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Jack Simpson, Founder, Past CEO and Executive Director, Board Chairman
Born in Hastings, Ont., Jack started fishing during his childhood in the 1930s. After high school graduation, he went to work for Ontario Hydro and married Anne. Later, although they had already started on their family, which eventually numbered three daughters and two sons, Jack decided to further his education. By attending the University of Toronto full time, then working weekends and holidays for Ontario Hydro, he earned a degree in Electrical Engineering.
Jack became a consultant, then went into the cable television field. He owned and operated UMG Cable Telecommunications Inc. until a few years ago, and currently owns and operates Argord Corporation, which manufactures electric motors in Ontario and Mexico.
Always a staunch supporter of the conservation movement, Jack has devoted time, effort and money toward river and wetlands habitat rehabilitation, bluebird recovery projects, and public education regarding environmental concerns. He served on the Izaak Walton Fly Fishers board of directors, and as Secretary-treasurer of the Outdoor Writers of Canada.
As the founder of Fly Fishing Canada in 1987, Jack organized the first Team Canada, which competed that year at the World Fly Fishing Championship in England. He remained as team captain for the first four years. Jack served as CEO and Executive Director until 2006, when he assumed the role of Board Chairman. He was also President of FIPS-Mouche (the International Federation of Fly Fishing) from 1991 to 1997, during which he initiated the Conservation Symposiums. Since establishing the first FFC National Fly Fishing Championships and Conservation Symposium in 2003, he has watched it blossom and attract increasing attention every year. Feeling that FFC is now in good hands, his current interests lie in promoting and improving the Youth Branch of FFC.
Jack has fished extensively throughout North and South America, Cuba, Australia, New Zealand and Europe, often accompanied by his wife, Anne, who is also an ardent fly fisher, as evidenced by usually outfishing him. But he perseveres.
If Jack has a flaw, it is his magnetic fingertips. Simply put: Never -- ever -- let him around your open fly box....
Randy Taylor, President
Randy, 41, has been fishing for as long as he can remember. He has competed in several World Fly Fishing Championships for Canada and captained the team in France (2002) and Spain (2003). He also competed in the 2003 Oceania Fly Fishing Championship in Tasmania and the 2004 Commonwealth Fly Fishing Championship in Scotland. At home, Randy has participated in all four FFC National Fly Fishing Championships. His team, Airflo Equipe, won team gold in 2003, 2004 and 2006, and team silver in 2005. He was really lucky in 2004 and won the individual gold medal as well.
Randy has been involved with Fly Fishing Canada for several years and became its President in 2006. He is also a regional committee member for the Atlantic Salmon Federation and holds membership in Trout Unlimited Canada, Ottawa Fly Fishers Society, Izaak Walton Fly Fishing Club, and Friends of the Grand River.
A co-founding partner of LaBarge Weinstein, a business law firm, Randy’s practice focuses on corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, and technology-related transactions for clients ranging from emerging and public technology companies, venture capital investors and investment banks.
Between college and law school, Randy played professional hockey for three years in the IHL in the Pittsburgh Penguins organization, following which he ran into contract difficulties (they wouldn’t offer him another one!). Randy and his wife, Dianne, currently live in Kanata, Ontario.
Todd Oishi, Chairman of National Competitions and Sponsorship
Todd Oishi started fishing at a very young age, eventually developing a fascination for using flies rather than worms. He currently resides in Maple Ridge, BC, where he can be found as often as possible on the abundant rivers and lakes located throughout the southern region of his home province. A small businessman and father of four very active children, he is blessed with Robyn, a loving and supportive wife who encourages his piscatorial pursuits and obsession with all things aquatic.
Todd has competed at the past three FFC National Fly Fishing Championships: Campbell River, BC in 2005, Fergus-Elora, Ontario in 2006, and Grande Centre, Alberta in 2007. He won the individual Gold Medal in 2005 and helped lead Team Mustang to the Team Gold Medals. For the 2007 NFFC he assembled and captained a team of first-time competitors, Team Stillwater Solutions, which won the Team Gold Medals.
