This past weekend saw the Bear’s Den Fly Shop’s 14th annual fly fishing show. Every year Scott Wessels and his family do a great job putting on this free show to promote fishing, friends, and fun. A few photos (click to enlarge)…
Masahito Sato tying one of his corsair-head streamers.
Bob Popovics shared some great stories of tarpon fishing with Jack in the Keys.
Famed flats fisher Dick Brown demonstrated some of his new bonefish patterns.
Dave Nelson tied some beautiful old-school wound marabou streamers.
Pat Cohen made some amazing creations out of spun deer hair.
Dave Skok fly in the night before from fishing in the Carolinas.
When I saw Jamie Boyle in a Yankees hat my first question was, “Did you lose a bet?” He had. To Popovics.
On October 9th the Catskill Fly Fishing Museum inducted Jack into its Fly Fishing’s Hall of Fame. Other inductees were John Randolph, Louis Rhead, and Art Lee.
Bummer to say that between traffic and weather the drive from Boston to Roscoe, NY took longer than I allowed for. I missed most of the actual induction ceremony. But I got there for the cookies and apple cider, with time to mingle and tour the museum. There was a dinner afterwords where Bob Popovics presented Ted Patlen with the Poul Jorgensen Golden Hook Award. Before presenting the award Bob voiced a few of his fond memories of Jack, including the story of how Jack got him into his first tarpon. Hearing the warmth in Bob’s voice as he spoke about the old days in the Keys, Vaca Cut, and the old Golden Grouper…it was one of the high points of the evening.
The museum is really interesting, packed with items of lore and tributes to fishers of legend. If you’re ever in the Roscoe vicinity (about 90 miles northwest of New York City) it’s well worth a visit. Jack’s friend Mel Harris once observed, “There were two things Jack was proud of…his flies and his lifestyle.” The museum’s exhibit does a fine job of showing both. It includes three of Jack’s self-published books: Scratching the Surface, Flies for the 21st Century, and Striper Strategies. There are fly boxes too, crowded with Gartside Gurglers, Soft Hackle Streamers, BeastMasters, Corsair Minnows, Sparrow Nymphs, and Gartside Pheasant Hoppers. There’s a Red Sox hat, a Christmas gift to Jack a few years ago to replace one he wore for years until it fell apart.
From Jack’s family of friends, a big thank you to Jim Krul and the rest of the museum staff for allowing us the privilege of seeing our friend honored in this way.
Here are a few pictures. Click them to enlarge.
Kate Lavelle accepted the award on Jack’s behalf…
…in the traditional Gartside manner.
Dale Linder stands next to the Gartside display.
The Gartside plaque with a photo by Barry Beck.
The Museum’s Gartside case, contents contributed by Mel Harris.
From left to right…Mel Harris, Dale Linder, Mike Quigley, and Iain Sorrel.
The exterior walls of the museum carry plaques for each hall of fame inductee. Here’s Jack’s. I love the wording on this. I believe it was Kate who contributed it.
Dave Skok fly in the night before from fishing in the Carolinas.
On October 9th the 
