Conserve. Protect. Restore.Cold water trout conservation in our home waters.

President

Kris Spanjian

Kris started fly fishing while in her 30s and through the years has come to understand the importance of connecting with the natural world in this way. It has been a calming, enjoyable, happy, and sometimes comical, pursuit of hers for over 35 years now. Her husband Ray has been a steady partner on the water as he enjoys the sport as well. After she retired from a career as a physician, she was able to be more involved with this chapter, first by volunteering with the Youth Summer Day Camp and then with the beginnings of the women’s fly fishing group, Rimrock River Sisters. Her desire to prioritize conservation issues with MCFF has led her to a position on the Board.

kspanjian@gmail.com

Secretary

Bill Belden

Bill has lived in Montana for much of the past 49 years but only took up fly fishing seriously since retiring in 2014. His initial entry into the fly fishing world began with an adult beginners fly tying class organized by MCFF. This eventually led to his volunteering with the MCFF youth fly tying classes at local area schools as a result of his friendship with MCFF member Kevin Davis. His favorite river is the Big Horn where he enjoys fishing for big fish on small flies. He supports conservation and restoration projects on the Big Horn as a member of the Big Horn River Alliance. He also enjoys local fishing on Rock Creek and the Stillwater as well as fishing the Yellowstone Park streams and the upper Madison River as well as fly fishing lakes and streams on the Beartooth plateau. His association with MCFF meetings, programs and its members have been instrumental in developing the skills and techniques that enhance the enjoyment and challenge of this great sport. He’s living proof that IT’S NEVER TO LATE TO START FLY FLISHING! Started in my 60’s and learning something new every day is what he says!

Treasurer

Byron McBride

Byron's first introduction to fly fishing was through his mother who had grown up fishing with her father and grandfather in Montana. Byron would accompany her to the river starting at three years old, in 1950, where she would hand him her fly rod with a fish on. Occasionally, he would even land the fish! His love for fishing freestone streams stems from those early years and continues to this day. He started tying flies about forty years ago and now enjoys teaching adult and youth classes. He's a life member of Trout Unlimited and has been a member of Magic City Fly Fishers for over twenty years. Currently he's the chapter Treasurer, leads the Education Program and is on the Montana Trout Unlimited council.

Past President

Lyle Courtnage

Lyle grew up in Fort Benton, tossing a red-and-white Dare Devil for goldeye. While attending Rocky Mountain College in Billings, he added a trailing worm to his arsenal for Beartooth brook trout. Several years later, while developing markets for a midwestern chemical company, he hosted a customer event at an Ohio lodge on a beautiful spring creek. Several sales managers, who were accomplished fly fishermen, teased and ridiculed a Montana boy who did not fly fish. Soon after, upon a career change and move to Great Falls, Lyle joined the Missouri River Fly Fishers, took fly fishing lessons, hung out at Wolverton’s fly shop, floated the Missouri, waded Little Prickly Pear, floated the Smith before permits, and switched to flies for annual trips to the Beartooth Mountains. In 1997, Lyle moved back to Billings to teach at Rocky Mountain College and joined Magic City Fly Fishers soon after. As with many of us, Hugh Huntley brought Lyle onto the board early on. Doug Haacke preached the importance of conservation and introduced Lyle to Montana TU and their quarterly council meetings. 13 years ago, Bruce Farling, then MTU Executive Director, convinced Lyle to join the MTU executive council. That commitment has led Lyle to soon enter his second year as MTU Council Chairman. What a ride!

Director

Brandi St. George

Despite being a native Montanan, Brandi's interest in fly fishing started after attending college at Montana State University when her dad took her backpacking to his cabin that he built in high school with ill-gotten goods from the Anaconda Mining Company. Her father had a great passion for the outdoors, and he shared it with his daughter and son taking them backpacking, wading and boating. Catching that first fish on a tiny mountain stream with a dry fly and she was hooked. She continued her fishing education by walking the water with her geriatric posse, a trio of gurus who always shared good advice and cold beer. Learning to work the oars on her 5-man self-bailing raft has allowed her to explore new water not open to her by foot. Brandi also does an annual 7-day backpacking trip with the B-Team hiking crew. Whether on the water or in the mountains she usually can be found with a fly rod in hand and a giant black poodle or two at her side. The drive to protect and restore our outdoor spaces led her to be on the board of the Magic City Fly Fishers in the spring of 2026.

Director

Larry Klee

Larry moved to Montana in 1991 from Indiana where his only fishing experience was casting night crawlers to pan fish. His father dabbled in fly fishing but wouldn't allow Larry to cast his rod for fear of tangling his line and leaders (good decision!). Likewise, slinging lures was considered a fool's endeavor. After moving to Montana, a few friends introduced him to fly fishing and soon thereafter he took some fly tying classes at the Rainbow Run Fly Shop. He's been hooked on both ever since. His primary passion is trout fishing but over the last several years he's very much enjoyed expanding his horizons to include fly fishing for saltwater species, pike, panfish, and dorado. After retiring from the Billings Clinic (Urology) several years ago he's gotten more involved with MCFF and last year was elected to the MCFF Board.

Director

Bob Farrell

Omaha-raised, Wyoming-shaped, and Billings-settled. After 29 years of as a federal wildland firefighter, Bob swapped the fireline for the waterline. These days, he's a part-time guide helping folks find clean, cold water and the public land secrets he spent a lifetime protecting. When Bob's not on the river or exploring with his gun dog, Huff, he's likely a world away with his wonderful wife—traveling the globe in search of the perfect brisket, a rare vintage, or a local craft brew. Whether he's casting into mountain freestones or salt flats, he's a firm believer that life is best lived with a great book in one hand and a world-class glass of wine in the other—ideally with the Rolling Stones or some South Chicago blues spinning in the background. Bob spends his winters planning the next adventure and his summers perfecting the art of low-and-slow BBQ. Living the dream in Montana with his better half and a dog who definitely thinks he’s the lead guide.