Gregg Martin

About Gregg Martin

My name is Gregg Martin and have been fly fishing since I was 12, or 43 years ago.  I began to tie flies shortly after, laughable creations done without a bobbin, often with sewing thread, but adults bought them and I never have stopped for long.  A term in the Army and as a BLM Smokejumper in Alaska only slightly slowed down both fishing and tying.  I was injured on the job in 1985 and have been fishing from a modified wheelchair ever since, which at at times may be an advantage.  After concentrating on trout and whitefish I caught a few carp here and there while also becoming disillusioned with the tail water trout crowd.  Around this time I read articles by Dave Whitlock and others about carp fly fishing and read “The Book,” Carp on the Fly, by Barryman, Befus and Reynolds and a scouting trip in 2004 to a local city park found carp doing just as I read about.  Returning with a partner and a fly rod with ties designed after reading “Carp…,” and catching 2 on my first actual try had me hooked on them forever.  A search in 2011 on the Net for something different to try for these increasingly wary fish led me to a successful fly but also to the carping blogosphere and some of the kindest and helpful people I’ve ever come across. My wife and I had 3 children, 2 of whom became avid fly fishermen and carpers with a grandson I’ve been teaching to fly fish as well.  They and my other grand-kids are the essence of my life.