One of our team members, Rick Whorwood who heads up our education program, was recently asked by SIMMS to become a member of their pro-staff and invited down to Bozeman, Montana to meet the team at the head office and take a tour of the wader factory. If you do not know him, Rick is one of a handful of people in North America who have their Master’s Certification in single and two-handed casting instruction and one of the nicest guys in the industry. Rick has forgotten more than most people learn about casting and we are delighted to have him heading up our education program. Regardless of whether you are a beginner or an expert Rick is definitely one of the best people in Canada from whom to take a lesson.

I have teased Rick in the past because I have asked him to send me pictures of himself to include on our website and in every picture he has sent he looks like he either just got out of bed and is shy his first cup of coffee or he looks like he just lost a big fish. It is funny because he truly has a great sense of humour and is good natured but all of the pictures he has sent make him look like a grumpy old man (well, he is getting old so that accounts for part of it). Well, upon Rick’s return from Montana he sent me some pictures and this one in particular – in which he is smiling! Sort of. Well, there’s a hint of a smile – more of a grin actually – that is likely due to the fact that he just got decked out in Simms gear which would brighten anyone’s day.

Rick got into a bit of fishing and one of the other photos he sent (other than the one in which he is sort of smiling) caught my eye… It is of the new Simms product that is coming out later this year for the gardeners amongst us… I have to admit I laughed when I saw this one because there have been times in my fishing career when I thought that my wading boots would likely be put to a better similar use.

As for getting a picture of Rick truly smiling I guess I will have to attend one of his classes because I know he brightens up every time he is teaching a student. If you are interested in taking a casting course with Rick please email or call the store at your convenience – it will be some of the best money you ever spend as a fly angler.

If you didn’t catch our announcement the other day about the new members of our team it is worth repeating because our education program is now stocked with some of the best and most qualified instructors in Canada! We are pleased to announce that Rick Whorwood, Marty Tannahill and Doug Swift have joined the team at WILSON’S!

There are a lot of people who call themselves ‘experts’ in fly fishing but Rick Whorwood actually qualifies as one. Rick is one of only a handful of anglers who have achieved Master Certification in Single Hand and Two Hand Casting Instruction with the Federation of Fly Fishers (FFF) and he is also an accomplished fly tier whose work has been featured in many books and periodicals.

Doug Swift grew up on the banks of Ontario’s Grand River near Fergus but now lives on the shore of Georgian Bay where he can be found fly fishing throughout the year. In 2005 Doug obtained his certification as an FFF casting instructor and enjoys passing on his casting and fly fishing knowledge to other fly fishers. Although his home water is the Nottawasaga River Doug also spends time on the trout streams of the Georgian Highlands.

Marty Tannahill was born, raised and is now retired on Georgian Bay. Marty is an FFF Master Casting Instructor who is currently pursuing his two-handed certification and he divides his time amongst wilderness canoeing, paddling instruction, photography and fly fishing.

Rick, Doug and Marty will be focusing their efforts on teaching our beginner fly fishing schools, on-stream instruction courses and one-on-one casting lessons. We will also be developing a series of courses for intermediate and advanced fly fishers including so watch our newsletter, calendar and this blog for details!

For information on our fly fishing education program please go to
www.canadasflyfishingoutfitter.com/education.php

I am delighted to welcome you to the new online presence of WILSON’S – “Canada’s Fly Fishing Outfitter”. This website represents our renewed commitment to being Canada’s fly fishing store of choice and we hope you like the path we are on.

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