Todd has also competed as a member of Team Canada at the World Fly Fishing Championships in Sweden in 2005, Portugal in 2006 and Finland in 2007, as well as the Commonwealth Fly Fishing Championships in Wales in 2006, and the USA NFFC in 2006 and 2007.
In 2006 he flew to the Czech Republic to study and receive coaching about the river nymphing techniques used by competitive fly fishers in that country, and repeated this in 2007 with a trip to Poland.
Todd has founded a Fly Fishing Club at a high school in Maple Ridge, where he shares his passion and knowledge of fly fishing with children and teachers. He hopes that by doing so he can encourage growth and participation in the sport, and ensure that future fly fishers will be informed, educated and responsible.
Wm. Gordon Bacon, Chair, Senior Teams
Gord has participated at several World Fly Fishing Championships: 1993 (Canada), 1994 (Norway), 2001 (Sweden) and 2002 (France), placing 10th individually at the 1993 event. He also competed in the 2000 and 2001 Commonwealth Fly Fishing Championships in Australia and England respectively, and in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Air New Zealand International Saltfly Tournament and World Kahawai Championships. His team (CanZ) won the Kahawai World Championship in 2001.
Gord has been involved in Fly Fishing Canada since, well... only Jack Simpson or Bob Jones might know precisely how long. He become Chairman of Senior Teams for FFC in 2006. Gord also participates in the following fly fishing-related organizations:
- Totem Fly Fishers, B.C. (Associate Member)
- Osprey Fly Fishers, B.C. (past Vice Chairman) (Associate Member)
- Washington Fly Fishing Club (former member)
- Kamloops Fly Fishers
- North West Fly Anglers, Seattle, Washington
- Izaak Walton Flyfishing Club, Mississauga, Ontario
- B.C. Fly Fishing Federation (BCFF) (Past Chairman)
- Steelhead Society of British Columbia (past member)
- Federation of Fly Fishermen (FFF) (Past International Director)
Dr. Bacon recently “semi-retired” from his position as Vice President, Technology and Engineering of the world’s largest nickel company, in hopes that it will leave him with a little more time for other interests, like fishing....
Malcolm (Mac) Stark, Director & Senior Teams Training Co-ordinator
Mac resides in Yellowknife, NWT with his wife, Fay. From 1970 to 2006 he worked for Hudson’s Bay Company and The Northwest Company in retail across northern Canada. After 43 postings in 35 years, he retired in January 2006 so he could devote even more time to fishing.
Mac has been tying flies since the age of 8 (a long time ago!) and has been fly fishing since age 13. He has been involved with FFC since 2003, when he was a member of Team Canada that participated in the 2003 World Fly Fishing Championship in Jaca, Spain. He attended the USA Nationals in 2006 as Team Canada’s manager, and has attended all FFC National Fly Fishing Championships as captain of the perennially powerful Team NWT. Terence Courtoreille, Canada’s reigning individual gold medal champion fly fisher, credits (or blames, we’re not sure) Mac with teaching him the skills to become a champion. Mac became a director of FFC in 2006.
In addition to Fly Fishing Canada, Mac’s other affiliations include:- Trout Unlimited Canada - Life Member
- Federation of Fly Fishers - Life Member
- International Game Fish Association - Life Member (also NWT representative since 1989)
- North American Fishing Club - Life Member
- The Grayling Society - member
- Ducks Unlimited Canada - member
- Canadian Wildlife Federation - member
- two tippet class (4-lb and 12-lb) world record arctic grayling same day, from Fond du Lac River, Saskatchewan
- a 22-lb pike on fly from MacKenzie River, NWT
- a 17-lb lake trout on fly from Great Bear Lake, NWT
- 7-lb and 6 3/4-lb brook trout on fly from Mistassini Lake, Quebec, on the same day.
