Team CW

Each and every member of the Chi Wulff team readily admits that living and working in Montana is somewhat of a dream come true for folks who love fly fishing. 

Most of us live in southwest Montana in the territory roughly stretching from Bozeman and Yellowstone country to Missoula ‘over on the west side’.  Collectively we live within two hours of some of the most renowned fly fishing waters in the world: the Madison, Yellowstone, Gallatin, the multiple and varied waters of Yellowstone National Park, the Missouri, Big Hole, Beaverhead, Rock Creek, Bitterroot, Blackfoot, and Clark Fork, with the Big Horn and Henry’s Fork maybe just another hour down the road. 

There are several things about our team we feel it’s important for you to know.   

First, none of us own an outfitter or guide service, a fly shop, or a lodge catering to fly fishermen.  Not that some of us wouldn’t like to, and perhaps down the road one or more of us may venture into the business end of fly fishing.   No question – there are some great fly fishing web sites out there that are sponsored and run by guides, shop owners, lodges, and outfitters; we’re pleased to call many of them our friends.   But by not having a “hand in the business” so to speak, we feel we can (and do) speak with objectivity and clarity about conditions and services in the neighborhood.   

In the interest of full disclosure, several (though not all) of our Chi Wulff team members are involved with a fly fishing and outdoor related media company – Dry Fly Media.  We might try and convince you to buy a hat or T-shirt with a witty tagline on it, or a DVD of one of our fledgling productions; though we’re clearly not here to sell advice, flies, fly fishing equipment, local or exotic trips, or even a bed for the night.   We do have several part-time guides writing for us now and then, though they still have a foot in the ‘other world’ to pay the bills. 

Secondly, we feel it’s very important to note that none of us claim to be an expert in the world of fly fishing; we’re far from it.  There are dozens and dozens of truly notable fly fishing experts living and fishing right in our neighborhood, and hundreds more who visit every year.  We’re not fit to clean their gear on most days, and we stand in awe of these men and women who stand and work hip dip in the fly fishing world each and every day, dealing not only with wily fish and challenging waters, but the unpredictable human elements of the fly fishing arena as well. 

Nope, we’re not experts, but we share with the genuine experts a love and passion for Montana and the Yellowstone region, fabulous fly fishing waters, the great outdoors, creative food, fly fishing friends, and the West in general. 

Thirdly, none of us are trust-funders living on the largess of previous generations, massive lottery winnings, wealthy spouses, or stolen gems and securities from a prior nefarious life.  We’re all pretty much regular guys and gals who hold down ‘real world jobs’ to pay the bills; some of us more than one.  We vary in age from college student to the oldest fart who just turned 67 (March 2009), though we would like to recruit a genuine, cantankerous, cussin’, cigar smokin’ and drinkin’ old man or woman (of at least 15 lustrums) to the team. 

We fish with rods we’ve built, flies we’ve tied, wear patched waders and frumpy clothes, make our own jerky and eat stale sandwiches out of the cooler, drive aging and dirty vehicles, and enjoy making fun of folks we see on the river wearing and carrying $5 grand worth of new gear.  Sorry if we laughed at your brand new Simms outfit on the river or tried to splash mud on your sparkling clean Escalade or Hummer recently. 

Fourthly, some of us used to author the Best Fly Fishing Yellowstone site.  Chi Wulff is somewhat of a poorly disguised witness relocation program of sorts for the old team.  As far as we know we haven’t really committed any crimes absolutely necessitating relocation – let’s just say that sometimes a name and location change can be an invigorating thing.       

Finally, here are short bios on those most frequently contributing to Chi Wulff - 

Jake

AKA:                           The Bearded One

Home base:                Bozeman

Favorite Fly:               Orange Stim, number 14

Favorite Water:          Madison

Prior Life:                   Web design, student, tractor guy, fly fisherman

Current Life:               Web design, author, fly fishing media

Favorite Food:            Either a cooked to perfection elk steak and mashed spuds or fresh fried shrimp and key lime pie

Aspirations:                Learn to spey cast, own a DeHaviland Beaver

 

Mark

AKA:                           Festus

Home base:                Bozeman

Favorite Fly:               BWO emerger, big Stone Fly nymphs

Favorite Water:          The one I’m fishing today; Firehole in the fall

Prior Life:                   Biomedical sciences

Current Life:               Real estate market analytics, author, fly fishing media

Favorite Food:            Baby back ribs with all the trimmin’s

Aspirations:                Own a restaurant, keep writing, build cane rods, ride the LOTOJA

 

Missouri River Steve

AKA:                           Missouri River Steve

Home base:                Somewhere near Craig

Favorite Fly:               BH Hare’s Ear, EHC (my special tie)

Favorite Water:          Missouri River

Prior Life:                   Bartender, drummer

Current Life:               Bartender, part time guide, photographer, philosopher

Favorite Food:            Bacon, big cheeseburgers, wings

Aspirations:                Live to be 50, own a river camp and be an outfitter

 

Jess

AKA:                           Amazonina

Home base:                Missoula

Favorite Fly:               Royal Wulff

Favorite Water:          Snake

Prior Life:                   Competitive dressage trainer, student, barn scrub

Current Life:               College student, sport’s retail

Favorite Food:            Gyoza, my power smoothies

Aspirations:                Produce and film an indy, Shakespearean play acting, Intelligence work

 

Albert

AKA:                           Al the Pal

Home base:                Missoula / Hamilton

Favorite Fly:               Skwala stone nymph

Favorite Water:          Bitterroot, Big Hole, Rock Creek

Prior Life:                   Rancher, guest ranch operator

Current Life:               Rancher, curmudgeon 

Favorite Food:            Rib eye steak

Aspirations:                Finish my instrument rating, Collect and sample all Montana artisanal beers