Marvin Johnston was born in 1936 in Detroit Lakes Minnesota. He began carving in 1949 and makes about 30 to 40 decoys a year. Now, until a couple of years ago (2006), Marvin was carving about 100 decoys a year, but as he told me, that he got tired of the decoys of wood not holding up in the water and the wood would split. He now, with the help of his daughter, is molding his old wood decoys and making his decoys from a resin. Early reports from users are saying that they are light to touch with good action. He is now doing a shiner with his trademark of prismatic sides and a red/white. Some of his decoys are sunfish, suckers, perch, shiners and cisco and tullibee. He used to use pine or spruce.  Marvin takes extra care in making decoys by his process of finish to ensure a long life of his workers. His colors and fishes create an impression of a fish in motion. He also uses a prismatic reflective scale help show motion on some of his decoys.

Marvin has moved from Duluth Minnesota to a small town called Der River Minnesota and is (in 2008/9) staying with his son-in-law while a new house is being built. His new address is located below.

You can read more about Marvin Johnston in Donald J. Petersen's book "Fish Decoy Makers Past and Present" on page 39 and see examples on page 101.

Marvin signs his decoys M. Johnston on the belly.

Marvin Johnston

PO BOX 44

Deer River , MN 56636

218-246-9373

(The phone number will change later this year when he moves into the new house.)