In addition to his undeniable fishing prowess, Mac is also famous throughout the NWT and Northern Alberta for his swanky fishing pick-up truck, the precise colour of which has no name. Mac can be contacted at mfstark@ssimicro.com.
Robert H. Jones, Founding Member, PR Geezer, Chairman of Site Investigation Committee, Extremely Unofficial Historian
Originally from Vancouver, BC, Bob’s 27-year military career (3 years 1RCHA, 24 years RCAF) allowed him to travel (and fish) throughout much of Canada and Central Europe.
A writer since 1975, full-time since 1980, Bob is currently the editor of Island Fisherman magazine, editor for FFC Publications, and a contributor to several regional, national and international publications.
An active member of the Outdoor Writers Association of America and The Writers’ Union of Canada, he has won 20 writing awards over the years.
Selected Publications
- Make Your Own Fishing Tackle, Maclean Hunter, 1984
- Tangled Lines and Patched Waders, Horsdal & Schubart, 1995
- Warped Rods and Squeaky Reels, Horsdal & Schubart, 1997
- Wit and Wisdom of Fishing, co-author, Publications International, 1997
- Fly Fishing Canada, co-author/editor, Johnson Gorman Publishers, 2001
- Essential Guide to Fly Fishing in British Columbia, co-author/editor, Johnson Gorman Publishers, 2002.
- A Compendium of Canadian Fly Patterns, Co-author/editor, FFC Publications, 2006.
- Island Fly Fisherman, co-author/co-editor, Harbour Publishing, 2006
- Island Halibut Fisherman, co-author, Harbour Publishing, 2007
- Island Salmon Fisherman, co-author, Harbour Publishing, 2008
Writing Awards
- 1981 Francis H. Kortright Award (1st - Magazine)
- 1987 Francis H. Kortright Award (1st - Magazine)
- 1995 Outdoor Writers of Canada Communications Award (1st - Fishing, Magazine)
- 1996 OWC Communications Award (1st - Book - Tangled Lines and Patched Waders)
- 1997 OWC Communications Award (Award of Merit - Book - Warped Rods and Squeaky Reels.
- 2001 OWC Communications Award (1st - Fishing, Magazine)
- 2001 OWC Communications Award (1st - Column, Magazine)
John Beaven, FFC Director
John has been involved with Fly Fishing Canada since 1999 and became its Chairman, National Competitions, in 2006. He has competed in eight international fly fishing championships for Canada, namely the World Fly Fishing Championships in France (2002), Spain (2003), and Slovakia (2004); the Commonwealth Fly Fishing Championships in Australia (1999), England (2000), Scotland (2003) and Wales (2006); and the Oceania Fly Fishing Championships in Tasmania (2002 and 2007).
John has participated in all four Canadian National Fly Fishing Championships. His team, Equipe Airflo, won team gold in 2003, 2004 and 2006, and team silver in 2005. In 2004, John won the individual bronze medal and in 2006 the individual silver medal. Beyond the medals, John holds an incredible record in each of the four National championships: he has caught the most fish!
Before his retirement in 1997 (so he could devote even more time to fishing and golfing), John was a sales executive for some successful aerospace and defence companies, most recently Dy4 Systems Inc. in Kanata, Ontario. He and his wife, Laurie, currently make their home in Parksdale on Vancouver Island.
Paul C. Marriner, FFC Director
Born in Halifax, NS, in 1944, Paul attended Dalhousie and Nova Scotia Tech, earning a degree in Mechanical Engineering. After teaching at the Royal Military College in Kingston, Ont., where he received a Masters Degree, he went on to a career with the federal government in Ottawa. He took up fly fishing during the 1960s, and in 1983, along with Dr. Eden Bromfield and Peter Huyghebaert, became a founding member of the Ottawa Fly Fishers Society, of which he is a Past President and Life Member.
