RIP Gary Clancy

Your writing will be sorely missed! You were a breath of fresh air and a great yarn spinner

Rest in Peace.

Prayers for the Clancy family. Gary will be missed, he was one of my favorite writers in Outdoor News.

I always loved his articles in Outdoor News. He was very versatile as a writer and connected with the family values of his readers, because on a week where everyone else might be writing about the current wind/water temps for walleye, Mr. Clancy would be writing about the joy of catching bluegill with his grandkids.

I’d also like to point out, for those that don’t know, that Mr. Clancy served our country and was a Vietnam War Veteran. I read a few times in his articles that some of his more recent ailments may have been the result of Agent Orange exposure. So the guy served his country and war and his body was never the same because of it, yet he kept on fighting the good fight, not slowing down, and living a good outdoor life. Very inspiring.

By far my favorite outdoor news writer. RIP

Anonymous wrote:

By far my favorite outdoor news writer. RIP

X2

I’ve literally been reading Clancy’s work all my life. Truly one of the best outdoor writers.

Thanks for all you’ve done for outdoorsman and for you service to our country. RIP Gary Clancy.

He will be missed. An average guy out hunting and fishing and willing to share the adventures and techniques. No Bs no equipment pimping. Just sound advice on how to make the most of your hunt or fishing trip. Thoroughly enjoyed his articles. Looked forward to every issue.

Mwal

I always read all his articles. Even though I’m not much of a bow hunter or coyote hunter, I still found his articles on those topics very informative and interesting. I liked how we would occasionally relate how his hunting experiences helped him during his tour of duty as a combat infantry man in Vietnam. I had hoped he would have written a book about his Vietnam experience… perhaps those experience were too painful to write a full book about them. After reading his article for a number of years, I got the feeling that I knew him and his family fairly well… although I’ve never meet him.

Boone

Loved his writing. Simply put he was brilliant. He once wrote an article about his dying dog and how he took it out pheasant hunting one last time. After the day was done he dispatched the dog with his firearm as that was what he knew to be the right way to put a dog down. Reading it brought almost a peace about doing such a thing (even though I know I could never do it…). Thank you for your service and RIP…RR

RIP Gary,

Peace to your family.

Amazing writer and story teller, I began reading his columns in 1978 or 79 in what I believe was then Fins and Feathers Minnesota or the Minnesota Sportsman. Many good articles over the years.

http://www.albertleatribune.com/2016/07/gary-clancy-1948-2016/

That’s why I read him back in the day, he graduated in my hometown of Albert Lea.

roosterrouster wrote:

Loved his writing. Simply put he was brilliant. He once wrote an article about his dying dog and how he took it out pheasant hunting one last time. After the day was done he dispatched the dog with his firearm as that was what he knew to be the right way to put a dog down. Reading it brought almost a peace about doing such a thing (even though I know I could never do it…). Thank you for your service and RIP…RR

Put our setter Sam down not to long after reading that article. Carried him in my arms and set him down on the trail on our property where he pointed his last grouse. Sent my one kid that was with back to camp to get something. Sam fell asleep and had a seizure. It was over faster than I could think, but took an eternity. In that eternity, I was washed away in a flood of flashes and flushes, kids births and that we are going to have to face the grasp of what has a grip on us all, time. The kid had picked some wildflowers on the walk back from camp. He heard the shot. And he knew. We laid him down in a hole we dug quiet as a mouse. Covered him with an old tattered, torn and worn shirt of mine. Sprinkled ashes over him from one of his old hunting buddies that had passed before him, our old chocolate lab Tucker. And wept like a child. Yet took comfort in the fact the very gun that had harvested so many birds over him and had been part of so many great hunts and memories, was what set him free from the grip of this world.

I’d have never had the courage to do that if it wasn’t for that one article written by a man I had only ever met once. At that meeting he signed a copy of his turkey hunting book to another kid of mine and let him have a pick of any call he had there including a cherry wood box call. The kid took a different call and I still cherish and have the book and call.

As I walk by that aspen that has Sam’s collar nailed to it, I’m reminded of a writer, that helped me do something I thought I could never do.

Thank you Gary, for putting your heart and soul into your writing and helping so many people through an honest writing style that was full of family and friends, not just critters and products.

My dad, who’s in his 80’s, just lost their almost 13 year old lab last Sunday night. Ellie was a great hunting dog and full of life till the end. Hunting dogs are a true treasure and tie us to so many memories, Clancy did the same.

RIP Mr.Clancy. always loved his articles about fishing the wi.river and waters close to home. Condolences to his family.

Basseyes…Thanks for sharing your story. That had to be a really tough thing to do yet in a weird way gratifying. RR

HE WAS A CLASS ACT FOR SURE!! MOST INTERESTING WRITER.

