Fly Fishing Gift Basket Auction

Announcing!
Up for auction!
Fly fishing gift basket, an antique creel basket filled with goodies from the past!

I belong to the Western North Carolina Society of Artisans, a wonderful collection of outstanding local artists representing a wide variety of the arts. They accepted me as an artist and I believed them. I am an artisan. Writing is truly an art. So is fly fishing, and the two widely different arts merge in my book, Fly Fishermen of Caldwell County, which just happens to be the theme around which this basket is built.

At the center is a copy of the book and each item included connects in some way to a page or chapter in the book. The classic creel basket was donated by James Henson, page 91. He used it, and used it well in his years on the creeks and streams not only here in western North Carolina, but throughout the United States as well. Oh, if this basket could talk!

In our conversation when I told him my plans for the auction basket, he mentioned this creel basket that was sitting neglected and forgotten in his basement. Would I like to have it for the auction?

Yes!

And when he brought it to me, he had a surprise. He had gone to his workbench and tied a few (eighteen to be exact) new ties, six of each, to also include. Wow!

And then. AND THEN...

He casually mentioned he would like to donate an old rod he had laying around that he would never use again since he has newer equipment. A bamboo rod. Cork handle. Would I be interested in including it?

Yes!

It's a Horrocks IBBotson from the fifties. I found it on Clark's Classic Bamboo Rod Forum (thank you google!) Check it out.

I've said all along that I'm not a fly fisherman, well, fisherwoman. Never have been. Maybe I'll try it some day when the snakes have decided to vacate the streams. So I don't really know the value of this. My husband made the rounds showing it to various fishermen about town (who also just happen to be in the book) and they agree it is in excellent condition, but they disagree on the value. It is what it is, so bidding (and in depth research) will be what it will be.

One of the men we talked with was Jasper Reese, page 79 in the book. He was more than thrilled to donate something to the cause. Proceeds, by the way, will go to the WNCSA and its Red Awning Gallery.

That's him holding the landing net he donated. It looked a little dilapidated with rubber bands holding the container together. Until he snapped it open.

And there it is, in excellent condition. I brought it home with me and snapped it open to snap the picture. Big mistake. I couldn't for the life of me figure out how to collapse that net back into the little, tiny pouch. So. Back I went for a fly fishing essential lesson from Jasper. He makes it look so easy!

You are invited to come into the Red Awning Gallery where WNCSA members sell our handiwork. See the basket I'm about and register to bid, and I'm not worried that you will snap open this net and not get it stuffed back in. The basket is wrapped in a see-through gift bag for your viewing pleasure only. The gallery is located at the HUB, Hudson Uptown Building, 145 Cedar Valley Road, Hudson, North Carolina 28638. Please come and enjoy our art! You can also call during gallery hours to register and bid once bidding gets under way, but do NOT leave messages on the answering machine. 828-610-6300 We do ask that highest bidder come in person once bidding is completed to show identification.

Bidding opens June 1 at 10:00 in the morning and remains open during gallery hours until 6:00pm June 11. (Gallery hours, Tuesdays through Fridays 11-6 and Saturdays 10-3)

Bidding starts at $100 and please bid in increments of $5 or more.

For more information contact me through my website, www.gretchengriffith.com 

Let the bidding begin (tomorrow)!

Catch of the day, (and this basket full of goodies is a great catch)

Gretchen