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DAQ · #1 12-06-2009, 09:16 PM

I picked this up off of another site. I thought some on here might be interested.

"Jack Gartside passed away peacefully last night.

As many of you know Jack was diagnosed with small cell cancer in October 2008. After therapy over the winter months Jack was able to enjoy trips to Florida in the spring and local venues throughout the summer. However in early Fall it became apparent that the cancer had spread and Jack was admitted to hospital last month.

Jack’s fly tying skills were legendary and his impressionistic patterns fooled fish of all species. Gurgler, Soft Hackle Streamer, BMG, Gartside Hopper, Firefly are just a few of the many unique patterns he developed - so often with materials discarded or overlooked by others.

Anyone lucky enough to have fished with Jack will remember his stealthy, heron like approach, relaxed casting and retrieves that breathed so much life into his patterns.

Even on the slowest of days when you couldn’t “buy a take” his enthusiastic chant of “Any minute now, any minute now…” would keep your spirits up.

As many of you know Jack was truly one of those rare and special people who lived life to the full and captivated so many of us with his infectious charm, enthusiasm and some truly terrible jokes & pranks... "

BobG · #2 12-06-2009, 10:32 PM

Very sad...but not unexpected. He'd been quite ill.

A very good fly tyer, fisherman, and an amazing sense of humor. I really enjoyed his site and vistited it often.

FishHawk · #3 12-07-2009, 05:25 AM

Jack was a colorful and talented flytyer. He'll be missed. FishHawk

bdowning · #4 12-07-2009, 06:30 AM

I saw him at the Bear's Den show in 2008 (I believe). He will be missed.

-bd

SteepBank · #5 12-07-2009, 08:43 AM

I've met Jack 4-5 times and he had a refreshing view of flyfishing that I will remember...never had an issue relaying info if you were interested ..he will be missed for sure

uptonfloyd · #6 12-07-2009, 09:37 AM

RIP Jack.

Is there anyone who's ever fished Boston Harbor with a long rod who hasn't pictured seeing him fishing from that big giraffe blowup?

Here's hoping for tight lines in that next big body of water.

El Bishop · #7 12-07-2009, 10:28 AM

There aren't many more generous, good-natured and purely talented fisherman than Jack Gartside. He will be greatly missed.

Onshore · #8 12-07-2009, 11:29 AM

Ran into Jack often when we were fishing the Boston Harbor islands. In fact, it was he who told us about that (then) undiscovered UDL.

He will be missed by many.

RJ · #9 12-07-2009, 06:47 PM

Jack did it his way and enjoyed the trip in his charming and gentle way.

A gentle man and a great fisherman.

Remember his this spring by fishing his flies for schoolies in May.

Capt. John · #10 12-07-2009, 07:21 PM

RIP Jack... that damn Gurgler still one of my favorites, it's done everything for me from catching elusive spooky skinny water stripers to catching tarpon. And now it will live on even more as I'm tweaking it into other versions to catch tuna

ruge13 · #11 12-08-2009, 12:49 PM

I lived next to Jack in Winthrop for 4 years. We had mutual friends. I ran accross him several times on the water. I once left a large picture on his front porch from another fly tier who lived up the street, I'm sure he never knew it was me. The description of a heron is a good one. Dave Skok has a few photos with Jack in the background out standing on a cobble bar, where I always saw him. Thats is how I remember him.

I don't claim to know him, I'm not sure if he ever really rememberered my name as we ran accross each other often weeks apart. Even if he did, he always made up other names to call me so who knows. There was another comment about his humor, which is perhaps what I would remember most. Several stories come to mind that always make me laugh.
He is no doubt a legend, and will forever be an asset to the sport on the skyline of Boston. We'll miss you Jack.

Jacob K. · #12 12-09-2009, 06:42 AM

http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ob...stPop_Emailed6

I only fished with him once, it was a life-long lesson. I wonder what will happen to his estate (website, books, flies) now that he is no longer with us.

BobG · #13 12-09-2009, 07:51 AM

I've been visiting Jack's site the past couple days, and it appears as though it is being broken down.

Many of my 'go to' flies for stripers with lockjaw were patterns or adaptations I pulled off Jack's site.

kayakninja · #14 12-09-2009, 09:19 AM

I live in Winthrop and enjoyed my conversations with Jack. Jack is great people. I liked his free spirit.

His wake is tonight and funeral in the am. Details on his website. If your going, see you all there.

JSeamans · #15 12-09-2009, 11:17 AM

Wow. Just wow. Like most everyone I knew about his illness but assumed he was responding to treatment and I'd be buying more flies from him at the Bear's Den show in a couple of months. Now the few Gartside originals I have will be fished with very carefully, in fact the last Gurgler I bought from Jack sits atop my tying desk as a model. That one will never leave the house but the others will be fished, I'm sure that's the way Jack would have wanted it.

My fondest Jack memory was when someone at Orvis brought a bottle of fine whiskey to a small after-hours in-store event held at the old State Street store. As the evening progressed Jack's language became very colorful as he tied flies after the bottle was passed around. Quite a few f-bombs were dropped

.

Glad I got to meet him and Bill Peabody, two greats who created legendary flies and freely shared their knowledge with other anglers. He's missed already.