It was about 10, maybe 15 years ago when I read a “Clancy” column about a part of Minnesota that offered the optimum area for great grouse hunting and fine fall fishing. He delineated the area but became specific in his article about his (family) favorite destination resort. After reading that, I booked at the same resort early October when he suggested going. I hoped that he would be there same time as I was hopeful that I could meet him and chat and thank him for his sharing stories and his life experiences via his pen. Resort owner confirmed he was there upon my check in.
Doing my own thing still hoping to meet him I spent the morning grouse hunting then headed out onto the lake for late afternoon fishing. This was a remote lake in October. As I approached a remote island I had previously fished the area before, I was shocked to see what appeared to be a man standing on the island waving a shirt? Wasn’t sure I was seeing what I was seeing? As I came closer it became obvious this man was in trouble. He had evidently fallen into the lake and had been lucky to reach the island. As I motored in, I recognized it was Gary Clancy. I said I was hoping to meet you Gary, but not under these circumstances. He said, Andy…I am extremely glad to meet you under these circumstances. Turns out he rolled over the side of his boat trying to retrieve a marker. He had a big Lake Assault boat and with is arm/shoulder compromised, couldn’t pull himself back in. Treaded it for as long as he could, wind was pushing him and the boat away. Made the call to go for the island, let go of the boat and prayed. He was not wearing a PFD. Barely made it the island but by the time I got there he was already in a bad way. Hypothermia setting and trembling uncontrollably. I insisted taking him back immediately, but the “stubborn Irishman” insisted I take him to his boat that drifted off. I did, and followed him back to his cabin. I promised I would recover his marker ( which I did) but he still went later to find it!
I was very fortunate to have met Gary and his wife Nancy personally and we celebrated his survival with his walleye and bluegill fish fry.
Truly one of the best…
Gary, you have shared so much…you will be remembered fondly by so many!

Although I never met him, I feel like I knew him as a friend. I have a tear in my eye as I write this. That shows the power of writing, truth, family, generosity and so many other qualities I can only imagine he had. Rest in peace Gary. I’d love to fish a quiet trout strean with you someday.

Walleyestudent Andy Cox wrote:

It was about 10, maybe 15 years ago when I read a “Clancy” column about a part of Minnesota that offered the optimum area for great grouse hunting and fine fall fishing. He delineated the area but became specific in his article about his (family) favorite destination resort. After reading that, I booked at the same resort early October when he suggested going. I hoped that he would be there same time as I was hopeful that I could meet him and chat and thank him for his sharing stories and his life experiences via his pen. Resort owner confirmed he was there upon my check in.
Doing my own thing still hoping to meet him I spent the morning grouse hunting then headed out onto the lake for late afternoon fishing. This was a remote lake in October. As I approached a remote island I had previously fished the area before, I was shocked to see what appeared to be a man standing on the island waving a shirt? Wasn’t sure I was seeing what I was seeing? As I came closer it became obvious this man was in trouble. He had evidently fallen into the lake and had been lucky to reach the island. As I motored in, I recognized it was Gary Clancy. I said I was hoping to meet you Gary, but not under these circumstances. He said, Andy…I am extremely glad to meet you under these circumstances. Turns out he rolled over the side of his boat trying to retrieve a marker. He had a big Lake Assault boat and with is arm/shoulder compromised, couldn’t pull himself back in. Treaded it for as long as he could, wind was pushing him and the boat away. Made the call to go for the island, let go of the boat and prayed. He was not wearing a PFD. Barely made it the island but by the time I got there he was already in a bad way. Hypothermia setting and trembling uncontrollably. I insisted taking him back immediately, but the “stubborn Irishman” insisted I take him to his boat that drifted off. I did, and followed him back to his cabin. I promised I would recover his marker ( which I did) but he still went later to find it!
I was very fortunate to have met Gary and his wife Nancy personally and we celebrated his survival with his walleye and <strong class=”ido-tag-strong”>bluegill fish fry.
Truly one of the best…
Gary, you have shared so much…you will be remembered fondly by so many!

Wow! Great story. I remember when he wrote the article in Outdoor News about this. Crazy, man. Glad you got to meet him. I only got to shake his hand most every year at game fair when I renewed my sub. And get a new hat.

Such sad news Gary was a great guy that I had the pleasure to get to know from talking to him at his whitetail seminars, we had always planned to share a day on the water someday but it never happened I let life get in the way. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends, you will be missed Gary you are a class act my friend!

http://www.outdoornews.com/2016/07/28/family-friends-mourn-the-loss-of-gary-l-clancy/

I had the pleasure to meet Gary 40 plus yrs. ago on a se minn. trout steam. I was trout fishing an Gary was turkey hunting, back in the early days of minn. turkeys. . We talked a few minutes an we went on are ways. . I have fallowed him ever since. . He was one of the VERY BEST Outdoors writers for SURE an even a BETTER MAN.!!!!!! …. rrr

My condolences to Gary’s family. His stories were an inspiration. As other have noted, my favorite were the stories of his dogs over the years. He really put a personal touch on everything he wrote.

He will be missed by many.

He was one of the few outdoor writers who as opinionated as he was, I never heard anyone really say anything bad about him. That’s a unique and almost non-existent quality in any line of medium, be it written, radio or a video type feed.

Very curious if they will try to fill his un-fill-able boots over at the Outdoor News? He will leave a gigantic gap in that publication in my opinion. But wish them well.

Major bummer! Loved his articles and it did not matter what the outdoor subject was they were always an enjoyable read!

Prayers to the family!

Gary was a great guy! Great outdoorsman and if you ever had the opportunity to talk with him he was an all around nice guy!

He will be missed….like a lot of you said my favorite writer in the outdoor publication universe.

RIP Gary and Thanks for all I learned from your articles over the years!

What I enjoyed about Gary’s writing style was his ability to describe the outdoor experience and basically bring you there through his craft with words. I rarely recall him “pimping” products but perhaps that’s my love of the experience over the harvest or catch rate.

RIP Gary