Arron Varga – Biography
Arron Varga – BIO
Larry Halyk – BIO
Larry holds an M.Sc. degree in Aquatic Ecology, but maintains he learned more with a fly rod in his hands than he ever did in school. During his long career with the OMNR he led a number of initiatives, including the introduction of brown trout to the Grand River tailwater, the recovery of brook trout in Marden Creek, and establishment of a wild steelhead fishery on the Middle Grand River. His post-retirement plan was to do a lot more fishing, but lately he finds himself fishing less and giving back more as President of the Middle Grand chapter of Trout Unlimited Canada.
Larry’s passion is steelhead. He chases them all over the Great Lakes and BC. He is not the best spey caster, or the best fly tier, or even the best BS artist on the Ontario steelheading scene; but he reads water and knows steelhead behavior as well as anyone. He always gets his share of pulls, even when fishing behind the experts.
Tyler Dunsmore
Tyler’s passion for fly fishing grew from early experiences on Southern Ontario rivers in his youth. Tyler’s guiding experiences include Atlantic Salmon on the Miramichi River in New Brunswick, Vancouver Island Steelhead in British Columbia, Patagonian Trout in Chile & Argentina, as well as Sea Run Browns in Tierra Del Fuego.
He currently runs Fly Water Guiding and Instruction (http://www.flywaterguiding.com/home.html) and offers drift boat and walk in trips on the Grand and Saugeen Rivers as well as casting/fishing instruction for fly fishers of all levels.
When not out in his drift boat exploring his home river, the Grand, you will find him tying flies, planning hiking and canoe trips with friends and family, and volunteering to fulfill his duties as a Director with the Middle Grand Chapter of Trout Unlimited Canada.
Jim Boni Biography
Jim Boni Biography
Sorin Comsa – BIO
I am a software quality engineer for a major bank (that’s where the money are…right?!).
I have been fishing for over 40 years and fly-fishing in competitions for about 30.
Over the years I have fished for perch, pike, walleye, carp, bass, rainbow trout, brook/speckled trout, brown trout, marble trout, whitefish, European grayling, bonefish and tarpon.
I competed at:
World Fly-fishing Championships:
1992 – Italy;
2004 – Slovakia;
2005 – Sweden;
2010 – Poland;
2011 – Italy;
2014 – Czech Republic and competed.
Commonwealth Championships:
2009 – Islay, Scotland;
2016 – Mont Tremblant, Canada (Individual Silver);
2018 – Ireland.
I have also won several team and individual National level medals.
Ken Chandler
Ken Chandler Fly Fishing Adventures
Doug Montgomery
Doug Montgomery – Custom Bamboo Rod.
Doug has held a passion for fly fishing for the past 30 years.
Over the past seven years, Doug has developed an interest in building bamboo fly rods in his home.
Doug Montgomery – Custom Bamboo Rod Builder.
See here for Doug’s past presentations.
Don Bastian
Don has been tying flies for 50 years, starting at age 12 in 1964.
Pennsylvania Fly Fishing Guide for 16 consecutive seasons and a commercial fly tier for 12 years.
Author of three fly tying DVD’s:
Advanced Classic Wet Flies: 2007
Traditional Streamers and Bucktails: 2007
Tying Classic Wet Flies: 2004
Featured author of Ray Bergman biography in the book Forgotten Flies. Don has a combined total of approximately 765 flies published in that book. See here for a link to over 100 of Don’s flies.
Don’s wet flies, drys, and streamers were regularly published in Art of Angling Journal 2001-2003 by The Complete Sportsman.
Published in Fly Tyer, Fly Fisherman, Mid-Atlantic Fly Fishing Guide, Hatches Magazine, Fly Tyers of the World, Vol. IV; and Fly Fusion.
The Ray Bergman Collection featuring wet flies tied by Don Bastian debuted in September 2010 at Hatches Magazine Online.
