Big Sky Journal

Grandpas Tackle box

Mike Roths, of Bear Paw Designs, creates handcrafted cabinetry and furniture inspired by the cowboy culture of yesteryear from his workshop in Stevensville, Montana. As a woodworker since 1979, Roths is influenced by the art and mystery of the historic west, with an appreciation for the ghost towns, gunfighters and trappers that first defined its wild aesthetic. When Roths discovered that painter Brent Cotton was his neighbor, the pair collaborated to create this impressive fly-fishing-themed cabinet. Built of sturdy walnut and African bloodwood, it is accented with vintage wooden fishing lures from the 1920s through 1950s and includes original artwork by Cotton, whose fly-fishing imagery and plein air painting has garnered national awards and collectors such as Oprah Winfrey and Tom Brokaw, among others. Old-world craftsmanship, such as mortise and tenon joinery, and the incorporation of fantastic fine art makes Grandpa’s Tackle Box a piece to be shared between generations.