Walen "Bud" Francis Lilly

Walen Francis “Bud” Lilly, age 91, passed away peacefully in Bozeman on January 4th, 2017 from complications due to congestive heart failure.

Left to honor his memory are wife Esther, sons Michael, Greg, and Chris, daughters Annette (Lilly-Russ) and Alisa (Flores), grandchildren Reagan, Flint, Margaux, Dax, Bridger, Chandler, and beloved dogs, Max and Ruby.

Born in Manhattan, Montana in 1925 to Violet (Collins) and Bud Lilly, Sr., Bud grew up fishing and hunting in the Gallatin Valley. As the Great Depression roared, he honed his fabled trout fishing skills and delivered his daily catch to hungry townsfolk.

Bud had many passions, but his first was baseball. He came to be so skilled at the game that by age 15 he was invited to play second base on the Manhattan men’s league team, even slapping a single over legendary pitcher Satchel Paige’s head. Whether or not Hall-of-Famer Paige grooved the pitch down the middle so the scrappy teenage redhead could get on base is a discussion for another time.

His skills on the diamond would not go unnoticed, and soon the Cincinnati Reds came knocking. Yet before his baseball career could begin, Bud was notified that he was to report to the Montana School of Mines (now Montana Tech) in Butte to begin Officer Training in the Navy V-12 Program. Bud served honorably in WWII as a Lieutenant J.G. on the USS General R.M. Blatchford in the Pacific and Atlantic Theaters.

After the War, Bud married Patricia Bennett of Three Forks and raised his first three children: Greg, Michael, and Annette. Through the G.I. Bill, Bud attained his undergrad degree at Montana State and his Master’s at the University of Montana, leading him to eventually teach high school science in small Montana towns. This in turn allowed him the summers to build his fly-fishing business in West Yellowstone. Through “Bud Lilly’s Trout Shop”, Bud promoted the idea of catch-and-release, a conservation practice that permeated fishing philosophy worldwide. Greg, Mike and Annette participated in the family business, guiding trips and developing their own fly-fishing reputations. Bud devoted himself to the “Total Experience” of western fly fishing, encouraging the appreciation of wild resources through recreation and ensuring the preservation of field and stream for future generations. During his lifetime, Bud fished alongside ambassadors, celebrities, captains of industry, wounded warriors, and those who just wanted to know where the fish were biting.

In 1984, Bud lost his cherished wife Pat to cancer. Yet his fidelity to fly-fishing and conservation continued to thrive with his work with Trout Unlimited and the Federation of Fly-Fishers. Through his involvement with these organizations, he met and fell in love with Esther Neufeld, later marrying her and raising two more children, Chris and Alisa. Bud would go on to write several books, and was involved in many film and print projects that encouraged preservation of Montana’s wilderness treasures.

For his lifetime of devotion to the world of fly-fishing and conservation, Bud received a litany of accolades, including an honorary doctorate from Montana State. In December, Bud gave his final thoughts on life as “A Trout’s Best Friend” as he was inducted into the Montana Outdoor Hall of Fame in Helena.

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the Bud Lilly Trout and Salmonid Collection at the Montana State University Library, or to your local Veteran’s Administration. Memorial services will be held at 1:00 P.M. Monday at Resurrection University Catholic Parish in Bozeman, MT.