When Martin Gerdin isn’t chasing trout through high alpine streams, he’s trapping their likeness in molten glass. Raised by a rod-wielding Minnesota mom near where Aspen becomes less opulence and more open sky, Gerdin grew up spincasting for trout in the tucked-away shallows of Colorado. Today, he splits his time between chasing exotic fish through backcountry waters and sculpting their doppelgängers in his Crawford glassblowing studio. After years of struggling with alcohol, Gerdin has turned personal reinvention into fine art and a fight for conservation. Between studio hours and river miles, Gerdin opened up about the life he left behind and the one he’s building now. Here’s what he had to say.
Just a guppy: “I was a high school freshman when I stumbled upon a glassblowing studio. I was instantly hooked—it’s not hard to get a young boy excited about lava on a stick.”
Real-life replicas: “The fish I create are an amalgamation of all the characteristics from different fish I have caught or seen. When I catch a fish, I study it for a long time in the net under the water to take in all the details. Then I take my favorite parts of each one and use them for inspiration. Clients also like to send me reference photos to base custom pieces on.”
Fishing for inspiration: “In the summer, when the studio gets too hot to turn the furnace on, my wife and I take off for a couple of weeks to fish in incredible backcountry rivers and look for exotic fish. We recently went searching for bonefish and peacock bass. One of my favorite glass pieces I have made is this arowana, an Asian fish with tendrils coming off its face.”
Long game: “With my art pieces and social media account, I am trying to raise awareness in the hunting and fishing communities about conservation. I’ve realized how little people know, particularly about native versus invasive species. A big one is brown trout. They are not native to America, despite the popular misconception. We do make lots of those, but I really emphasize the native species we make.”
Hooked on healing: “Glassblowing and fishing helped me get and stay sober. Glass takes an extreme amount of focus. Every time I go into the studio, I can’t even think about wanting a drink. And I found a great sober community to fish with, and they even taught me how to fly fish, which I previously thought was a really hard way to catch small fish. But the experience and the people showed me a new way of life, one with deeper connections to nature.”
Bigger pictures: “I’m working on a new series called Still Life where the fish will be displayed together in more dynamic poses, creating frozen moments in time. Like a male and female rainbow trout circling each other with glass eggs underneath, or a bull trout maneuvering around a glass log to chase a smaller fish.”
Retail therapy: “People can find my art on my website, and should check out my Instagram for behind-the-scenes videos. Also, a few fly shops, like Vail Valley Anglers, PJ’s Fine Bamboo Rods in Pagosa, Montrose Anglers, and Ed’s Fly Shops in Montrose, will sometimes have a piece.”
