The future of Jacks web site

With Jack’s passing inevitably have come questions. People have been asking things like will the web site continue? Will Jack’s books still be available? Some of the questions I don’t know the answer to, but here’s what I do know:

Will the web site continue? Absolutely. Jack loved this site. He considered it the repository, the  portfolio of his life’s work. He always said that he wanted it to continue after he was gone.  And so it will. Working on jackgartside.com with Jack the past nine years has been one of the great experiences of my life. It goes without saying that things won’t be the same without him. But there is a lot of material that he’d never gotten around to publishing–stories, flies, advice, pictures, and jokes–material enough to hopefully keep jackgartside.com a fun and interesting place to visit for a long, long time. And it will always a place to connect with a great tyer, a good man, and a dear friend.

Are there any events or memorials to Jack planned? Jack left a number of items to the American Fly Fishing Museum in Manchester, Vermont, so I expect that in time they will have an exhibit of his work.  I’ve heard that Montana legend and lifelong friend of Jack’s Bud Lilly has some plans. Also look for a piece by Dave Skok in an upcoming edition of The Drake magazine, and a piece by Ed Mitchell in an upcoming issue of Fly Fishing in Salt Waters.  And if you haven’t already seen it, here’s a very nice tribute to Jack that appeared in the Boston Globe.

Regarding the American Fly Fishing Museum…Jack’s wishes included that any charitable donations in his name be made to the AFFM. They’re a great organization dedicated to preserving the heritage of American fly fishing. But like Jack they operate on a shoe string budget. So if you feel inclined to remember Jack through a donation please consider them.

Are Jack’s books and other merchandise still available? Jack’s books will continue to be available through jackgartside.com. Other things like tying materials and prints will likely be available but on a more limited basis. Some folks have asked about Jack’s flies… the answer there is, sadly, no. If you’re lucky enough to have some of Jack’s flies in your possession, my advice is to enjoy them, save a few as tying models, and with the rest go fishing. (By the way, if you placed an order on the web site in the past month and are wondering when you’ll receive it…first thanks for your patience…second, there’s been a delay while some accounts required to process orders get switched around, but that work will hopefully be complete this week. You’ll be hearing from me via email.)

Thanks everybody. If you have questions, comments, or suggestions please send them along.