HATCH FINDERS FLY SHOP 113 West Park #3 Livingston, MT 59047 Tele:406-222-0989 E-mail: flyshop@hatchfinders.com

Accomplished watercolorist Michael Simon has enjoyed a life long passion for the pursuit of fishes and his love of the sport is reflected in his exquisite studies of the fish, their habitat and the means by which we catch them.  One of America’s pre-eminent aquatic artists, Simon’s work has appeared in a multitude of publications, including Flyfisher, Flyfisherman, Trout and Fly, Rod & Reel.  He has illustrated a number of books on fishing and natural history, including John Gierach’s Trout Bum and the Paul Schullery - John Varley collaborations, Freshwater Wilderness and Yellowstone Fishes.

In 1984 Michael Simon was commissioned to create the limited edition poster commemorating the 25^th anniversary of Trout Unlimited and he also won the commissions for the Commonwealth of Virginia’s two conservation license plates, the state’s illustrated fishing regulations and trophy fish certificates.

A native of New York City, Simon learned to fish the trout streams of New Jersey at age ten, and began making watercolor renderings of trout

and their habitat. Shortly thereafter he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder and continued his education in Art History at the Virginia Commonwealth University. His interest in trout has led him to work as a trout hatchery assistant, a professional fly-tier and as a Ranger-Naturalist in Yellowstone Nation Park, where he developed a permanent interpretive display on the park’s fishes.

Michael Simon’s work has been shown in galleries across the country, including Crossroads of Sport in New York, Cudahy’s and Gallery Mayo in Richmond, VA and Angler Art in Denver. He makes his home in Richmond, Va.