Hello fellow
fishing fanatics
A GREETING FROM JAMIE
PISTILLI, DOWNSTREAM AT
MONTEBELLO
40 | FISH, HUNT RIDE
PHOTO BY DAN GREENBERG
Anglers go through
successive fishing stages. Our
lives evolve, we learn about the
sport of fishing, and over time
we get different value from the
sport.
I grew up on the shores of
“west island” Montreal, where
I fished every free moment.
Picture a 12-year-old boy on
JAMIE
a city bus with rods in hand
PISTILLI
and tackle box and net at his
feet. Regularly I made the trip
to nearby Rivière-des-Prairies to cast a line and wait
patiently, a ritual that cleared my head enough to
dream about what life might hold for me.
My passion for the sport evolved when my father
took me on day trips and weeklong adventures. I was
also invited on incredible fly-in trips during my teen
years when fishing was about filling our limit and seeing how many fish we could catch while on the water.
Success on the water continued and time perfected
my casting arm. Slowly, the study of fish species and
the sport itself challenged me to become a guide as
a way to make a living. At the same time, a focus on
fish quantity changed to one on fish quality. It became
a quest to catch the largest fish in the river or lake.
Family ties were teaching me about bass and pike, but
when one of these outings netted a muskie (thanks
cousin Mike) I was hooked, and my next evolutionary
stage was the never ending pursuit of freshwater’s
most bad-assed fish (while still getting excited about
basically anything that swims).
I have also evolved my skills to include fly-fishing
and am keen to learn the newest ways to wet the net.
A lifelong dream came true when I became the host of
Big City Fishing on TV’s World Fishing Network (WFN).
Going forward as a professional, I fished in some of
Canada’s biggest tournaments and have written articles for a variety of publications.
Starting my own family was another step in my evolution. Now it’s not how big, or how-to fish, but about
introducing those I love to the sport and sharing it with
them – though I wasn’t counting on my wife Andrea
googling the price of some of my rods! Spending great
moments with my wife and two kids created lifelong
memories and took me to the ultimate level of angling
– to teach others to catch fish.
Today I run a guide business, Urbanflyco, with my
business partner Sully, and guide across the waters of
Kenauk Nature (www.kenauk.com), adjacent to historic
Chateau Montebello. Being out on the water with clients helps me guide someone else’s fishing evolution
and share the passion I found early in life. I took on my
new Fish, Hunt & Ride column to do the same – guide
and share – so Ottawa-Gatineau readers can bend
their rod more. I look forward to this journey.
www.fishhuntandride.ca