My e-mail to Shimano:
Hello sirs,
I'm taking the time to e-mail you regarding a recent fishing tournament held in Rockland Ont. on Sept. 17th, 2005. Approximately 60 people attended this local tournament organized as a fun event for all levels of anglers with an objective of giving the participants the opportunity to meet some new faces and share techniques and stories. One of the participants was Jim McLaughlin. Mr. McLaughlin volunteered his time to help many of the participants who were not familiar with that area of the river with his in depth knowledge and expertise with everything from good areas to find fish, to the appropriate baits and techniques. He answered all their questions with both a smile and sincere enthusiasm I'm sure after reading this far you may be saying that this is what you expect from a Shimano rep when he meets people at such an event. But what happened before the tournament got underway is the main focus of why I'm writing this letter. A young man (15 yrs. of age) was attending the tourney. He's both an avid & excellent angler who does not own a boat and will jump on any opportunity to get on the water when offered a seat. A gentleman had offered him a seat in his boat for the tourney so the young lad happily agreed to attend. Little did he know, that arrangements were made behind the scenes for him to spend the day fishing with Jim. The morning of the derby, when he saw his ride was with Jim, needless to say his eyes were as big as dinner plates! hehehe! Jim took him out and schooled him on the art of Bass fishing. Jim's donation, on his own time and at his own expense was something this young man will never forget. As the main organizer of the event, it's my opinion that this was what makes both a great human being, and world class rep.On behalf of myself, and the many participants, please accept our sincere congratulations on having both a great individual, and knowledgeable fisherman on your staff. I have used Shimano products for more years than I care to count, and will continue to recommend Shimano as a company whose personnel are second to none in the industry.
Sincerest regards,
Mike Boudreau
Coordinator
The Rumble in Rockland Fall Clasic fishing tournament
e-mail: salmon@aei.ca
Their reply received today:
Dear Mike,
Thank you for taking the time to write us regarding Big Jim. It is nice
to see that others see Big Jim the way we see him and have seen him for
so many years.
Jim was one of our very first field staff and has done more than asked
of him year after year. In many cases Shimano carries the field staff.
In Jim's case he has carried us. He set the bar for the kind of
performance we should expect from our staff both inside and out, and set
an example as to how we as anglers should conduct ourselves.
Jim is one of a kind...
Regards,
Tom Brooke
Vice President, Operations
Shimano Canada Ltd.
Hope this doesn't embarass you Jim, but I'm a firm believer in recognizing your many contributions to the people on this site, and commending you for your efforts. Cheers Jim! And on behalf of all the members here, thank you.
Regards,
Mike
Thanks for the awsome day on the water!
