A long-time fly fisher and outdoor writer, Jim McLennan was recently named an Editor-At-Large for Fly Fisherman magazine. Jim was one of the first guides on Alberta’s legendary Bow River, working the river from 1976-1982. During that time Jim introduced many famous fly fishers to the wonders of the Bow including Leigh Perkins, Lefty Kreh, A.J. McClane, Ernest Schwiebert and Charles Waterman.

From 1982 until the fall of 2000 he was co-owner of Country Pleasures, Calgary’s oldest fly fishing store. He has written three books about fly fishing. Blue Ribbon Bow was initially published in coffee-table format in 1987 and received the Outdoor Book of the Year Award from the Outdoor Writers of Canada. This edition is now out of print but a revised and updated edition was published in 1998. Trout Streams of Alberta, a Canadian best-seller, was published in 1996 and received the Andy Russell nature Writing Award. His latest book, Fly Fishing Western Trout Streams, was published by Stackpole in 2003.

In 2005 Jim received the Bob Paget Memorial Conservation award from Trout Unlimited Canada. Jim’s writing and photography appears frequently in major outdoor magazines. He hosted two seasons of the television series “Iron Blue Fly Fishing”, broadcast on the Outdoor Life Network and is a frequent speaker at events sponsored by fly fishing clubs and conservation organizations.

Along with the fly-fishing arts, Jim’s other passions are hunting upland birds and playing music. He lives with his wife, Lynda and two bird dogs in Okotoks, Alberta where he splits his time between fishing, hunting and writing.