Don specializes in tying classic wet flies and streamers but he is equally comfortable at the vise whether he is turning out dry flies, nymphs, steelhead and bass flies, salmon flies, panfish patterns, and even a few saltwater flies.
Fly tying instructor since 1984.
Pro Staff Member of Regal Vise.
Instructor and demonstrator at various shows, forums, and fly tying clinics since 1992.
Amateur and professional photography since 1985.
Don has two daughters – Kim and Lyneah, four grandsons and one granddaughter. He lives in Pennsylvania. He is a widower following the 2007 death of his wife, Lou Anne, after nearly thirty-four years of marriage.
See here for Don’s website.
Becky Knifton
Becky Knifton – Grand River Steelhead.
Becky Knifton
Becky began fishing at an early age with her grandfather and father.
Like most starting to fish it was using live bait, fishing for anything that would bite.
Becky had a lot of fun fishing in those days with numerous funny stories.
Although her grandfather didn’t find it all so funny – “no laughing or yelling – you’ll scare the fish!!”
A few years ago Becky took up the art of fly casting.
Becky Knifton – Casting on the Grand River near Whiteman’s Creek.
With practice casting taking place on the beaches of Lake Erie, she became a very proficient single-handed caster.
Becky prefers the challenge of swinging a fly effectively versus other techniques for hooking fish.
She honed her skills while fly fishing for rainbow trout, brown trout and both smallmouth and largemouth bass.
Steelheading was the next natural adventure so Becky began using a two-handed fly rod to chase down Ontario’s chrome beauties.
Never having fished for, or caught one of these, you can imagine her excitement when she landed her first ever steelhead her first season out!
In 2013, Becky shifted her focus to teaching and enlightening other women about fly fishing.
Becky Knifton – Women’s Beginner Two Handed Spey Casting Course.
She taught the first ever Women’s Beginner Two-Handed Spey Casting Course for the Grand River Spey Clave in the fall of 2013.
Becky emphasizes fly fishing is for everyone of all talents.
With many more events scheduled, you will be sure to see Becky out on the water with other ladies, and even her own daughter!
See here for Becky’s past Guest Presenter Sessions.
Phil Clough
Phil started fishing at the young age of nine in the UK. His father Derek Clough would take him on long bus or train rides to float fish ponds, canals, and rivers for various course fish. After moving to Canada in the mid sixties, Phil and his dad discovered trout which started a lifelong passion for fishing cold running rivers for migratory rainbows.
Phil Clough.
More recently, since retiring ten years ago Phil’s new passoin fly fishing took over, he now spends most of his time swinging flies with the ‘other long rod’ and casting to bass, pike and muskie. He has also been fortunate to spend time travelling to more exotic and salty destinations, where he’s had the opportunity to sight cast to many of the different flats species. One of his favourite fish to flycast to is the Atlantic Striped Bass – as Phil likes to say…. unlike Permit, Stripers will actually eat your fly once in a while!
In float fishing circles the name Clough (promounced “Cluff”) is well known as one of the most Iconic Float reels ever created.
Phil Clough is the son of the inventor and has earned a reputation as a versatile and dedicated fly angler in his own right.
Started fly fishing in the mid seventies then stopped to chase steelhead with the long rod and centre pin reel. He started fly fishing again in the late nineties for trout and bass became more serious about it when he started saltwater fly fishing for bonefish, permit, snook, baracuda and tarpon.
He has also fly fished for Atlantic salmon,steelhead, pike,bass, muskie and stripers and has been fortunate to fish in the Bahamas, Belize, British Columbia, Cape Cod, Honduras, Florida, Mexico,Newfoundland, New York and Washington State.
Some of the guides and instructors he’s been lucky enough to fish with include Bruce Chard, Jeff Hickman, Rick Whorwood, Bill Houze, Eworth Garbutt and several other great teachers.
When he retired 8 years ago he started tying flies.
See here for Phil’s Past Guest Speaking Events
Phil Clough – Martha’s Vineyard Striper.
