John “Jack” Atherton

John “Jack” Atherton (1900-1952)

“Jack” was a nationally renowned artist presented by prominent museums like the Museum of Modern Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. His popularity also graced publications such as the Saturday Evening Post and Fortune magazines.

Jack’s wife, expert fly fisherwoman Maxine Atherton wrote “…in addition to his skills as an accomplished artist and fine sportsman John Atherton was a romantic realist.”

As a renowned fly tier Atherton, combined his two obsessions fly fishing and painting. His most famous axiom, “If you look closely at a live dun you will notice that its coloring is impressionistic and is made up of many small variations in tone such as you would find in the paintings of Monet, Renoir or other impressionist school of art".  Not surprising that Norman Rockwell was a close friend. “The Fly and the Fish” (1951), Atherton’s only book, introduced an atypical methodology to styles of the period.

Jack’s unique fly-tying pallet consisted of various natural materials such as speckled feathers and seal fur.   Atherton’s wonderfully descriptive lexicon for his simple yet sophisticated philosophy embraced the attributes of “glossiness”, “sparkle”, “shimmer”, “tone”, et al. 

His trout, steelhead, and salmon flies enhanced the illusion of life.