Little help with history of Western tiers and their shops

All about flies Fly Tying
1

I guess it is part oh aging, but I am very interested in the history of early West Yellowstone tiers and shops.

Here are some “facts” which I have either witnessed or gotten first hand from some of the principals which leads up to my question:

  1. Bob Jacklin’s current fly shop was purchased from Pat Barnes.
  2. Don Martinez is said to have owned a one-room fly shop and employed Pat Barnes.
  3. There is, today, a small one-room fly shop operated by a fellow who spends half his year in Patagonia and the other half there in West.
  4. While visiting with the fellow in the little one-room log fly shop (a block north of the Main Street in West), he mentioned that Bob Jacklin owned the place before him.

So, did Martinez once own that little one-room fly shop; then sold to Jacklin while Pat Barnes opened the bigger shop which is now owned by Jacklin?

And, I am told that Mike Lawson got his start tying flies for Don Martinez when he had that one-room shop.

This is a pic of the one-room log style building about a block or more off the main street that I believe Martinez started and Jacklin later owned. That was before he bought Pat Barnes’ shop which is where Jacklin’s Shop is today.

Anyone have first-hand knowledge about this?
Thanks,
Byron

2

Byron,

I will be in West Jellystone in a couple of weeks for the FFF Fly Fishing Fair. I will ask around and see if anyone has answers to your questions, just in case no one else has answers. I wonder if anyone has written a history of West Yellowstone? I will hit a few local shops in search of… Larry —sagefisher—

3

Thanks Larry. I could wait till next summer, but the sooner the better.
I have often thought of a little book on the history of the area tiers and shops.

4

Byron,

There probably aren’t too many people who are still above ground and breathing that have firsthand knowledge of of the location and history of Don Martinez’s Fly Shop…

Here are a couple of leads for you that might help:

http://flyfishyellowstone.blogspot.com/

The above guy knows a lot about the history of West Yellowstone…might be worth it to shoot him an inquiry…

http://www.yellowstonehistoriccenter.org/index.php

Those folks might be able to assist ya’…

http://www.amazon.com/Ribbons-Blue-Antrium-Pat-Barnes/dp/1560371196

The above book by Pat Barnes might have information…

…or the West Yellowstone CofC…

http://www.destinationyellowstone.com/

I was in Pat Barnes’ Shop back in October of '77 and got these clunky waders there that I am wearing on the Firehole, my dad took the photo:

[](http://s305.photobucket.com/user/planettrout/media/BUGGERS SEAL/pop-firehole-77-3__zpsb1b69138.jpg.html)

PT/TB :wink:

5

Thanks PT.

Bob Jacklin is still running his shop. I visited with him this summer and talked flies and fishing. Should have asked him. He knows first-hand.

6

Larry, make sure you stop and say “Hi” when you’re in West. I’ll be tying as well as giving a spring creeks presentation on Friday and Saturday.

Kelly.

7

I have no first hand knowledge of the history of West Yellowstone fly shops, but I’ve read a couple of things that might be clues.

In the Martinez biography in Trout Country Flies, Bruce Staples writes that Martinez started spending summers in West Yellowstone by 1932 and “Here he established Don’s Tackle Shop in the Totem Cafe” Mike Valla also has a chapter on Martinez, in The Founding Flies. There is a picture of Martinez in his shop and the caption says: “…(which eventually became Bud Lilly’s fly shop).”

The Pat Barnes biography in Staple’s book says that Barnes tied for Martinez, then was in the 8th Army Air Force during WWII then opened Pat Barnes Tackle Shop and Guide Service in 1946.

8

Jay,
That one room fly shop a block off the Main Street that I cited is very near the Totem Cafe.
But, Bud Lilly’s shop is on the Main Street in West, and not anywhere near the Totem Cafe.

9

I can only speculate. Maybe Bud Lilly took over the Martinez shop, then at some point moved to bigger quarters. Or Mike got it wrong and it should be Jacklin instead of Lilly. That would fit your theory. Hopefully somebody knows the rest of the story.

10

I can see that a little book does need to be written. As long as Bob Jacklin is still around!!!