As 2011 draws to a close we would like to pause for a moment to look back on the year that was and share some thoughts on our plans for 2012.

Thankfully 2011 was a good year for the store on a number of fronts. Perhaps most importantly, after launching our new webpage on December 1, 2010 we immediately focused our efforts on launching a new ecommerce page which eventually went live on August 13. This event has proven to be one of the most important in our store’s history and it is quickly becoming the new foundation upon which we are building the future of the store. We are thankful we recognized some time ago that the future of fly fishing retail is online and we are delighted with the response we have received. We have some design issues yet to sort through and product lines to add (flies and fly tying materials in particular) but we are confident we are heading in the right direction.

Another piece of the puzzle that fell into place this year was our travel program. We now have almost 50 lodges participating and an increasing number of anglers looking for a great way to save money when booking their vacation are discovering the value of the program. If you have not checked out this part of our website of late we encourage you to do so.

From an inventory perspective many of our customers know we have the best selection of fly fishing gear in Canada – but it just got better. We recently decided to bring back Hardy and Greys and we have also decided to become a Winston dealer. Needless to say we are delighted to have their products in our store.

Our other product lines have also been performing strongly. Sage, Thomas & Thomas, G. Loomis, Orvis and St. Croix rods have all been selling well and our reel lines have been hitting it out of the park! Abel, Hatch, Nautilus, Orvis, Ross, Sage and Saracione have all performed well for us and the addition of Hardy and Greys have been an immediate draw for our customers.

This year we also made a huge commitment to Simms by increasing our inventory by almost 40% and we are delighted that our sales this year established WILSON’S as one of the top 20 Simms dealers in North America. To put this into perspective, Simms has over 500 dealers in Canada and the United States so being in their top 5% of dealers is a great accomplishment by any measure. Because of this success we are now working with Simms on another project that will add even more value for our customers – stay tuned!

So what does 2012 have in store? Your crystal balls are likely as good if not better than ours but there are a few things we can share. First, we are continuing to work on improving our online store and will soon be implementing a new online marketing program for the members of our Fly Fishing Club that will involve ‘flash’ sales and promotions. What this means is that if you have not signed up you should do so now because it will be worth your while (!).

Secondly, we are looking at our inventory and deciding what holes need to be filled, what products need to be beefed up and what lines we should consider dropping. Our manager Bill has done an excellent job of jockeying our suppliers and the support he has received from the rest of the team (Hugo, John, Danny, Sheldon and Joel) has been instrumental in keeping the store on track.

Thirdly, we are looking at the presence of the new ‘Big Box’ retailer in the GTA. With 2 locations now open in Vaughan and Oshawa and 2 others planned for Etobicoke and Burlington in the spring of 2012 their presence is certainly going to have an impact because they carry many of the same lines. However, what we discovered when we visited them is that their focus is more on clothing, camping, hunting and conventional fishing and their selection of fly fishing gear is limited. For example, they carry Simms waders priced the same as us but they only stock small, medium, large and extra large so anyone looking for specialty sizes such as a medium king or a large short will have to come to us. They are also focussed on entry-level to mid-level products and clearance items and while the people they have behind the counters in their fly shops are nice and helpful they lack the knowledge and experience many hard core fly anglers desire. So while the entry of this new competitor into the GTA was initially a concern for us it is quickly becoming a non-issue.

In the immediate future our fly tying program is gearing up in January under the able leadership of Sheldon Seale so we look forward to having customers both old and new come into the store for our open vise sessions on Saturday afternoons. If you have not attended we encourage you to drop by!

On that note we hope everyone has a safe long weekend and we wish everyone a Happy New Year!

I was recently made aware of Ten & Two and after reading through the latest online edition thought it worth passing along to our blog readers. The following is from the “About Us” section on their website:

No one goes fishing and just goes fishing. There’s a whole culture surrounding the sport. One journey might take us far a-field; another might keep us close to home. What remains constant is the fact that the path is not straight. We eat, we drink, we observe, we laugh, we talk, we explore, we learn and we most certainly experience the world in the process. As we travel, we’ve learned fishing is a lot more than simply how many fish we release, how big they are, where we stand, what we use and so on. Does the world really need another photo of some person holding up a huge fish caught on a two weight? It could be argued that it’s a piece of the meal, but generally that meal has been overcooked and overpriced, overdone and overblown. At TEN & TWO we go beneath the surface if you will and look for experiences that thicken the stew and fill us up. We look for interesting people, their stories and the places they inhabit. We search out the perfect drink, and the best meal. We look closely at the ecology of the surrounding habitat. We watch the wildlife, we tour the nearby village, and we seek out the artist’s impressions. And we fish.