Phil Clough – Permit.
Phil Clough – Florida Redfish.
Phil Clough – Florida Tarpon.
Phil Clough – Bonefish.
Theo Cheng
Theo Cheng – Megabass.
Theo is the Canadian representative for Megabass, a premier Japanese tackle company which produces everything from rods, reels, and lures, and has been working with the company for approximately 8 years.
See here to see what’s trending on the Megabass Website.
Dave Chong
Dave Chong.
Dave’s 2014 BIO via a PDF.
Dave’s 2014 Bass Tournament Hi-Lights.
Dave Chong – 2014 – Lake Ontario.
Jay Passmore
Jay has been a commercial fly-tyer for over 30 years and invented a lot of steelhead and salmon fly patterns from the late 70’s, 80’s and 90’s – His patterns still remain productive today around the Georgian Bay and tributarys along the west shore of Lake Huron.
Jay Passmore.
He has written several articles in GONE FISHIN’ and was one of the founding members of the Nine Mile Steelheaders fishing club.
He is regonized with patterns references in 4 major U.S. publications:
FLIES FOR TROUT
FLIES FOR STEELHEAD
GUIDE TO GREAT LAKE STEELHEADING
WOOLLY WISDOM
Jay Passmore.
Peter Charles
Peter Charles
Rob and Tamma Clarke
Rob & Tama of Clarke’s Custom Flies have been fly fishing and fly tying for the better part of 30 years.
They have spent a great amount of time in pursuit of alternative species all over Southern Ontario. Gar Pike, Carp, Mooneye, Channel Catfish, Walleye and Musky have all been targeted over the years. This has led to some unique patterns for alternative species and some great flies for the Steelhead, Bass, Pike and Salmon of Southern Ontario
Phil Clough BIO 2013
Phil Clough
In float fishing circles the name Clough (promounced “Cluff”) is well known as one of the most Iconic Float reels ever created.
Phil Clough is the son of the inventor and has earned a reputation as a versatile and dedicated fly angler in his own right.
Started fly fishing in the mid seventies then stopped to chase steelhead with the long rod and centre pin reel. He started fly fishing again in the late nineties for trout and bass became more serious about it when he started saltwater fly fishing for bonefish, permit, snook, baracuda and tarpon.
He has also fly fished for Atlantic salmon,steelhead, pike,bass, muskie and stripers and has been fortunate to fish in the Bahamas, Belize, British Columbia, Cape Cod, Honduras, Florida, Mexico,Newfoundland, New York and Washington State.
Some of the guides and instructors he’s been lucky enough to fish with include Bruce Chard, Jeff Hickman, Rick Whorwood, Bill Houze, Eworth Garbutt and several other great teachers.
When he retired 6 years ago he started tying flies.
Preferring to stay under the radar, it was with much coercion that we were able to get Phil in for a demonstration of some of those great flies.
Phil will be tying flies for Tarpon, Cuda, Bonefish, Permit and Snook.
“Fishing is about enjoying the outdoors, respecting the environment, learning and having fun with your friends.”
Dave Gonder
Dave Gonder is a fisheries management biologist at the Upper Great Lakes Management Unit of the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and has been employed at the Unit since 1999.
He received an Honours B.Sc. at Laurentian University in 1998 and worked in MNR’s Aquatic Research Section prior to his current position.
Dave is involved in a number of management and assessment activities on Lake Huron including steelhead assessment and management. He is the MNR co-chair for the FMZ 13 Advisory Council and is also heavily involved in Chinook Salmon and Lake Trout management activities at the Upper Great Lakes Management Unit.
In addition to working on steelhead, Dave has fly fished for steelhead for 20 years. Dave considers himself a consummate fly fisher who ties his own flies and builds his own rods. He also fly-fishes for trout and bass and has also pushed the fly fishing envelope chasing Bluefin Tuna and Pacific Yellowtail on the fly.
