THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, May 19, 1996 TAG: 9605160201
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 06 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Cover Story
SOURCE: BY MARY ELLEN RIDDLE, CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: NAGS HEAD LENGTH: Long : 144 lines
CAPT. MARTY BRILL is coming ashore after spending nearly three decades working in the recreational fishing business.
He journeys to dry land to fulfill a dream. Soon, the 38-year-old charter boat captain begins his maiden voyage as owner of Captain Marty's Fishing and Hunting Outfitters.
He leaves behind the Gulf Stream waters for his new store across from the Outer Banks Mall.
The 5,700-square-foot tackle shop will be the largest of its kind on the East Coast, he said.
Brill broke ground for the new store on Dec. 20, but the first shovel of dirt was turned over many years ago when he first set foot on a charter boat.
He carries into this business years of experience in the cockpit, at the helm, manufacturing his own line of pro-rigs, and helping out in the boat- building business.
He has shared his knowledge in the local schools as a volunteer and in seminars up and down the Eastern Seaboard.
While the store will be well stocked with such features as Redington fly rods, deer stands and an archery pro shop, Brill said his purpose is to educate people.
As he puts it, ``You can buy tackle anywhere.''
``I have learned from my seminars that there is an extremely large need for education in fishing,'' he said.
``Most people have never learned the basics: the right product, the right bait, the right rod, the right reel. They fish their heart out and don't catch anything, and they're not missing it by much.''
Brill will never forget the hoards of people who paused over the years at the stern of his charter boat while it was docked at Oregon Inlet.
They asked questions, he said, like: ``Can you show me how to rig up a bait, how to fish a tide line, or how to run the channel - and even how do you get along with other charter boat guys?''
Marty will answer these and other questions as he continues his teaching tradition at the tackle shop. His instructional goals are multifold.
Primarily, he'll help folks fish better. But he's also concerned with teaching ethics, boating safety and conservation, and having fun.
Folks can attend any number of free seminars that will help them get a little more mileage out of their fishing experience. You'll be able to learn anything from hooking a blue marlin to fishing a grass line.
Expert hunters will also offer lectures, and the shop will specialize in primitive hunting paraphernalia.
Brill has been fishing since he was 8. His daddy, who was an expert snook fisherman, was his first teacher. The St. Petersburg, Fla., youth lived a block from the offshore charter boat docks and took his first step toward the captain's chair by scrubbing head boats.
By age 10 he'd been promoted to bait boy, and eventually to mate. He dreamed of manning the helm of a charter boat someday, and that's just what he did.
Marty loved the decade and a half he spent offshore, angling for billfish, tuna, wahoo and dolphin. He especially loved the time he spent with his customers. He's a teacher at heart and got joy out of sharing his fishing secrets.
In the offseason, he took his show on the road, providing seminars on fishing from South Carolina to New Jersey. Marty was chided by other captains for revealing fishing secrets. But he loved giving everyday folks a chance to feel the same thrill he did when he brought in a trophy fish or a good dinner.
Brill has even worked to help ease friction between private boaters and the recreational charter boat fleet by offering a seminar on boating etiquette. He wants to preserve this openness at his store, where atmosphere will be just as important as quality goods.
Coffee will always be brewing at Captain Marty's. Fishing and hunting videos will flicker across a TV screen, which visitors can watch from a cozy couch before a fire.
A 400-pound black bear peers down from the mantle. And across the room, a 958-pound blue marlin adorns the wall. Anglers are encouraged to chat about their latest catch under the cathedral ceiling of the Nags Head-style building or spin tales in rocking chairs on the front porch.
The tackle shop won't just be a place to pop in for some monofilament, Mustad hooks or arrowheads. It will be an opportunity to share.
Among the sharing and learning features will be the interactive Dart target system, kind of a bow and rifle shooting range.
While hunting African bull elk, North American turkeys, or ducks and geese, the player will learn how to hold and aim a weapon, as well as pick up hunting ethics.
The system is also an opportunity for fun. Teams or individuals can compete and sharpen their skills year-round, especially finding enjoyment on ``blow days,'' when Mother Nature insists you stay indoors.
``Kids can learn hunting before you turn them loose in the woods,'' Brill said.
A gallery with bleachers will be available for spectators.
The learning continues with a visit to the bait room.
The interior picture window allows customers to witness bait rigging firsthand.
And a workshop will be on the premises for custom rod building and reel repair and maintenance.
Captain Marty's will also have a massive walk-in freezer, providing lockable storage bins to rent for the day's catch. The minnow well is a plus for live-bait enthusiasts, and captains or mates can pre-order their Spanish mackerel or ballyhoo baits.
Brill's experience at sea has taught him what anglers need, near and far.
One of his services is an 800 number that far-away fisherman can use to have hard-to-get baits shipped to them - say on a remote island.
The store is not just a product, Brill emphasized.
``I've always been a teacher,'' he said. ``I've always just worked good with people.
``Camaraderie, coffee on a blow day - that was the best part of charter fishing.''
Brill doesn't officially open shop until June 1, but many folks have already stopped by to hang out and say hello. He laughs and says maybe he should change the name to ``Fishin' Friends.'' MEMO: For more information on Captain Marty's, call 441-3132.For more
information on Captain Marty's, call 441-3132.
ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by DREW C. WILSON
Capt. Marty Brill has a 100-pound blue marlin mounted as the focal
point on a wall in his new tackle shop, Captain Marty's Fishing and
Hunting Outfitters.
Marty Brill, who has worked on fishing boats for three decades,
demonstrates fish rigging under the watchful eye of a Manteo Middle
School student. Brill manufacturing his own line of pro-rigs, and
has helped out in the boat- building business.
Photo by MARY ELLEN RIDDLE
Marty Brill, who has taught fishing in schools, such as this lecture
at Manteo Middle School, says he'll continue to answer questions and
teach at his new tackle shop.
Staff photo by DREW C. WILSON
Coffee will always be brewing at Captain Marty's and fishing and
hunting videos will be shown on a TV screen, which visitors can
watch from a cozy couch before a fire at the 5,700-square-foot
tackle shop located at Nags Head.
by CNB