Donald S. Martinez (1903-1955), was an American commercial fly tier, fly shop owner and fly angler. He is most noted for his development and promotion of the woolly worm fly and dry fly fishing in the

Yellowstone National Park Yellowstone National Park is a List of national parks of the United States, national park of the United States located in the northwest corner of Wyoming, with small portions extending into Montana and Idaho. It was established by the 42nd U ...

region. He operated a seasonal fly shop in West Yellowstone, Montana during the summers of 1932-1943. Pat Barnes bought the business after World War II and operated the Pat Barnes Tackle Shop until 1981.

West Yellowstone, Montana

Martinez was also a founder of the Izaak Walton League and is credited with introducing dry fly fishing to Yellowstone National Park in the 1930s. To Martinez has been attributed the marketing of the Woolly Worm (imitation) lure for western waters. ''Northwest Fly Fishing Magazine'' named Don Martinez to its 'Pioneers & Legends' distinction in the fall of 2004, two years before Zane Grey. Don Martinez has also been featured in the book, ''Fly Fishing Pioneers & Legends of the Northwest''. In his classic 1955 text “Matching The Hatch” Ernest Schwiebert credits Don Martinez with developing the Whitcraft fly pattern, and declares it “excellent in sizes 10 through 16”. Born in Chicago and later relocating to southern California, Martinez was a real estate executive, and son of George D. Martinez and Alice Shillman Martinez. He and his spouse Nola had two children, David G. Martinez and Mary M. Martinez.

Education

Martinez graduated from

Cornell University Cornell University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university based in Ithaca, New York, United States. The university was co-founded by American philanthropist Ezra Cornell and historian and educator Andrew Dickson W ...

in 1918, and was a member of the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity.

References

Sources

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Martinez, Don Cornell University alumni People from Los Angeles People from Gallatin County, Montana Fly fishing 1903 births 1955 deaths People from Litchfield County, Connecticut Fly tyers