The Man That Changed My Life Forever

[Marc Martyn]

I drove up to Marshall Lake today to visit my old friend and fly fishing mentor, Clarence Grimes. He owns the Marshall Lake Resort and taught me how to fly fish off of his dock in September of 1968. My life changed after that first lesson.

Clarence is now 87 years old and still hunts deer and turkeys and of course, fly fishes.

[kutthroatkilla]

That's pretty cool Marc. Not all of us were blessed to have someone such as your mentor, Clarence. That's really cool. My brother turned me on to fly fishing - 2 years younger than I, and he's a sweet dude. That's pretty darn cool that he is still going strong. All it takes is one person to "get us hooked" and it's forever. We took about 10 fish off dries this weekend during a 9-10pm window when no one was on the lake and it was amazing. Great post! KTK

[A9]

Cool stuff....I guess I could call my great grandfather my mentor, although it seemed like he was a second dad. He lived to be 96 and was playing golf and fishing routinely till 94....It just amazes me that some folks, after all the years, can still be active well past most...

[chironomid_guy]

Very cool Marc

I was genetically condemned to fish!!!! Growing up in the Prairies of Sask I spent many hours fishing with my grandad, grandmom and my father. Eventually, I evolved into the flyfishing world. The catalyst of this metamophosis was a visit from one of my uncles who flyfished. He was a great ol dude........ we fished for years and he was always willing to tie all the flies and let me catch a few fish on them then offer new flies. It wasnt until later on in life that I realized he was getting me to "break in" his flies. I learned a lot and found my path into fisheries biology due to a lot of his teachings along the riversides and lakes.

My father is the only one that is left to date and I dont get out with him much (he retired and moved back east). I have had the opportunity to meet, tie flies and fish some amazing fly fisherman over the years. I can only hope to influence some of the youngsters that I have taught the sport to, as was done to me.

Great thread Marc

[Marc Martyn]

........I can only hope to influence some of the youngsters that I have taught the sport to, as was done to me.

That is what it is all about. I am going to write an article for Tackle Box Tales about how Clarence took me under his wing and taught me the sport. He truly is a kind and gentle man.

[David Hall]

Well gentleman - I would not end Marc's story with Clarence. As much as Clarence means to Marc, Marc means to me. In 1993, Marc was practicing his casting, I am someone who cannot sit still and love the challenge in anything I attempt. I walked across the street with curiosity. Of course one thing led to another. Marc took me out with borrowed equipment, I was like a kid at Disneyland for the very first time, it did not matter what I was catching, nor how big, this was a great feeling. In fact Marc had to pull me out of the perch and bluegill hole, and try catching some trout. Well, some 15 years later, many trips together, a lasting friendship, and many fish, we are trying something new, muskie- pike on the fly. Of course I would like to extend it to carp and steelhead on the fly. I am always learning from my mentor, and the friends he has introduced to me. All of whom are wonderful people, who I respect and enjoy being around very much. May we all be so fortunate. Thanks for listening.

[Marc Martyn]

Well gentleman - I would not end Marc's story with Clarence. As much as Clarence means to Marc, Marc means to me. In 1993, Marc was practicing his casting, I am someone who cannot sit still and love the challenge in anything I attempt. I walked across the street with curiosity. Of course one thing led to another. Marc took me out with borrowed equipment, I was like a kid at Disneyland for the very first time, it did not matter what I was catching, nor how big, this was a great feeling. In fact Marc had to pull me out of the perch and bluegill hole, and try catching some trout. Well, some 15 years later, many trips together, a lasting friendship, and many fish, we are trying something new, muskie- pike on the fly. Of course I would like to extend it to carp and steelhead on the fly. I am always learning from my mentor, and the friends he has introduced to me. All of whom are wonderful people, who I respect and enjoy being around very much. May we all be so fortunate. Thanks for listening.

And now, I am learning from you:thumright

[cavdad45]

Thanks Marc. Such a good thread.

[Marc Martyn]

I was pleased that Clarence was selected to receive one of France's highest awards for his military service in WWII. It is truly an honor to have been a good friend of his for the last 53 years. He certainly deserves it.

