Drift Outfitters

In Canada's largest metropolitan area sits a fly shop, which serves as a welcome place of calm amongst a never-sit-still city.

In the heart of the hustle and bustle of Canada’s largest metropolitan city, there sits an oasis. A place where like-minded people congregate, visit, tell stories, laugh, and reminisce. It’s a place where, upon walking in, your shoulders drop and the stresses of everyday briefly disappear. Always met with the brightest of smiles, the people who frequent this place return regularly, not just to buy what is being sold, but to be a part of a community in a city that is often chastised for a population of anonymous people.

In downtown Toronto, on Queen Street, sits a shop. A fly shop. Drift Outfitters is the urban oasis of which I write, and it serves as a welcome place of calm in a never-sit-still city.

Store Front

Fly Fishing

Three and a half years ago, Rob Cesta took a leap of faith and started Drift Outfitters in the most urban place one could ever imagine. That leap of faith was a good jump for Rob as the business is booming, people are buying, and the growth of fly fishing in Southern Ontario is palpable. Though the fly shop is located in downtown Toronto, if you look at a map, it’s really in the perfect location for a fly shop. Perfect because of its access to the vast population of people who call Toronto and the surrounding burbs home. Also perfect because of the access to fantastic fishing, all within an hour’s drive of the shop.

Inside Store

There really are fly fishing opportunities all year long in Southern Ontario and depending on what you’re looking to catch, if the species seasons are open, you can have access. Fantastic resident trout streams dissect Southern Ontario. World-class lake-run salmon and rainbow trout (steelhead) migrate up great lakes tributaries in the fall and are fishable from September through to May. The Toronto Islands are home to a wide variety of species such as pike, bass, and fish quickly becoming a favourite to fly anglers, and carp. So, the fact that Rob has chosen Queen Street as his shop location is perfect.

Inside Store 2

Guiding anglers is a burgeoning business for knowledgeable anglers who have experienced fishing the trout streams of Southern Ontario. There are some rivers that cut through private property, and many of the guides who work with Drift have the relationships and history with landowners to get access to less pressured waters.  Drifting dry flies to unsuspecting rainbow, brown, and brook trout is idyllic in many of the tributaries surrounding Drift, and they are extremely accessible. Walk and wade opportunities abound on all tributaries, as do floats in a drift boat for bigger systems.

Stream

Still, water angling in Ontario is equally available, having access to five of the six Great Lakes province-wide; four of those great lakes are in Southern Ontario. So really, Drift can service any fly angler looking to fish any species, anywhere. In moving water or still.

Inside Store3

Inside Store4

Outside of the physical act of fly fishing, Drift Outfitters works hard to maintain their sense of community. Regular fly-tying events )often sponsored by local breweries), movie nights, film festivals, and guest speakers are all part of their presence in Ontario’s fly-fishing community. Conservation initiatives such as “Take this Bag and Stuff It” (a contest working to clean up riverbanks), and work supporting the Atlantic Salmon Federation and Trout Unlimited are just a few ways Drift gives back to the waters they fish.

Inside Store5

Inside Store6

Drift Outfitters is not your grandfather’s fly shop. All the people who work there are vested in promotion, conservation, and furthering the position of fly fishing as a sustainable, accessible, and affordable sport in which anyone can participate. Southern Ontario, though extremely populous, has wonderful fishing opportunities even in the heart of its cities. Drift Outfitters has their finger on the pulse of all things fishy, and are doing their part to maintain the sense of community they have built! It really is a breath of fresh air amongst the concrete and cars of the city.

Photos by: Gabriel Bizeau-Regis
About Mark Melnyk

Currently, Mark is the host and producer of The New Fly Show. With a passion of fly fishing, the shows goal is to help both novice and veteran fly fishers everywhere by giving them a top-quality fly fishing series that will make them better anglers. 

Recommended Articles

Top 5 Flies for Smallmouth Bass

The inside scoop on bass flies from the hosts of The New Fly Fisher.

Ontario Brook Trout

Fish these 10 sweet spots.

Five Brook Trout Flies

What flies to bring when fishing for brook trout.

3 Great Ontario Walleye Destinations

Karl of Extreme Angler recommends must do walleye lakes in Ontario.

Year Round Fishing in Ontario

Who Says You Can’t Fish All Year in Ontario?

Top 5 Musky Destinations in Ontario

The Musky Hunter shows you where to land the best musky in Ontario waters.

Terrestrial Flies for Brook Trout

These fish feed like crazy and look for opportunities for a big protein meal.

5 Places to Shore Fish

Fish’n Canada shows you where to go shore fishing in Ontario.

Stalking Prehistoric Long Nose Gar

Hosts Angelo Viola and Pete Bowman took to the waters with the objective of 100% sight fishing.

Top 5 Baits for Smallmouth and Largemouth Bass

What baits do you use to target bass? Find out why these 5 are the best!

Fishing and Foraging

Add some fresh foods and forage to your fishing adventures!

Ontario Fly Fishing Hotspots

The Top 10 List

Pleasant Cove Resort

Setting sights on Georgian Bay Northern Pike

Lake of the Woods

10 Facts You Didn't Know

Wag Your Tail For More Walleye, Bass and Trout

Fishing with friends brings camaraderie and a lesson, or two.

Long Nose Gar

A Fish for the Bucket List

Batchawana Bay Smallmouth Bass

Fish'n Canada fishes the Lake Superior for bass.

Discover the 3 Best Bass Fishing Lakes in Ontario

Check out these lakes for hard-fighting smallmouth bass on your next fishing trip to Northern Ontario.

Spring Fishing Tips for any Angler

Increase your chance of success

Lodge 88: Keeping it in the Family

Fish'n Canada host Ang Viola takes his grandson to fly-in fishing lodge Lodge 88 on Esnagi Lake.