We went live with our new website 5 months ago and our website traffic jumped by over 30% but so too did the number of calls and emails asking when the ecommerce part of our site will be live. To our surprise the biggest stumbling block has been the difficulty in getting the right information in a downloadable format from our suppliers. We require high resolution images and product descriptions in a CSV file and when we have approached the majority of our suppliers most have said, “Ummm, we don’t know what a CSV file is. Just go to our website and start cutting and pasting.” This would be okay if we were only dealing with a few hundred items but we have over 10,000 items that we have to transfer into our system so the cut and paste route doesn’t quite cut it (no pun intended).

Well, after a bit of insistence from us many of our suppliers have stepped up to the plate and we have downloaded a considerable amount of product into the site and we are now in the process of screening it for mistakes to prepare for a staged launch that will feature a limited number of products from a select few suppliers. Our ecommerce team is continuing to work feverishly (they have even been threatened with not getting dessert) and we hope to surprise everyone by actually having the site live in the coming weeks.

No one is more anxious than us to have the site live and we hope that you will like what we have done when you finally get a peek!

If you are looking for Canada’s best selection of fly fishing gear now would be a good time to pop into the store! Just an FYI…

There are a few artists whose work in particular captures fly fishing in a way that many may appreciate but only anglers truly understand and Diane is one of those artists. As she says on her website, “My water colours describe the essence of fly fishing as told by exotic paraphernalia, rusty pick up trucks, fishin’ dogs and snazzy tackle. The story is about optimism, bits of fur and feathers, solitude and companionship. Each day on the river is notable in the mist off the water or the misadventure of the moment. Consequently, I am inclined to depict the everyday aspect of our passion amid the complexity of the water, light and colour. For it is this that fuels us in our inordinate conservation commitments and the nonstop chatter in the fly shop.”

For more information on Diane please check out her website at www.dianemichelin.com

Abaco Lodge in the Bahamas always had a lot of bonefish but we have seen an abnormal amount of large fish these last two months. Our standard 2-5 pounders are still there but the percentage of large fish, those in the 5-9 pound class, has been up substantially. The fall fishing has been nothing less than spectacular here in Abaco. Very few fronts moved in and the stable weather meant great fishing across the board. Comfortable days on the water and cooler nights by the fire have made a wonderful start to the season.

The Bahamas is bonefishing at its best but we aren’t limited to the gray ghost. The juvenile tarpon fishing this fall was predictable and sustainable, with us jumping more than 60 fish. We are working on improving the hook up to landed ration but there is nothing like hooking a 25lb tarpon in 12” of water on an 8 wt! We also had a verified snook sighting – the first we know of in the Abacos. Some of the more exciting fish on the flats are those that can bite back – shallow water shark fishing on a fly might just be the most underrated fishing we have. Lemons, blacktips, bonnet heads, and spinners are found throughout the Marls and if you put the time in you can convince them to take an artificial without chum. We use a floating line and large poppers leading to spectacular takes as the whole head comes out of the water to eat the fly. It is all about the bite! Amazing takes and exciting fishing, we think everyone should be rigged for this every day.

For more information on this lodge check out the Travel Section on our website. Remember, if you book this or any other destination through our store you pay the same as booking direct with the lodge but we give you a gift certificate worth 10% of the trip value to spend in our store !

So, let us know your thoughts. We would like to get more destinations on our program so we can pass along our 10% travel incentive to more anglers! And by the way, if you would like to go to a destination not currently on our travel program we will be more than happy to make a call on your behalf to see if they would like to participate – even on a ‘case by case’ basis. Worse thing that will happen is they say “no” but the best thing is they might say “yes!”, and we can then put your money back in your pocket!

Well, onward and upward (we hope!). The feedback on our new site has been universally positive and we appreciate the suggestions and pointers on the occasional typos that need correcting. We will be adding more destinations to the site shortly and look forward to launching our ecommerce page as quickly as possible. In the interim, if you have any Christmas shopping that you would like to do please send us an email or give us a call toll free and we will be more than happy to help you in any way we can!

There are many people to thank for this project becoming a reality and the first two are Ruth McLeod and Joel Langlois. Ruth and Joel took us up on our challenge of creating a new website that is easy to navigate, interesting and informative and I hope you agree they have delivered. Our hats are off to them! The team at the store – Bill, Hugo, Gary & Ian – have been diligently working behind the scenes as we have navigated the perils of organizing what has seemed at times ‘unorganizable’ and their efforts and patience with this process are greatly appreciated. I also wish to thank our suppliers over the last few months as we have navigated some interesting waters. Their ongoing assistance and words of wisdom have been invaluable and we appreciate the opportunity and privilege of being their retail partners.

As you wade through our new site you will see we are making more than a few cosmetic changes. Perhaps most importantly, we are delighted to announce that Rick Whorwood has joined us to head up our Education program. An FFF Master Certified Casting Instructor in both single and double casting, Rick is a great teacher who will take our fly fishing education program to a new level. Joining Rick at our schools are Marty Tannahill (who also has his Master  Certification in Single Hand Casting) and Doug Swift. Our new team members, along with Wally Schmidt and Eli Garrett, will be teaching our Beginner Fly Fishing Schools, On-Stream Instruction courses and fly casting lessons in 2011. The other exciting development in our school program is that we will be holding Fly Fishing Schools in 3 locations in the east, north and west ends of the Greater Toronto Area and at a fourth location near Collingwood. Watch for details in the coming weeks !

On the topic of fly fishing education we should also make you aware of the new courses we are offering. Notably, If you are an advanced fly angler who is looking for a new challenge, check out our FFF Casting Course that teaches you everything you need to know to become an FFF-certified casting instructor.

On the fly tying front we are delighted to announce that Sheldon Seale is heading up our fly tying classes. A well known fixture in the Toronto fly fishing community, a past-president of the  Izaak Walton Fly Fishing Club and Fly Tying Editor of the Canadian Fly Fisher magazine, Sheldon’s skills are a welcome addition to our team and we fortunate to have him on board. [We also now having "open vise" fly tying sessions after Sheldon's classes every Saturday from 1pm until 5pm and another "open vise" session on Tuesday evenings from 6pm until 8pm. Check the calendar on our website for details].

Another addition to our team is Ian McLeod. Originally from Ireland and an avid fly tyer and angler, you will find Ian behind the counter on a regular basis and he will also be hosting our “Open Vise” tying session on Tuesday evenings. Please make a point of saying hello to Ian when you stop by in the coming weeks!

The final, and most important group I want to thank are our customers. Many of you have been with us since we first opened our doors on April 28, 1998 at 26 Wellington East in downtown Toronto and I can’t express how much the team at the store and I appreciate your loyalty, friendship and support. On the days when being in fly fishing retail is not that great, you make it fun!

There is a lot of change for the better happening at WILSON’S and this new website is just a part of it. One of the things on the site that you will notice immediately is our ecommerce page is not yet live – but it is coming soon! In the interim, if you have any special needs please let us know and we will do our best to help you out.

Again, thank you for your interest and your ongoing support. We hope you enjoy your visit!

Very Best,

Jim Wilson