On more than a few occasions over the years we have been asked two questions in particular by customers: first, where can they go fishing and secondly whether we can put them in touch with others who might be interested in having some company fly fishing for the day?

After getting asked these questions again by a handful of people this spring we called Dwayne and Meg Hallman at the Falls Inn in Walter’s Falls to see if they would be interested in helping us try something new…

For those who would like to spend a weekend with fellow fly fishers exploring a river, learning and sharing laughs over a meal in a relaxed setting, members of the Ontario fly fishing community are invited to spend a weekend with us at the Falls Inn fly fishing the Bighead River May 14-16. Located 2 hours from Toronto in Walter’s Falls between Meaford and Owen Sound in the Georgian Highlands, the Falls Inn opened in 2005 and is a member of Ontario’s Finest Inns that is ideally located to access many of Ontario’s premier fly fishing destinations.

The weekend fly fishing trip starts on Friday with an informal reception and seminar at the Inn where we talk about the river, give out information on hatches and access points and talk about the schedule for the weekend. On Saturday morning participants will wake at their leisure for breakfast and depart to fish the Bighead River with a box lunch supplied by the Inn. The plan is to divide the river into traditional fly fishing beats and participants will spend the day rotating through each beat before returning to the Inn at the end of the day for a 3-course dinner and a relaxing evening on the patio talking about the day’s experiences. Sunday morning is open for attendees to sleep in or get up early to fly fish on their own before returning for a mid-morning brunch that is included in the package, cleaning up and checking out at 1 pm.

The weekend includes accommodation on Friday and Saturday, snacks on Friday evening, breakfast lunch and dinner on Saturday and brunch on Sunday – all for $450 per person based on double occupancy (this price includes taxes and hotel gratuities!). One of the reasons we have chosen the Falls Inn to try this “weekend fly fishing trip” format is because the Inn also has a spa that offers facials, body scrubs, wraps, facials and massages for those interested in having a spouse join them.

The Falls Inn can accommodate up to 16 people and we hope this weekend and the format is of interest to enough people that we can make this a regular event. If you are interested in joining us please call the store to reserve your spot as soon as possible because the Inn can only hold the rooms for a few more days.

We are trying to keep the cost as reasonable as possible and would like to do similar weekend trips to other destinations in Ontario, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York. We trust this is of interest and hope you can join us ! If you are interested but can not join us on this trip please send us an email to let us know that you would like to be put on a list for future trips.

There are only 2 days left in our Spring Fly Fishing Sale. The following items are 25% off:

- SAGE VT2 Rods
- G. Loomis Rods & Reels
- Simms, Orvis & Patagonia Fly Fishing Vests
- All Base Layer Clothing

And we have 25% off all of our fly tying materials !

If you are looking for the best flies available for Ontario rivers you should come in and speak with James Wachiuri. Originally from Kenya, James has been a production fly tyer for over 20 years and his focus in our store is to tie fly patterns for our local rivers.

James ties his patterns under the watchful eye of our manager Vasilios “Bill” Katraouras and he is now fulfilling orders for local patterns – put your order in now !

If you are interested in learning how to tie local fly patterns sign up at WILSON’S today !

Every now and then we like to take a step back and check if we are still going in the direction we want to be heading and any time we want to absolutely make sure we are on the right path we do the ‘non-guy’ thing and ask for directions.

So, if you are reading this blog consider this a request for direction – we will appreciate your input.

On a fly fishing note, like many of you, I am itching for the start of the trout season opener at the end of April. In the lead up to the season I have been taking advantage of the unseasonably warm weather we have been getting to scout water and yesterday I decided to check out lower Bronte Creek. I entered Bronte Creek Provincial Park off of the QEW at Burloak Drive in Burlington and decided to pay the $15 fee to drive the park (for those who are not aware, if you walk into any provincial park in Ontario there is no entrance fee – just don’t park where you will be towed). I have been getting some good quality puppy time with Hunter on these sojourns and yesterday was especially rewarding because my visit to Bronte was during the Maple Syrup Festival (I will admit to having a bit of a sweet tooth…).

I am embarrassed to admit that I am guilty of having never visited Bronte Creek Provincial Park and was very pleasantly surprised by what I found. Although Bronte is very much an urban park, I was equally impressed with the sense of isolation you have as soon as you are on the trails that lead into the river valley. For those interested in fly fishing Bronte Creek perhaps the easiest access is off of Bronte Road in Oakville at the QEW. There is a commuter parking lot on the south of the QEW off of Bronte where you can leave your car and a Tim Horton’s across the street where you can get your coffee fix. An access road leads down to the river below the bridge on the QEW and you can walk upstream into the park from there (the park boundary is on the north side of the bridge). This is a beautiful stretch of river and both sides of the bank have well marked trails to follow.

Just remember to read your Ontario Fishing Regulations before you go – and please pick up any garbage you see on your way…

Jim

“In this issue of This is Fly we rip through the backcountry of the Rockies with Chris Andlein and go deep in the frozen land of Austria with Christof Menz. Too cold for you? Why not catch some big waves and bones with Coach Duff in Hawaii. Have you ever seen a freight train with graffiti on it while wading a stream? The Blue Ridge Angler is obsessed with capturing these rolling canvases and shares with us some of the history behind these marked cars. Vampires on the prowl? Take to the flats with Paris and challenge your fears. If you want to sink your fangs into some fresh tuna, Charles Clover of The End of The Line will make you think twice. Don’t forget to take in the art of Collin Von Der Sluijs and plan your next trip to land 24-lb Peacock bass all while jamming to Kashmir by Led Zeppelin.”

www.thisisfly.com/