Montana State University Library, Archives and Special Collections, Manuscript Collections
John Gierach Papers
Gierach, John , 1946-
2612
6 linear feet
1976-2014
John Gierach was a writer who focused on fishing. His papers consists of writings, correspondence, and photographic slides, all focused on trout fishing in the West.
Collection materials are in English
John Gierach was born in 1946 in Glenwood Illinois. He earned his BA in philosophy with an English minor from Findlay College. After graduating John settled in Lyons, Colorado. He began writing because he needed money.
His work was published in local, regional, and national newspapers, including
Fly, Rod and Reel, Gray's, and Field and Stream. He was the author of several books; titles include Sex, Death, and Flyfishing, Trout Bum, and All Fishermen are Liars. Gierach was also a poet and an avid angler who fished across North America. His friend A.K. Best was included in many of his articles.
He died of a heart attack on October 3, 2024.
The John Gierach Papers consists of authors galleys, manuscript drafts, poetry, slide cases, newspaper articles, fishing logs, and general correspondence. Of interest is the correspondence with Gierach's longtime friend Ed Engle. His friend A.K. Best was included in many of his articles.
This collection is open for research.
Galleys, drafts, poetry, slides, articles, logs, and correspondence created or collected by John Gierach were donated to Montana State University May 2016.
This collection was processed 2019 April 1
[Creator Name], [Date of Creation], [Brief Description of Object], Folder [#], Box [#], [Collection Name], [Collection #], Montana State University (MSU) Library, Bozeman, MT
Gierach, John , 1946---Archives
Authors, American
Fishers--United States
Fishing and Canning
Literature
Sports and Recreation
Montana
Electronic Records
Photographs
Authors Galleys: The View from Rat Lake
1
1
Typed draft: Good Days are a Dime a Dozen
May 2009
1
2
Original manuscript: No Shortage of Good Days
1
3
Sketches: Another Lousy Day in Paradise
1
4
Typed draft: The Trout That Ate Denver
1
5
Typed draft: Under the Volcano
July 2006
1
6
Authors galleys: Even Brook Trout get the Blues
2
1
Typed draft: Even Brook Trout get the Blues
2
2
Sketches: Even brook Trout get the Blues
2
3
Typed draft: Trout Bum
2
4
Typed draft: Where the Trout are as Long as Your Leg
2
5
Typed draft: Where the Trout are as Long as Your Leg with Notes from Nick Lyons
2
6
Typed draft: Sex, Death, and Fly Fishing
2
7
Typed Draft: Dances with Trout
3
1
Original typed manuscript: Dances with Trout
3
2
Sketches: Dances with Trout
3
3
Typed draft: Fool's Paradise
3
4
Original manuscript: Fool's Paradise
3
5
Typed Draft: Fly-Fishing Small Streams
4
1
Typed manuscript: The People's Trout
4
2
Original manuscript: Still Life with Brook Trout
4
3
Master set: Flyfishing the High Country
4
4
Typed Draft: Flyfishing the High Country
4
5
Correspondence and marketing materials: Fishing Bamboo
4
6
Typed draft: Good Flies with suggested cover art
April 5, 2000
5
1
Typed draft: At the Grave of the Unknown Fisherman
February 27, 2002
5
2
Typed draft: All Fishermen are Liars
5
3
Typed draft: untitled, 66,150 words
5
4
Drawings and correspondence related to Death, Taxes and Leaky Waders
5
5
Authors Galleys: Death, Taxes and Leaky Waders
6
1
Correspondence
1998-2016
6
2
Letters and printed emails with family, friend, fans, and publishers.
Correspondence
1991-2004
6
3
Letters and printed emails with family, friend, fans, and publishers.
Correspondence from Ed Engle
6
4
Includes poetry and several clipping of articles.
Poetry drafts and prints titled Ice by Jack Collum
6
5
Program, column, photos, poetry
2014
April 2003
7
1
Fly Fishing Hall of Fame 2014 program; Typed Fly Fishing Column, April 2003; undated photos of unnamed man casting fly rod; John Gierach's Ode; Poetry collections: The Great Horned Owl and Migrations.
