Our Authors

ANGELO VIOLA is one of Canada’s most recognized and respected outdoor enthusiasts. His passion for the outdoors and skills as a creative director / producer have served him well crafting a broadcasting career in TELEVISION and RADIO that spans over 30 years. His relentless pursuit of the ultimate adventure and the ability to share the moment with audiences landed him the “best jobs in the world”, co host of The Fish’n Canada Show, The Outdoor Journal Television Show and Outdoor Journal Radio. In 2010 Angelo was inducted into the Canadian Angler Hall Of Fame making him a true fishing legend.
The Fish’n Canada Show first aired in 1986 with phenomenal success. In 1988 the program went coast to coast on CBC, the first North American weekly fishing show to broadcast on a national network. In 1992 the show went into syndication adding Global Television Network, prominent CTV and affiliates, and several cable networks. The move resulted in unprecedented fishing audiences. With the addition of WFN U.S. and The Sportsman Chanel Canada today the Fish’n Canada show dominates the airwaves with a national weekly reach of 3.5 million and ama of over 450,000 easily making it one of the most-watched “outdoors” programs in North America.
Pete, one of the most revered and popular anglers in the nation, has a tremendous love for the game… the fishing game. Pete’s vast knowledge of angling and ability to articulate it to audiences worldwide has endeared him to his fans who still see Pete as just “ONE OF THE BOYS”. Pete is also an accomplished and published outdoor writer and photographer as well as a sought-after speaker. In 2012 another of Pete’s ultimate fishing career highlights occurred when he was inducted into the Canadian Angler Hall Of Fame, something he never thought would happen. A Canadian fishing icon.
Dean Taylor is Fish’n Canada’s Digital Editor and Content Manager. Growing up in southern Ontario, Dean’s passion for fishing has taken him all over the continent – from fly fishing in BC to bass tournaments in Alabama to walleye guiding in northern Ontario. With past work seen in magazines such as Outdoor Canada, Dean now shares his unique experiences with the Fish’n Canada audience.
Ryan is an experienced multispecies angler, who grew up fishing in Southern Ontario chasing everything that swims, all while being employed in the Outdoor Retail Industry for 10+ years. He now lives in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories near the shores of Great Slave Lake, the 2nd largest lake in Canada. Ryan is fortunate in that only a few hundred anglers have the chance to experience this world class fishery each year. Ryan’s extreme passion for fishing, hunting and the outdoors have led him to a rewarding career as a Coordinator for Aquatic Research and Monitoring with the Government of Northwest Territories.
Calvin, a former Sonarman in the Royal Canadian Navy, always had an inquisitive interest in discovering the inner workings of knowledge. Through reasoning and time-consuming investigative processes, it has opened a universe of information to him on all subject matters of concern, including the aquatic world we know as fishing. Applying the system of assembling the tiny pieces of data he refers to as the “Jigsaw Puzzle Phenomenon”, Calvin is able to form a more comprehensive picture. Passing along his completed portrait of facts and statistics to others is the final test of his ingenuity.
Fishing Editor, Gord Pyzer, is widely regarded as Canada’s most scientific angler. Known in fishing circles as Doctor Pyzer, he worked for 30 years as a senior manager with Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources before devoting all his energies to fishing. A member of the Canadian Angler Hall of Fame, the award-winning writer is also an internationally sought out speaker, tournament angler, field editor with In-Fisherman Magazine and Television, and the fishing editor of Outdoor Canada Magazine.
Kevin (aka The Happy Camper) is the author of 18 books; his latest being Once Around Algonquin: An Epic Canoe Journey. He is an award winning writer and a keynote speaker at outdoor events across North America. Kevin is also a regular guest on several television morning shows – including The Outdoor Journal. He has won several film awards and was listed as one of the top 100 modern-day explorers by the Canadian Geographical Society. He was also made Patron Paddler for Paddle Canada.
The former owner of the Chaudière Lodge joined the crew at the beginning of June 2019. In 2004 Steve was a contestant on Angelo’s fishing reality TV Show “The Last Cull”, where he first met Ang and Pete. But it wasn’t until 2009 when he bought the Chaudière Lodge that he became good friends with Angelo, Pete, and the rest of the crew. Steve spent the first 20 years of his life as a farmhand in the Township of Amaranth where nature and the outdoors were key influences in his life. At the age of 4, Stephen became a paid professional and commercial angler when his Grandfather would buy catfish that Steve caught from the Grand River for 5 cents apiece. Ever since that point fishing has been a common thread in his life.
Youngest member of the Fish’n Canada crew, and grandson of Fish’n Canada co-founder, Angelo Viola. Nik has been totally immersed in the fishing culture since he first learned to walk and talk, and made his first appearance on the Fish’n Canada show at the ripe old age of nine. Fishing and the outdoors is in his DNA. His goal is to influence as many people as he can (especially kids) into experiencing life outside. He is fully committed to the notion that “any time spent in the outdoors is time well spent.”
With over 30 years of scuba diving knowledge and an instructor for PADI, NAUI , SDI and TDI, Brian’s passion for scuba began as a fan of Jaques Cousteau and it has taken him from shipwrecks in the great lakes to underground caves and coral reefs worldwide. Founding Dive Source in 1996 he guides a team of over 30 scuba professionals who share their love of diving with the thousands of people they have trained and equipped at their retail store in Oshawa.
‌Jeff Wilson is the co-host/co-founder of the Miramichi Striper Cup and one of the greatest proponents of Striped Bass in Eastern Canada. With over 35 years of professional tournament and recreational angling experience, Jeff’s diverse range of skills as an angler, guide, and spokesperson has taken him all over the country and, now, onto the screens of Fish’n Canada viewers nationwide.
Ugly Pike Podcast was started in June 2017 by two lifelong anglers and friends, Chris Walter and Frank Ungaro. Started initially as a casual and fun project to bolster their own knowledge of muskie fishing, the podcast quickly caught fire and grew to unexpected heights. In under 2 years, the show has seen almost 33,000 downloads and has had the honour of interviewing esteemed muskie angling experts such as Angelo Viola, Gord Pyzer, Al Lindner, John Anderson, and many, many more. The Ugly Pike Studio is located steps away from Chris and Frank’s home water – the challenging Niagara River, but they travel frequently across Ontario in search of the next great esox giant! Chris and Frank plan on further developing the podcast and fishing all over North America where muskies are found.
WILLIAM MUSCHETT “is an all-around carp nut.” Having been an avid angler since his youth, Will discovered his love for carp fishing while pursuing his undergraduate at Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario. Surrounded by the beautiful Kawartha’s and with the Otonabee River flowing right through the middle of the campus loaded with carp and a myriad of other species, Will brought a fishing rod with him, and the rest is like his major, history! Today, Will is an avid carp angler, advocate for conservation, and an educator that believes in experiential learning. His presence on social media through such networks as Instagram, and YouTube have helped him share this passion with the world and, like the teacher he is, inform and guide people towards success and making memories to last a lifetime.