Original Art for LaFontaine's Dry Fly: New Angles Up for Auction

October 7, 2008 By: Marshall Cutchin

The framed and matted original cover art for Gary LaFontaine’s Dry Fly: New Angles — including a shadow-boxed fly tied by the author himself — is up for auction at The Book Mailer Web site. The art has been in the home of the artist, Gretchen Grayum, for eighteen years. Grayum said of her “assignments” for LaFontaine: “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.” Bidding closes in a week, and the top bid currently stands at $500.