As I type this note the month of February is drawing to a close and like every other fly fishing retailer we are looking forward to March – mostly because it means winter is winding down and the spring fishing season is on the horizon !

At this time of year we also take stock of how our retail year is progressing and try to make sure that any ‘last minute’ tweeking of our spring inventory that customers are suggesting is done for the coming season. We try to take a step back and see our inventory through the eyes of our customers. We look at what materials are on our tying walls and double check to make sure we have the proper inventory as the trout season approaches. We look at the stock levels on our accessory walls to ensure we have those ‘extras’ for your vests and lanyards and also call our suppliers to make sure our pending orders for trout reels and rods are on their way.

What this all means is you may notice the next time you are in the store that we may be a bit preoccupied with our thoughts. We keep telling the boss that when we are sitting in the chair with our eyes closed or reading we ARE working – we’re thinking… alot…

We may not look like “The Thinker” by August Rodin but nor should we because we’re not a museum we’re a friggin’ fly shop ! Gary Horton’s got the look down, we call it the “hey, wake up, it’s your turn to get the coffee” look…

My heart is still pounding – and like most Canadians I look forward to the Gold Medal game against the USA !
Let’s take the lead from the Women’s Hockey Team and do Canada proud !

Quite a few years ago I had the pleasure of driving a porche for the first time in my life. It was owned by a former neighbour of mine who purchased the car to fulfill a life-long dream and stored it in his garage under a dust cover. I used to tease him about the care and attention he gave this vehicle and accused him of loving it as much as his children. Well, long story short, one summer he asked to borrow my wave runner (a younger pursuit in a former life) and in exchange he offered his car for the weekend. So, what does one do when you are given the keys to a porche ? Obviously you go on a road trip ! I hit Highway 400 and was cruising to my hometown of North Bay thinking “I gotta get me one of these!” when another guy in a whale tail pulled up beside me, slowed down and, ever so slightly, gave me a knowing nod. This guy then hit the accelerator and took off up the highway. It was one of those “How YOU doin’?” moments that struck me because I had never been part of the ‘in’ crowd growing up but all of a sudden (even though I was really a pretender and didn’t actually belong) I was a member of a club I didn’t even know existed. I have to admit that even though I didn’t own the car it was a pretty cool feeling…

So why mention it ? I was in my commercial real estate office earlier this week speaking with a developer about an office leasing deal I am working on in Northern Ontario. As we were speaking I asked if we could get together next week and he said it wouldn’t be possible because he was heading to the Bahamas to go bone fishing… I paused for a moment and asked, “Are you fly fishing ?” and he replied that while he hadn’t tried fly fishing for bones his buddy was a huge fan. “Really…?”

All of a sudden we were part of a club – an ‘in’ crowd that fly fishes. We talked about where he was going and our conversation quickly became more animated as we compared fly fishing stories. I wished him tight lines and I look forward to hearing how his trip went upon his return. It was an interesting discussion because it started out like any business conversation – polite but a bit distant – and ended with us talking like a couple of potty-mouthed high schoolers as we shared our passion for fly fishing with one another. For a fleeting moment I was back in that porche on Highway 400 feeling like I belonged to a pretty special club…

And you know what ? It felt pretty cool…

We have been talking about helping create a Guide Association in Ontario for a few years and have been doing so because we believe our industry needs to establish a set of standards and ensure that anyone presenting them self as a guide has the right gear, first aid training, insurance and, perhaps most importantly, a standard of ethics.

We have more thoughts to follow but for the time being prefer to listen to others before we open our yaps. To that end there was a recent post on the Hipwader.com forum concerning the fly fishing guide community that caught our eye and is worth sharing – please check out flyfishingforums.hipwader.com/viewtopic.php?id=5473

We are delighted to announce that Tim O’Sullivan, one of Ontario’s better known fly fishing guides who focusses on the Grand River, has donated a day of guiding as one of our prizes. In addition, MAC Cosmetics has kindly donated a gift basket worth $250 ! We still have 3 weeks to go before the 2010 Toronto Sportsmen’s Show but it looks like the Cast for Cancer is going to have a lot of winners before it even starts !

Our prize list now includes the following donations:

Graham Bristow, Angler’s Pro Shop, Orangeville: Day of Guiding
Paul Castellano, Cast Adventures, Niagara Falls: Day of Guiding
Ken Collins, Grand River Troutfitters, Fergus: Day of Guiding
Todd Fritzley, Ontario Fly Fishing Guide Association: Day of Guiding
Neil Houlding, Guideline Pro Staff: Casting Instruction
Vasilios “Bill” Katraouras, WILSON’S Fly Shop, Toronto: Casting Instruction
MAC Cosmetics – $250 gift basket
Chris Marshall/Glen Hales, Canadian Fly Fisher Magazine: Day of Guiding
Tim O’Sullivan, Ontario Fly Fishing Guide Association: Day of Guiding
Pete Paterson, Portrait Photographer: Dry Fly Portrait
Brian Primeau, First Cast Fly Shop, Guelph: Day of Guiding
Helene Rivest, Stanton Air, Orillia: 1 Day Fly-In Fishing trip for 2
Bill Spicer, Ontario School of Fly Fishing: Casting Instruction
Mike Verhoef, Fly Fitters: Learn How to Fly Fish for 2
Rick Whorwood, Fly Casting School: Casting Instruction
Jim Wilson, WILSON’S Fly Shop, Toronto: Fly Fishing School for 2
Wilmot Fishing Club, Newcastle: 2010 Membership for 1

Thank you to everyone listed above who have kindly made donations for this event !

Very Best,

Jim Wilson

For more information check out “Esma Wilson’s Cast for Cancer” on FaceBook or see www.castforcancer.ca