Charlie Wray has been fishing for over 35 years with over half those years competitively in a very competitive market. Through out 1985 -1990 Charlie won ten major fishing awards in Ontario. Three of those five years he was Top Angler of the year. In 1990 at the age 24 after completing his courses at Sir Stanford Fleming College in Lindsay he won Ford Angler of the Year. Charlie decided the time was right to become the host of his own television show, Fishful Thinking. ( www.fishfulthinking.ca )

Charlie wrote, directed, starred and rough edited his own demo tape. After polishing it up with a professional media company it was presented to a few independent Ontario television stations in 1991. Now almost 200 episodes later after 15 successful years, the Fishful Thinking Show continues to keep anglers of all ages informed and entertained weekly by keeping it real.

Charlie's knowledge of tackle along with his uncanny fish sense allows him to constantly catch fish on local hard fished waters all over the province. He mentioned one time on the Bay of Quinte he hammered monster walleyes using a 25 foot fluorocarbon leader. Everyone else on the bay was barely able to boat a fish that day. Small subtle changes like that are what motivate Charlie to continually produce impressive results week after week.

Charlie started fishing like a lot of young kids, at the cottage. He learned techniques and strategy on Pigeon Lake with his dad at the helm. Bass, walleye and musky were the chosen quarry, no pan fish for this kid. His dad taught him the basics and Charlie experimented with knots and lure selection even at the young age of six. He also spent countless hours developing his angling skills along rocky shorelines or at the cottage dock. Like most anglers Charlie often gives his spare time when he can along with his expert tackle knowledge back to young anglers learning just as he did at their age.

Every year he spends about 200 days on the water. With the Niagara River open all year or Bay of Quinte open till freeze up in late fall Charlie films 13 episodes, each show usually made up of two segments with each a different fish species. Usually 2-3 days of pre fishing followed by a day filming the show. Omni Media Productions in the Niagara area handles the filming duties. Charlie continues to write and layout the shows format.

Often mentioned by viewers is the fact that one cameraman allows the viewer to feel they are part of the experience on that fishing episode. Some episodes are filmed up north at accessible lakes, while a few trips south in the dead of winter will coax Charlie's wife Terri out to fish those warmer climates. I mentioned to Charlie he never has a show on ice fishing to which he replied with a laugh" There's always open water some place to fish".

One of the most often asked questions he is asked "How do I get sponsors?" Charlie responded by saying start small and choose a product or service you could believe in and use and grow with them. If you support them by giving time at store promos or trade shows they will in return support you. As mentioned earlier Charlie constantly uses Fluorocarbon as a leader. Having used it myself, I know a quality product often ensures your chances of boating more fish.

Most episodes have Charlie and you the viewer as the only two anglers in the boat. Omni media's cameraman follows Charlie direction and leads to help the viewer learn new & proven techniques. Charlie's experience using another guest angler finds it harder to teach the viewer and it becomes more of a watch me catch fish show. When he tried to use a second boat for the camera often due to waves, wind, sun angles, or spooking weary fish it just wasn't as efficient with using an in boat cameraman.

Fishful Thinking is and now on the new World Fishing Network as well this year on the Sportsman channel in USA it is receiving great reviews. His web site www.fishfulthinking.ca  has great tips. Canadian fishing shows tend to have quality content over big name pro fisherman who host in the USA. Of course some pitifully done fishing shows sank like a lead jig lost overboard and disappeared (thankfully) below the air waves. Charlie and I both agreed the low point of Canadian fishing television shows occurred in early 1998 when two well know hosts created a scandal after charges were laid on violating various fishing regulations. That long time partnership was dissolved when sponsors refused to renew their million dollar contracts. Tremendous pressure to produce a quality fishing show was often being hindered by the CRTC reducing the ability to promote products and resorts on fishing shows.

I had to ask Charlie about his famous "Charlie's Angel Lure" that he invented to help him win tournaments for over five years, and what became of it. Charlie's design was inspired by what would work on the Niagara's River deep fast flowing current over a rock infested bottom. Eventually a small manufacturer produced it but after being bought out by a larger lure company it was retired. Charlie still has packages of his famous lure hidden away in the basement.

Most viewers, myself included enjoy Charlie' infectious laugh when ever thing falls into place as he lands yet another monster walleye on the Bay of Quinte or a silver torpedo sized salmon from Lake Ontario. Charlie's attention to the little details combined with his passion to show the viewers what may work best on any given day keep his long running fishing show a success. That's about as genuine as it gets on the water.

Remember to keep a tight line.

Peter Wood is an award winning columnist/journalist appreciating life where ever the fish are biting.. Please feel free to pass along any information you would like shared with other readers and anglers to ripplejournalism@gofishin.ca