Gary LaFontaine died today after a lengthy battle with Lou Gehrig's disease, or ALS. He was 56 years old. He is survived by his daughter Heather LaFontaine-Ellison and her husband Patrick Ellison.

Gary LaFontaine published more than 100 articles on fly fishing in more than a dozen different national and regional publications. He authored five books and coauthored many more including the just-released books Fly Fishing the Yellowstone (with Bob Jacklin) and Fly Fishing the Madison (with Craig Mathews). Before he died he was working on a book on Blue-winged Olives.

LaFontaine was a founding partner of Greycliff Publishing company, which recently sold all the rights to LaFontaine's books to Lyons Press, and the founder and director of the Book Mailer--a direct mail catalog LaFontaine filled with his personal book recommendations along with what he called weird stories and bad jokes. Cathy Ransier of Greycliff says that the book mailer catalog will continue to be published by the company.

The family requests that memorial donations go to

Five Valley Land Trust
Rock Creek Trust Project
P.O. Box 8953
Missoula, MT 59807

A Message from Greycliff Publishing

Dear Friends of Gary LaFontaine and Greycliff:

On Friday, January 4, 2002, our business partner, fishing buddy, and friend, Gary LaFontaine, lost his long fight with Lou Gehrig's disease. Because his Book Mailer customers have always been such a great source of joy and inspiration to him, we want to let you know.

We have realized from the first diagnosis in June 1998 that the odds were against Gary, but even knowing that didn't prepare us for the final outcome. Gary knew the likely outcome, too, but with his inimitable spirit and love of his craft, he kept working on his last newsletter -- the Spring 2002 Book Mailer -- until just days before he passed away.

Throughout his life Gary was always the optimist in any crowd. His positive outlook allowed him to pursue his writing and speaking with wit and humor even through tribulation and illness. And beyond his considerable skills as a writer, angler and entomologist, it has always been that wit and zany sense of humor that made life with Gary continually interesting.

Of all Greycliff's pursuits over the years, Gary loved the Book Mailer best because it gave him a place to exercise his irrepressible sense of humor, and because of the connection it gave him to you, the Book Mailer reader. In the last few months,Gary threw his waning strength into completing two more newsletters -- the Winter Newsletter and the Spring Newsletter. To honor Gary's efforts we will mail those newsletters out on their regular schedule.

While Gary is perhaps best known for his classic work Caddis flies, and his revolutionary "sparkle pupa" series of fly patterns, his legacy is much more than that. Perhaps Steve Qualline of Bob Marriott's Fly Fishing store has expressed it best, "Gary's greatest legacy was the way he touched, and taught, countless lovers of fly fishing." In the past few days, Steve's sentiment has been echoed many times over by legions of Gary's friends and admirers.

Gary loved the waters of western Montana. One of his pet projects was working to help the preservation of famed Rock Creek east of Missoula. For anyone wishing to contribute a memorial in Gary's name, you can make it to:

Five Valleys Land Trust
Rock Creek Trust Project
PO Box 8953
Missoula,MT 59807

In recent months, as Gary's health has declined, we have been repeatedly asked, "Will you continue the Book Mailer after Gary is gone?" The answer to that is yes, we will. It won't be quite the same, but our years of exposure to Gary will help us retain the sense of fun that Gary brought to the Book Mailer. And, of course, ourcommitment to our readers remains the same in terms of providing personal service to those who buy our books, flies, materials, and equipment. Through it all, we hope to keep Gary's spirit alive. One way for you to participate would be to assist our celebration of Gary's life by contributing personal recollections of Garyor his writing that we could share with everyone through the Book Mailer. In any event, we hope you will continue the adventure with us.

Tight Lines,

Stan Bradshaw
Glenda Bradshaw
Marcy Chovanak
Rachel Cozby
Cathy Ransier
Ashley Vance