Bob Izumi pays a fond tribute to his pal Gord Pyzer, Outdoor Canada’s recently retired fishing editor

If there was ever someone capable of building a better mousetrap, it would have to be my long-time friend Gord Pyzer—especially if mousetraps were a way of catching fish. In all of my 45 years of living the dream working in the fishing business, I’ve never met anyone as innovative, detailed and obsessed when it comes to catching fish. No matter the species or waterbody, Gord is constantly gleaning information from some of the best anglers in the world, all while spending countless days on the water himself looking for a better way to put more and bigger fish in the boat.

For 32 straight years, Gord and I recorded the syndicated Real Fishing radio program, taping a hundred shows at a time in less than two days in the studio. The funny thing is, we could have easily completed hundreds more episodes with everything we talked about between recordings.

During our entire time together, we never ran out of topics to chat about. Gord’s wealth of fishing knowledge runs deep, and his use of scientific terms to describe fish behaviour is amazing. Many times, I nodded in approval as we were taping, only to ask him afterwards what some of those terms actually meant!

As a talented multispecies angler, Gord still hits the water year-round, and he’s caught hundreds of trophy fish in the process. What truly sets him apart from most anglers, though, is how he has shared his love of fishing with others, whether through his hundreds of articles, seminars and public appearances, or by simply taking people out on the water. And there’s been no bigger recipient of Gord’s fishing expertise than his grandson Liam, who is now following in his footsteps. The last time I spoke with Liam, in fact, I could see and feel the enthusiasm for angling his grandpa had instilled in him. So, as Gord retires from the fishing limelight and moves on to the next chapter in his life, I take heart in knowing his love of the sport will carry on with Liam—and the countless others he has inspired over these many years.

TV legend Bob Izumi and Gord Pyzer have shared a boat many times over the past several decades.

Read Gord Pyzer’s final sign off to readers at www.outdoorcanada.ca/GordSignsOff.