TEN & TWO is where you can go to get away from the crowds and find that special spot where the fish might be bigger or smaller, but the experience is often more special. Take your time with TEN & TWO. Approach it as you would a huge brown sipping the occasional olive in September on a quiet spring creek in Montana. Take your time with it. Savor it.

—Walter Hodges

Check it out at www.tenandtwomagazine.com/

Join your friends and neighbours in High Park this Saturday July 9 from 10am until 2pm for Family Fishing Day! Sponsored by the Toronto Sportsmen’s Show, Kids & Cops, Future Watch, Crime Stoppers, the Toronto Region Conservation Authority, Toronto Parks and the Ontario Government, Family Fishing Day provides an opportunity for the public to fish for free on that day to celebrate our fishing heritage and help promote our angling resources. In addition to contests, prizes and demonstrations a free fishing rod will be given to the first 10 kids (ages 18 and under) who arrive by bike.

The TRCA electrofishing boat will be on Grenadier Pond and a bike repair clinic will be provided by the Bike Commons. Note that anglers 18-64 must have a valid fishing license to fish in Ontario at any time other than this day.

July 9 2011 family fishing day

Well, we know we have at least two VERY satisfied customers at the moment!

We received an email yesterday from Fortress Lake Retreat in British Columbia confirming that two of our customers who booked a vacation through WILSON’S at the lodge this summer will be getting a gift certificate worth 10% of the trip to spend in our store. What that means is these customers are getting a gift certificate from us for over $500… just for having us book their vacation!

What is that line in the bank commercials? ‘Why not save your money?’

For more information on our travel program go to www.canadasflyfishingoutfitter.com/travel.php

If you want to take a fly fishing trip but have not yet decided where you want to go you may want to consider Prince Edward Island – especially if you are a fly fisher… (no, really). At 220 kms long and 60 kms at its widest point, PEI is the smallest province in Canada but it offers 1,100 miles of coastline and numerous opportunities for both fresh and salt water angling. That said few people other than golfers (and fans of Anne of Green Gables) even have this destination on their radar!

Although most rivers and streams on Prince Edward Island are short they originate from springs that discharge 7C groundwater in both summer and winter. As a result these streams are not dependent upon surface runoff and maintain good flows throughout the year. In addition, the water from these springs is rich in minerals which create ideal conditions for monster Brook trout that are found in virtually every stream on the Island. Sea run Brookies that range up to 6 lbs. are common here with runs from mid-June until mid-July and good fishing available into early August. The streams in Prince Edward Island are small so 6′-8 1/2′ rods are recommended with most fly fishing done by wading or casting from river banks. If you have room for only 2 rods we recommend an 8 1/2′ 7wt and a 7′ 4wt.

In addition to the Brook Trout fishing there are also good opportunities on PEI for Atlantic Salmon on the Morell, Valleyfield, West, Dunk and Trout Rivers with the Morell River being by far the most productive. This is the only river on Prince Edward Island that is a scheduled river and its main branch can be fished by fly-only after June 1. It is worth noting that while some salmon in excess of 20 lbs have been caught on the island the salmon run here is composed primarily of grilse. The season extends from June 1 to late November, but the best fishing for salmon occurs from mid-June to late July. There are also opportunities for saltwater species including mackerel and shark on the island (and no recreational license is required for saltwater fishing).

There are as yet no fly fishing lodges on Prince Edward Island but there are a handful of reputable fly fishing guides and WILSON’S is working with one of the best. Dwayne Miller is a commercial fisherman and guide based out of Cornwall who spends more days than most guiding fly fishers on PEI. If you are interested in booking a trip with Dwayne and would like to take advantage of our travel incentive program where we give you a gift certificate worth 10% of your trip value to spend in our store please contact us for details. For more information check out http://flyfishtheisland.com/index.php?tab=home