The main benefit of being in fly fishing retail is having the opportunity to meet some truly wonderful people from all walks of life and one of those people is a passionate fly angler and professional water colour artist who currently resides in Nanoose Bay on Vancouver Island by the name of Diane Michelin. Originally from Montreal, Diane’s fly fishing art is appreciated in private collections throughout Canada, the United States and in Europe and if you are lucky enough it may eventually appear on a wall in your home as well.

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

We are on the prowl for new destinations to add to our list of recommended fly fishing lodges so if you have visited a place that you think more people should know about, please send us an email. Location is not a consideration but the quality of the lodge definitely is. Quality is of course a subjective measure and we all use different criteria to benchmark our likes and dislikes. Just as a university degree is not a measure of intelligence but rather of formal education, we also realize that cost is not a measure of the quality of a lodge, only of price. The common thread we promote in the lodges on our travel section is quality. For some anglers a quality destination is the combination of a plane ride, gourmet food and a unique experience. For others it is a destination that is within easy driving distance of home, great fishing and decent food. Older anglers sometimes choose a fishing destination for the quality of the meals and drink while younger anglers sacrifice comfort for the quality of fishing. Quality means different things to different people.

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!

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

Happy Thanksgiving !