FFF Office and Display Area in Livingston Montana

[gmflyfish]

All

Booman2 and I spent yesterday looking at the 60 bamboo rods on Display. I would ask any member coming to Montana to stop and have a look around some of the rods had no markings on them so we could not give any value or identification. They are going to prepare a data base. There were not a lot of high value rods. There are 4 frank Wire rods on display in different lenghts and line weights.

Gregg Messel

[Hellmtflies]

Gregg,
Where did all of the items go that the FFF had on display when they were in the old school? Are those things on display at the new location or have they been scoffed up by whoever wanted them? I heard rumor that a ton of those things went to Colorado. Is that true? Where is the library that they had? Inquiring minds want to know.

[gmflyfish]

I never visited the other museum - the library is in another room and I have pictures to post on my Facebook page in the near future

Gregg

[Hellmtflies]

Gregg,
Was the mural that "Afgantrout" painted for the museum on display?

[gmflyfish]

There were sections of it in the museum - so some of it was salvaged.

[afgantrout]

Thanks for introducing these two topics... I have a bit of history with both of them!

When I moved to Livingston in 1995, Bob Wiltshire drafted me to go through the rods that had arrived from W. Yellowstone, ID them and hand-print 3 X 5 cards with the rods' specifics. It was an interesting job and I learned a lot while doing it. I remember handling the Frank Wire rods when they were donated. Also, several Kosmics.

On the other topic... Also in that first year in Montana, my dear late friend Jeff Larmer (then director of American Wildlands) invited me to an affair for the launching of that organization at Gallatin Gateway. I shared a table with another old friend, Bud Lilly. Over the course of dinner, Bud expressed his unhappiness with the FFF Center's move to Livingston. A few years before, Bud had raised the funds to purchase my original art for the Varley/Schullery book "Freshwater Wilderness", consisting of about 26 watercolors and pen and ink drawings. Bud's disappointment had to do with the fact that he (along with Fred Terwilliger) had donated funds to purchase my art for the Pat Lilly Memorial Art Gallery at the FFF Center in W. Yellowstone...and that gallery did not make the move to Livingston.

I expressed to Bud that I had no say in the matter but I'm sure to this day there are some bad feelings about this whole affair.

I'd be very grateful if you Montana fellows could keep me informed concerning the FFF, their status and and the status of my art and mural. Thank you, friends.

[Hellmtflies]

Afgantrout,
Happy to help and will keep you posted as to any news coming out of Livingston. Hope to see you at the Califon, N.J. show.
Mark

[afgantrout]

By an amazing stroke of fate...I just received an eMail from John Varley who sent along the good news that he and Paul Schullery are working on a new publication of "Freshwater Wilderness"! John also sent the above photo of a partial collection of the work I did for the first edition of the book in 1980.

BTW, who is the person of note at the FFF office? I will need to contact him. Gee whiz (as Stuart Little might say)... I'm excited about this!

[Booman2]

The FFF person at the headquarters/museum that I have been dealing with is Ronda Sellers. I saw about 25 bamboo rods on display last week, as well as several hundred angling books and some very nice framed flies. I expect that some of the collection is not yet ready for display, but there are many fine items now available for viewing.

[Hellmtflies]

Booman,
Thank You. I will stop by there this week.

[afgantrout]

Where, in Livingston is the FFF office? Is it still in the Lincoln School?

[Booman2]

It's located toward the south end of town, in the "Buffalo Jump Building." Their number is 406-222-9369.

[wctc1]

While I will look into this myself, as funds permit, would anyone with details of the Frank Wire rods please contact me off line at:

wctc1@comcast.net or 503.557.7569

I'm thinking of working on {or more correctly, losing money on} OregonBooII

Thank you,

Joe