Profile of a Fly Fisherman: Jim Klug

PROFILE OF A FLY FISHERMAN

Jim Klug of Yellow Dog Fly Fishing - Part1

Founder and CEO for Bozeman, Montana-based Yellow Dog Flyfishing (www.yellowdogflyfishing.com), Jim Klug began working in the fly fishing industry at the age of 14. Over the years, he has worked as a guide, sales rep, travel coordinator, and as past National Sales Manager for Scientific Anglers. He’s guided extensively in Montana, Colorado, New Mexico and Oregon, and has fished throughout the world in over 60 different countries.

By THE EDITORIAL STAFF // Pictures: JIM KLUG

In 1999, Jim founded Yellow Dog – a trip booking and travel company that has grown to become one of the largest and most recognized entities in sporting travel. Yellow Dog currently represents and books more than 250 lodges and outfitting operations in 39 different countries. In 2022, Yellow Dog expanded operations with the acquisition of one of the largest fly shops in Montana, as well as the launch of a full-service e-commerce retail platform.

As Yellow Dog’s CEO, Jim spends a lot of time scouting and researching destinations throughout the world. Aside from his ongoing work with Yellow Dog, Jim is also the co-founder of Confluence Films, a film production company that created the fishing movies DRIFT in 2008, RISE in 2009, CONNECT in 2011, WAYPOINTS in 2013 and PROVIDENCE in 2016. In 2019, Jim launched the popular fishing podcast, WAYPOINTS, a program dedicated to fishing travel, adventure, and exploration.

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. The award recognizes “a passion for the sport of fly fishing and involvement in the angling community that provides inspiration for others and promotes the legacy of leadership for future generations.” In 2018, Jim was the recipient of the “Lefty Kreh Industry Leadership Award,” presented to one individual each year by the American Fly Fishing Trade Association (AFFTA).

Jim’s writings and photos and appeared in numerous magazines and publications, and his photo work and galleries can be viewed at www.klugphotos.com. Fly Fishing Belize (released in October 2014) was Jim’s first full-length book project. Jim lives in Bozeman, Montana with his wife Hilary and children Carson, Finn and Gus.

We’ve been fortunate enough to sit down with Jim for a chat about his life in fly fishing

How did you get started fly fishing and why?

I started working in the fly fishing industry when I was 14 or 15 years old. Like most young people, my first job was working in a fly shop – stocking inventory, sweeping floors, bagging fly tying materials – doing whatever was required while trying to learn everything I could about the sport.

“I had the chance to guide and work throughout the US west during my 20s, and those were fantastic years”

I am not sure I have ever loved this sport – or been so excited about fly fishing – as when I was working in that shop as a kid – when everything was new and exciting, and when I was obsessed with learning as much as possible, as fast as possible. At that point in time, far off destinations and exotic species were nothing more than wish-list adventures I would read about in magazines, but still I wanted nothing more than to plan my life – and certainly every day – around fishing. I joke with a lot of my industry friends that those ear-

ly years definitely led me down the road to ruin, and instead of a job in finance or law or something else respectable, I stayed focused on fly fishing and really never left the industry.

Working as a kid in that fly shop eventually led to rowing gear boats for a steelhead outfitter during my summer months in high school, which then led to full-time guiding. I had the chance to guide and work throughout the US west during my 20s, and those were fantastic years. After that I became a sales rep in the Northern Rockies territory (Montana, Idaho and Wyoming) for a number of different tackle brands and manufacturers, before ending up as Sales Manager for Scientific Anglers. I’ve been fortunate enough to stay in the fishing industry since I was a kid, and I’ve been able to work my way through a lot of different roles and positions – learning every step of the way. I would have to say that this industry has been very good to me over the years, and overall, my life in fly fishing has been a hell of a lot of fun.

What is it about fly fishing, specifically, that fascinates you?

I would say that any time spent on water is always going to be fascinating – be it a small stream or river close to home, or distant flats halfway around the world. The number one most fascinating thing for me, however, always relates to the places that fly fishing takes me.

I’ve been lucky enough to travel the world and see a lot of unique locations in my years with Yellow Dog, and while the fishing is usually the “reason” for making these trips, the take-aways always revolve around so many things other than the fishing.

What characterizes the most special and memorable moments in fly fishing?