Handwritten Fishing Logs
March 15, 1996-May 23, 1997
May 28, 1997-September 4, 1997
September 9, 1997-May 8, 1998
May 17-September 10, 1998
September 14, 1998-August 15, 1999
August 6, 1999-March 6, 2000
March 28, 2000-July 31, 2001
August 7, 2001-July 26, 2002
August 5, 2002-June 11, 2003
June 22, 2003-September 25, 2004
October 3, 2004-October 22, 2005
7
Newspaper articles
1976
8
1
Newspaper articles
1979
8
2
Newspaper articles
1980
8
3
Newspaper articles
1981
8
4
Newspaper articles
1982
8
5
Newspaper articles
1983
8
6
Newspaper articles
1984
8
7
Newspaper articles
1985
8
8
Newspaper articles
1986
8
9
Newspaper articles
1987
8
10
Newspaper articles
1988
8
11
Newspaper articles
1989
9
1
Newspaper articles
1990
9
2
Newspaper articles
1991
9
3
Newspaper articles
1992
9
4
Newspaper articles
1993
10
1
Newspaper articles
1994
10
2
Newspaper articles
1995
10
3
Newspaper articles
1996
10
4
Newspaper articles
1997
10
5
Newspaper articles
1998
11
1
Newspaper articles
1999
11
2
Newspaper articles
2000
11
3
Newspaper articles
2001
11
4
Newspaper articles
2002
11
5
[contents unknown]
12
unknown number
[contents unknown]
13
number unknown
Beaver Ponds
July 1990
14
1
1-35
Pocket Water
August-September 1990
14
2
36-50
Phantom Canyon
October 1988
14
3
51-65
March 1990
14
4
66-79
Flowers
14
5
80-106
May 1988-May 1990
14
6
107-130
October 1988
14
7
131-146
March 1982-July 1989
14
8
147-173
Snowshoes/Flintlock
October 1988-December 1990
14
9
174-194
Scotland
June 1992
14
10
195-216
Scotland
June 1992
14
11
217-235
Yellowstone
August 1991
14
12
236-243
Hummers
August 1989
14
13
244-246
April 1982-May 1989
14
14
247-258
Pocket Water
August-September 1990
14
15
259-271
Scotland
June 1992
14
16
272-292
July 1989
14
17
293-311
Small Streams
August 1989
14
18
312-332
Alaska
July 1992
14
19
333-348
J.G and Dan
1992
14
20
349-377
Alaska
July 1992
14
21
378-418
Alaska
July 1992
14
22
419-451
Scotland
June 1992
14
23
452-460
Scotland
June 1992
15
1
461-468
Caddis Patterns
November 1986
15
2
469-501
Firehole
June 1992
15
3
502-516
Hummers
August 1989
15
4
517-522
November 1981-July 1988
15
5
523-557
While River/Trapper Lodge/Belly Boats
July 1987
15
6
558-579
Bluegills/Trout/Hunt
September 1989
15
7
580-605
Brookies/Middle Fork
September 1990
15
8
606-620
Salmon Rods/Powder the dog
September 1992
15
9
621-635
Trout/Green
May 1988
15
10
636-656
Flies
August 1990
15
11
657-675
Fish
July 1982-July 1988
15
12
676-704
July 1990-August 1992
15
13
705-726
Pike
June 1990
15
14
727-763
New Brunswick
October 1992
15
15
764-779
Camel
July 1990
15
16
780-802
Rabbit Hunting
January 1997
15
17
803-815
Belly Boats
June 1987
15
18
816-833
Belly Boat
May 1986-July 1988
15
19
834-872
November 1992
15
20
873-885
Middle Fork/Mushrooms
August 1991
15
21
886-910
July 1982-September 1992
15
22
911-920
July 1982-September 1992
16
1
921-932
Ice fish
February 1990-February 1991
16
2
933-962
Ice fish
December 1990
16
3
963-994
Middle Fork
September 1985-September 1990
16
4
995-1030
Carp/Morels
May 1992
16
5
1031-1046
June 1987
16
6
1047-1068
Grits
May 1982-August 1990
16
7
1069-1093
Bitterroot – West Slope Cuts
June 1987
16
8
1094-1113
Pocket Water,
August 1990
16
9
1114-1121
Texas
April 1992
16
10
1122-1133
Frying Pan
July 1986
16
11
1134-1147
June 1987
16
12
1148-1166
June 1987
16
13
1167-1185
Squirrel
January 1987
16
14
1186-1209
Mayfly Photo Essay
April 1980-September 1985
16
15
1210-1230
Nelson's/DePuy's
June 1992
16
16
1231-1247
July 1981-June 1991
16
17
1248-1272
Mushrooms/Brookies, Bass Pond/Pan
August 1991
16
18
1273-1295
Cheesman
February 1991
16
19
1296-1305
Winter Hunting
March 1990
16
20
1306-1312
Pan
August 1991
16
21
1313-1336
Squirrels – Roaring Fork
March 1986
16
22
1337-1362
February 1988
16
23
1363-1371
Trout/Pan
May 1988
16
24
1372-1380
Trout/Pan
May 1988
17
1
1381-1383
Pan/Trout (Peerless)
August 1991
17
2
1384-1400
Frying Pan
May 1988
17
3
1401-1407
Middle Fork
September 1990
17
4
1408-1427
August 1988
17
5
1428-1446
November 1981-February 1991
17
6
1447-1483
October 1992
17
7
1484-1501
August 1978-August 1990
17
8
1502-1539