Marty Sheppard
Marty has been a professional guide for nine years, his passion for fly fishing has lead him to building a business based on his enthusiasm for the sport and conservation of wild Steelhead and Salmon. He thrives on teaching people and sharing his experience of the river with others.Born and raised in Oregon Marty grew up on the banks of the Sandy River and landed his first Steelhead at the age of 5 in 1976. His dad had the greatest influence by taking him fishing it seemed everyday and teaching him the techniques of catching Steelhead. Much of his fly fishing inspiration came from reading books as a kid. Roderick Haig-Brown and Bill McMillan were huge contributors through their writing. As a teenager in the late 80’s Steve Kruse taught him the art of speycasting. Marty has spent a majority of his life chasing Steelhead throughout the Pacific Northwest.Marty met his wife Mia as a sponsored snowboarder in Oregon. They traveled a lot together to competitions and had really fun times. In the late 90’s she moved to Alaska and worked on commercial fishing boats and spent her off time fishing for Trout and Salmon. On a trip to Alaska, they once again connected and this was the first time she witnessed him speycasting. Seeing him cast prompted her to say, “now that’s sexy!” He likes to think that speycasting finally won her heart. They married five years later on the banks of the Deschutes River. On December 7, 2007 they had their first child! Her name is Tegan. When Marty and Mia aren’t working they can be found traveling to a river in pursuit of their next adventure.Marty guides year round catering exclusively to fly-fishing on the Sandy, John Day, Grande Ronde, Clackamas, and Klickitat rivers. Marty is a supporter of the Native Fish Society and a Board Member of Waterwatch of Oregon. He practices a strict policy of catching and releasing wild fish. Marty has completely dedicated his life to fly-fishing and his family. He truly is an asset to the fly fishing community in years to come.