That’s actually a great question, because there are a lot of memorable moments that accumulate over the years. I would have to say it’s the camaraderie that is so often involved in fishing and certainly in fishing travel. Whether its time spent with friends at a lodge, the connection you make with a specific guide, time on the water with your kids, or the conversations and laughs you have with a buddy when you’re sharing a skiff on a difficult and fishless day, most of my fondest memories revolve around the people I’ve been fortunate enough to fish with. Landing a beautiful fish or bringing something huge to the net is of course memorable, but over time, the things you remember most always revolve around people.

What is the most important thing you’ve learned along the way as a fly fisherman?

No matter where you are or what’s happening, remember to relax. The reality is that great fishing moments (or the “perfect” trip) will always involve the law of averages. If you do six destination trips to far-off places, expect two of them to be great, two to be varied on conditions and weather, and two to be downright challenging. We still haven’t figured out how to guarantee great weather and conditions, so every trip is always a bit of a gamble.

We all want smooth travel, on-time flights, ideal weather, and cooperative fish with every trip, but we also can’t control the uncontrollable. And … if you can’t deal with those odds and roll with the punches, then fishing may not be your thing. (Perhaps a round of golf on a course close to home is a better option … where the ball is always right there … waiting to be hit ...)

When you travel to fish, you have to stay positive and recognize there are things you simply cannot control. Fishing takes to us to amazing places, so do your best to remember where you are and why you’re out there in the first place. I have also learned that the more you stress out while fishing, the more likely you are to continue making mistakes, missing eats, and having problems. It’s no coincidence that the most laid-back, easy-go-lucky anglers are always the ones that seem to catch the most fish!

What is it that motivates you and drives you towards new fly fishing adventures?

The feeling of experiencing something for the first time. That is true with travel in general, but it is especially true with fishing. Visiting a river you’ve never before fished and stepping into a run that you know – just by looking at it – has to hold good fish is always going to be motivating factor! Or heading out from the dock in the morning and racing across glassy flats in a skiff in search of tailing fish.

Any time you’re seeing and experiencing a location and a fishery for the first time, that excitement and motivation is always there. If the chance to fish new waters doesn’t make you feel like a kid on Christmas morning, you might have to ask yourself what exactly it is you’re doing.

What’s your favorite species of fish to target – and why?

That’s a hard question to answer. Kind of like, “what’s your number one favorite destination?” or, “which one of your three kids is your favorite?” I can easily come up with a “top ten” list of favorite species (golden dorado, steelhead, wild rainbow trout, tarpon, bonefish, GTs … certainly a few others) but picking just one is hard.

“I can easily come up with a “top ten” list of favorite species”

Most of the time, I would have to say that permit would probably be at the top of the list – largely due to where they live and also the challenge they consistently present. They are rarely easy and never foolish, but when you do come tight on a permit and eventually bring a fish to hand, it is a pretty special feeling. And honestly, bonefish would be a close second, as they are arguably the greatest fly rod quarry in all of fishing. It’s almost as if bonefish were designed with fly anglers in mind, and when I hear an angler say, “I’m over bonefish … I’ve caught plenty,” it honestly makes me question that person’s character.

Bonefish are an awesome species, and – as a spooky, hyper-alert creature – the challenge is always there. But they’re also an honest fish. When you do your job, they usually do theirs, and a good cast, a well-presented fly, and a proper retrieve and strip-set will usually be rewarded.

What’s your dream destination and why?

For me, it is a destination that makes you feel like you are seeing a place in its absolute prime and at it’s very best. We’ve all grown up hearing about the way “things used to be.” And we’ve all heard old-timers talk about the “good old days” – when a fishery or a location was as its peak. When you can visit a destination and feel like you are literally fishing “the good old days” at that exact moment – when it is still incredibly pristine, productive, and healthy – to me that is the dream destination. Those places are of course getting harder to find, but they’re still out there!

What’s been your most memorable fly fishing trip/experience so far?

That one is hard to pin down. I think the most memorable trips – the ones that really stick out over the past 30+ years of traveling – are usually the ones that generate the best stories. But of course, those are the ones where things usually went wrong. Accidents, hurricanes, injuries, arrests, geopolitical events that shut down the borders … those kinds of things tend to stick in your memory bank.

The “happiest” memories and trip experiences I’ve had probably involve fishing and traveling with my kids – especially when they were really young and still new to fishing. Watching a five-year old catch their first trout, or a ten-year old land their first bonefish is pretty cool. Those are moments in my life I will never forget, which I guess lands them squarely in the “most memorable” category.

TO BE CONTINUED IN OUR NEXT ISSUE!