—Comments by the Artist, Gretchen Grayum—
In 1990, Glenda Bradshaw of Greycliff Publishing asked me if I might be interested in illustrating a fly fishing book that was being written by Gary LaFontaine. Glenda got in touch with Gary and he said “Gretchen, if you want this illustrating job, all you have to do is illustrate a ‘small’ trout for me.” I had illustrated many things, but never a trout—plus he wanted it “small”, tough for details. After giving illustrating a trout my best shot, Gary hired me to illustrate The Dry Fly, New Angles. Needless to say, I was thrilled!
For the next six months, I spent lots of time meeting with Gary, as he would come to my home and bring my weekly illustration assignments. Working closely with Gary was an ongoing and inspirational challenge for me. The way he perceived the natural world of aquatic life was astonishingly insightful. His passion for fly fishing was, as far as I can see, unsurpassed. I am so proud to have been a small part of Gary’s life. Gary LaFontaine was a true and passionate master of the art of fly fishing, and his pure ingenuity has left us a legacy library of classics.
I come from a family of four generations of fly fishermen. My grandpa spent lots of time untangling my line ~~~ way back when ~~~ on the Roaring Fork river, and numerous creeks in Colorado. Grandpop [as we called him], would catch all the brookies and we would move on to the next hole. My dad, my older brother and everyone in my family has at least tried fly fishing, most turning out to be avid fishermen and fly tiers. I am fortunate that my family owns a cabin on the Gallatin River, so fishing access and hatches were at my fingertips during this entire book production. Having spent endless hours of my life on rivers and creeks, illustrating the fish and insects just fit naturally into my world. Working with Gary added a whole new dimension to my fishing as well as my art.
After getting an illustrating assignment, it became quite normal to find myself crawling around river banks trying to find nymphs emerging [which I managed to find!] ... so that I could better illustrate that sequence for Gary. He would talk in depth to me about the different water patterns which occur as a fish jumps or surfaces to take a fly. I was continually amazed by the complexity of Gary’s observations of the natural world, and the microscopic perception they would encompass. It was also daunting sometimes to be the one responsible for putting what Gary saw on paper—especially for over 125 illustrations! To have the honor and challenge was definitely one of the highlights of my life. It was a memorable and growing time for me, not to mention the wonderful friendship that formed between Gary, Stan, Glenda and I. Besides his unique excellence in the fly fishing arena, Gary LaFontaine was a profoundly kind man, an animal lover, a good friend, and a sincere and noteworthy teacher to many. He had great stories and he loved his family, pets and friends.
Shortly after the release of the book, Gary and I received an invitation by an art gallery in Helena to do a book signing/art show. We agreed immediately that was a fabulous idea, and the show was a memorable success! The Book Mailer has been kind enough to present for auction, this piece, which frames the original cover art and the actual fly that Gary tied for me to illustrate for the cover. It has been hanging in our fishing cabin on the Gallatin River in Montana for 18 years and is in perfect condition. I treasure the experience I had as Gary LaFontaine’s illustrator with all my heart. I feel it is time to see this treasure appreciated by someone who would like to have an original piece of the classic works of Gary LaFontaine’s legacy.
~~~Gretchen
Helena, MT 59624-1273 • Fax 406-443-0788
