Brett Martina was born and raised in the small town of Apalachicola, Florida, where he’s been a full-time tarpon guide for 17 years. His passion for fishing is infectious, and his dedication to his craft is unwavering. In his early years learning to catch tarpon, he discovered fly fishing and has never looked back. In this installment of “Behind the Guides”, presented by Costa Sunglasses, we had the chance to sit down with Brett and learn more about how he started fly fishing, his guiding career, and his love for tarpon.
Flylords: Who is Brett Martina?
Brett: I’m Brett Martina, and born and raised in Apalachicola, FL. I’ve been here my whole life, and it’s all I’ve ever loved and still love. It’s who I am. This is where I guide for tarpon, redfish, and trout on the fly.
Flylords: What was life like for you as a kid? Did you do a lot of fishing?
Brett: Growing up, I started fishing off the dock like a lot of kids do. That was my thing; I was a dock fisherman. We also had a houseboat that I used to fish off all the time, targeting bass and bream. At one point, I loved bass fishing so much that I actually considered whether I wanted to guide for bass or saltwater, since I lived on the Appalachicola River. Then, when I was about 14, I got my first boat, and that started to open up more water for me.
Flylords: When did you know you wanted to be a guide?
Brett: To me, being a guide was always the only option. I’ve always loved fishing more than anything. It’s all I’ve ever been good at, really. Growing up, I didn’t think I was the smartest. I never went to college. I just wanted to fish, so a fishing guide was the natural progression for me. I’ve never been the guy who could run a big business or anything like that, but I am the guy who can put you on some fish and have a great day on the water.
Flylords: When did you start guiding?
Brett: I wanted to start guiding right out of high school, so when I was 17, I signed up for captain school. I went through the courses, but never ended up taking the test because my mom didn’t want me to be a guide. She was worried because, at the time, there were no benefits, no retirement, and all that good stuff that a stable job provides. Fast forward a few years to when I was 21 and broke bad, and I decided to go all in on guiding. That was my first full-time guiding year, and I’m now in my 17th season as a guide.
Flylords: You mentioned you were torn between guiding for bass and tarpon. What made you choose tarpon?
Brett: When I was young, I loved throwing conventional plugs and caught my first tarpon on one when I was 14 or 15. A few years later, when I was 16 or 17, I’d show Tommy and Chris Robinson pictures of the tarpon I’d caught. One day, Chris looked at me and said, “Man, you need to catch one on a fly rod.” I said, “Alright, I’ll do it.” A week later, I caught my first tarpon on a fly rod, which funny enough was actuallyt the first fish I’d ever caught on a fly rod. Had it not been for Chris, I don’t know if I would have fallen in love with fly fishing as I have, but tarpon are incredible creatures. They jump, they’re big, and they’re beautiful. It’s just super cool to watch that big mouth open and eat a fly.
Flylords: What was it like starting out as a guide?
Brett: Before I was officially guiding, I was actually taking out a lot of the older guides’ clients and prefishing them before their guide days. This was before I was a captain, so I wasn’t making any money off these anglers, but it helped me develop the fundamentals I needed to be a guide.
I owe a lot to these older guides who did it before me. They took me under their wing and showed me how to be a fishing guide. You know, I think the biggest way to get respect on the water is through etiquette. If you respect the guys who come before you, their respect trickles down, and eventually, they’ll let you into their circle.
Flylords: How many days a year do you guide?
Brett: I guide roughly 200 days a year between tarpon and redfish, with an occasional bass trip for a couple of special clients when the weather’s bad for the salt. Of these days, I’d say roughly three-quarters are dedicated specifically to tarpon fishing.
Flylords: What’s one of the most important lessons you’ve learned as a guide?
Brett: Be respectful and be a good person. I try to be a good person to everybody; even people I don’t care for, I try to be nice to. At the end of the day, you only get one life, so what do you want to be remembered as? I just want everyone to remember me as a good person.
Flylords: What advice do you have for young guides coming up, just getting into the game?
Brett: My advice would be to get in with the older guides and be respectful to them. Don’t try to beat them to their spots and show them you’re willing to work around them. If you show them you’re willing to do that and can put your clients on fish, you’ll gain their respect, and then it’s just a tumbleweed effect.
A lot of these older guides put their time into figuring out these fisheries and putting them on the map, so don’t go stepping on their toes. Show them the respect they deserve, and they’ll welcome you in. A big part of this is also being careful what you post on social media. For better or worse, it’s a part of the business these days, but don’t go crazy posting everything. You’ve got to know the limits.
Flylords: How do you go about finding tarpon every day?
Brett: The biggest thing is understanding tides and the moon and how that affects fish moving in the basin. There’s a lot more to it than just pulling up to a spot and there the fish are. Every night as I’m lying in bed, I’m thinking about what the tides are doing, what the conditions are like, and where the fish are going to be. Then when I wake up, that’s the first thing I’m thinking about. It’s all my mind ever thinks about.
Flylords: Once you’ve found the fish and are lining up a shot for your client, what goes through your head?
Brett: I enjoy these moments; to me, it actually feels as if I’m absorbing the moment myself. There’s something special about seeing a giant fish coming up in clean water and watching it approach the fly. It does something to you that’s hard to explain. Obviously, I’m trying to get them a good shot, but there’s a moment of time when you see the fish from a ways out, and he’s approaching where you can just appreciate the opportunity.
Flylords: To wrap things up, when you’re an old man looking back on your career, what’s going to be most important to you?
Brett: I think knowing I did this for myself. I just love fishing; it’s what makes me tick. Being on the boat and going on the water- just the whole experience I love so much. Looking back as I get older, knowing I took the chance to make a career out of what I love to do is all I can ask for.
