shop that might have what we were looking for. Then on the sidewalk outside the owner greeted us and”
“We walked in just before closing and they stayed open 30min longer for us. They loved to talk fishing with us. Allowed our two teenage boys to share stories and pictures of fish caught in Yellowstone. They gave great advice about fishing in Lamar Valley area. Friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. Great selection of flies. Be sure to stop in when you are in the area.”