Paul entered his first WFFC in 1988 at Tasmania, Australia. He has since been a Team Canada member at 10 WFFCs, serving as Team Captain from 1994 to 1996 and again in 2000. In addition, he has attended seven Commonwealth Fly Fishing Championships. To date, his travels in search of saltwater and freshwater fishing experiences have taken him to 14 countries.
A prolific writer and skilled photographer, Paul is a member of the Outdoor Writers of Canada and Outdoor Writers Association of America. Several hundred of his fly fishing and tying articles have appeared in various national and international magazines. His masthead credits include FlyLife (Australia), Fly Fish America, The Fishing News, Outdoor Canada (Contributing Editor), Fly Fisherman’s Virtual Fly Shop, The Canadian Fly Fisher (Associate Editor and columnist), Eastern Woods & Waters (Fly-tying Columnist), and The Angling Report. He is also in demand as a guest lecturer at numerous fly fishing symposiums throughout North America.
Paul and his wife, Nancy, live in Mahone Bay, NS, where he owns and operates Gale’s End Press.
Books
- The Fishing Book, contributing author, The Boston Mills Press, 1990
- Atlantic Salmon - A Fly Fishing Primer, Winchester Press, 1992
- The Ausable River Journal, Frank Amato Publications, Inc., 1993
- The World's Best Trout Flies, contributing author, Boxtree, 1994
- The Miramichi River Journal, Frank Amato Publications, Inc., 1997
- Modern Atlantic Salmon Flies, Frank Amato Publications, Inc., 1998
- Fly Fishing Canada - From Coast to Coast to Coast, contributing author,
- Johnson & Gorman Publishers, 2001
- Stillwater Fly Fishing: Tools & Tactics, Gale’s End Press, 2003
- How to Choose and Use Fly-Tying Thread, Gale’s End Press, 2004
- A Compendium of Canadian Fly Patterns, Gale’s End Press & FFC Publications, 2006
Writing Awards
- Izaak Walton Fly Fishers Gregory Clark Award (Outstanding contributions to the arts of fly fishing), 1991
- Outdoor Writers of Canada Communications Award (1st - Atlantic Salmon - A Fly Fishing Primer), 1992
- Outdoor Writers of Canada Communications Award (1st - Modern Atlantic Salmon Flies), 1998
Bob Sheedy, FFC Goodwill Ambassador, Chairman of Conservation, Chairman of Youth Teams
Born and raised in Northern Ontario, Bob Sheedy began fly fishing at age seven in 1950. Conflicts with school principals lacking appreciation about the pleasures of days stolen to go fishing, followed by run-ins with equally unimaginative employers, led to a lifetime involving various careers -- often decided by necessity rather than anything approaching planning or preparation through formal education. He has been a bush pilot, aviation engineer, land surveyor, trapper, motorcycle and small engine mechanic, forest ranger, ammonia refrigeration technician, outdoor writer, videographer, computer programmer, and author of two popular books: Bob Sheedy’s Top 50 Stillwater Fly Patterns and Stillwater Fly Fishing Strategies.
Bob currently lives modestly among a collection of fertile lakes in western Manitoba that contain some of the largest non-sea-run rainbow trout in North America. He has devoted over 35 years to these stillwater prairie lakes and ponds, acquainting himself with their resident salmonids and studying the creatures that they eat.
In late 2002, while Bob Jones was editing Bob’s two books, a suggestion was made that FFC Executive Director Jack Simpson be contacted for information about the possibility of the Manitoba Parkland hosting a World Fly Fishing Championship at some point in the future. Jack countered with a proposal that they consider hosting the first FFC National Fly Fishing Championships and Conservation Symposium in 2003, and the rest has been history in the making. Bob did virtually all of the initial groundwork necessary to get things rolling; established the Fly Fishing Canada web site; published a 78-page, digest-sized book about the event that raised a considerable amount of money for local conservation projects; and has since been beating the drum loud and long for Fly Fishing Canada and the NFFCs during his fly-fishing lecture tours throughout North America. Those who have worked with him over the past few years consider him a true ambassador of good will for Fly Fishing Canada.