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[Mike Carey]

Thank you for posting this Marc. Very inspiring. We owe so much to that generation of brave young men. Hard to imagine they were the ages of my sons when they went off to war.

[Lotech Joe]

I had the privilege of meeting Clarence on one of my trips to Marshall Lake with Marc. A more gracious or humble man I have never met. It was an honor to shake his hand. Thanks Marc, for introducing me to a true American Hero.

[oldtimer44]

My start in fishing was 1950 aged five. My father fitted me out with an adapted old telescopic chevy aerial that extended a full seven feet-plenty long for me, attached ten feet of line, a red and white bobber, weight, hook and showed me how to bait my hook, but I didn,t even see a fly or fly rod till 1955. One hot August afternoon my late Mother Grace and I were fishing on Sante,s Causeway at the south end of local small Redfield Lake on the outskirts of the town with the same name. We,d taken small crappies, perch and one two pound walleye on baitcasting gear when a thin elderly man drove up in a brand nhew Fraser car and began unpacking an outfit I,d never seen before. Once his willowy rod had been set up with an open faced reel and rather thicker line than I,d been used to using he tied on what looked to be a large piece of thick hair with a hook attached. Afetr a few dry casts he whipped the fly out about forty yards effortlessly and let the concoction on the end float which it did much like a bobber. A slight gust of wind caught it and made it skitter across the water,s surace and there was an explosion as a quite sizeable largemouth bass engulfed the "fly" and the battle was on. After a great fight he slipped his landing net under the fish and weighed it at just over five pounds! I didn,t even think there were bass in that lake that big! Of course I was agog to try my luck and he was only too willing to show me how to cast the line. My first attempt was clumsy and only went fifteen yards and I was about to try again when the man shouted "Wait" and the rod was almost ripped from my hand as another acrobatic bass hit the fly. Not as big this fish, but I loved every moment as the fish fought hard and with the mans help the fish was soon in the net. He introduced himself as Louis Davis who my mother knew already as he was a customer at the dry cleaners she worked at. My father took little interest in fishing by then and Louis loved my company so I became a dedicated fluff-chucker. He always promised we,d go after trout in the Black Hills as in the 50s and 60s that was the only place trout swam, but sadly he was a heavy smoker and developed lung cancer and died very painfully six months after being diagnosed in the summer of 1960. I,m sure every time I go out that Louis is there beside me and he,s helped bring me much luck and through him I learned that whether you catch or not the bonus is GOING OUT in the fresh air! RIP Louis. One of these days we,ll fish that stream in heaven where the trout and bass are always taking.

[MotoBoat]

Oldtimer44, nice recollection during a time as a youngster, much appreciation for sharing.

[Marc Martyn]

Nice story

[MotoBoat]

Back in the day, using something manufactured for something specific. Such as a car antenna, for use as a telescoping fishing rod! That is inventive. I must say, a seven foot car antenna, that is before my time.

[oldtimer44]

THat seven foot car aerial worked well and didn,t have to cast the line far as it was ten fet deep just three feet out from shore. Amazing the number and variety of fish I caught on it-walleys, northern pike, perch, crappies, carp. sunfish, bullheads, bass and even a channel cat or two

[MotoBoat]

THat seven foot car aerial worked well and didn,t have to cast the line far as it was ten fet deep just three feet out from shore. Amazing the number and variety of fish I caught on it-walleys, northern pike, perch, crappies, carp. sunfish, bullheads, bass and even a channel cat or two

That is impressive when considering a car antenna is hollow, and notorious for folding in half when stressed. I would imagine a short length of cat gut for fishing line was tied to the end of the antenna. Perhaps coil the line in the hand not holding the rod, pitch the baited hook and maybe a optional float, out into the water? Hoist the fish onto shore, and repeat?

Sounds like a page out of my Dad's younger years.

[oldtimer44]

Your Dad,s likely about my age and that aerial wasn,t as hollow as some. It played those fish rather well and it was black braided line that was attached. When my father eventually bought me a baitcaster I had a heck of a time holding any fish of any size because I couldn,t reel strongly enough.