“Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it. The river was cut by the world’s great flood and runs over rocks from the basement of time. On some of the rocks are timeless raindrops. Under the rocks are words, and some of the words are theirs. I am haunted by waters.”
-Norman Maclean
My personal favorite fish I have landed, a 32” bull trout
Martin Gerdin was born in a small town in the Colorado Rockies. Raised in the wilderness, his childhood fostered a love for the natural forms and colors that surrounded him during his youth, especially those in the rivers. He began blowing glass in 2008, when he discovered the studio at his high school. Fascinated by the material, he spent every spare moment learning and absorbing as much as he could. Being an avid fisherman, blown glass fish were a natural progression in his artistic journey. As he grew, he lost his way. Addiction clawed it way into every aspect of his life, and he lost the vision of the future. Doing craft shows and drinking enough to prevent seizures due to alcoholism became the norm. On May 13th of 2020, he decided enough was enough. After addiction treatment he fell into a crowd of young, sober fly fishermen. With a clear head and a fresh perspective, he strived to bring the beautiful wild salmonids he saw to life; in glass. Since his sobriety date he has made close to 700 fish, making his own tools and trying to push the limits in sculpting realism. Being only 31, his journey is just beginning…