A local fishing enthusiast is using his skills and knowledge to promote the local iconic business.
Alain Marin, 42, became Dumoulin’s pro-staff member about three weeks ago. He said he was excited and happy when a local business approached him to offer the sponsorship.
“It’s just me. They wanted to start with me and see how it goes,” he said. “What I’ll do is I’ll be helping people if they have any questions with fishing, they can approach me on Facebook. I try to promote for Dumoulin’s and we’re taking baby steps at the time to see whether we can do more for them.”
Being a pro-staff or a brand ambassador is not new to Marin, but this is the first Timmins business that is sponsoring him.
Dumolin’s co-owner Line Perrier said she knew Marin from Facebook and when she learned he was the store’s long-time customer, she decided to contact him.
“That’s when I found out he doesn’t have a vehicle or boat. He only fishes off the shoreline or on the ice in winter,” she said. “He’s a really great fisherman … The only responsibility he has is to promote us and enjoy his time on the ice.”
Perrier said she doesn’t know whether the store will sponsor anyone else in the future, but it will depend on the person being sponsored.
“You have to do the amount of work before I decide I will sponsor you because you have to prove me you’re worthy of the sponsorship,” she said and added she looks forward to developing a relationship with local fishermen.
Marin is also promoting about 20 companies, the majority of which are from the United States. Unlike Dumoulin’s, when he was approached by the owners, Marin had to apply to promote the other companies.
“It feels almost like a full-time job but really I just do it as a hobby,” Marin said.
Marin, who's from Timmins, has been fishing all his life. His father was a role model to him and later on in life, he learned more about fishing from other fishermen.
Fishing is his pride and joy, Marin said, and he wants to motivate people and children to get outdoors, especially during the pandemic.
“My passion is to be out in the great outdoors. It’s the challenge of fishing that I love the most,” he said. "Instead of having kids playing video games, I like to see people going out with their families and enjoy their lives, fishing."
He fishes in a variety of spots all around Timmins, three or four times a week depending on the weather. Marin is a multi-species fisherman and he likes to catch walleye, bass, sturgeon and late trout. The biggest walleye he once got was close to 14 pounds.
Marin said 90 per cent of the fish he catches, he releases back into the water, while the rest he brings home to eat with his family. He said it’s very rare for him not to catch anything.
Marin regularly makes posts about his fishing adventures in a local Facebook group, garnering hundreds of likes and dozens of comments. He also has a YouTube channel as well as Instagram and Twitter pages.
It's been a bit challenging balancing his job at Senator Hotel, family, fishing and social media, Marin said, but he's been managing to do it.
In the future, Marin’s goal is to get more sponsors in Timmins and to have his own television fishing show.
“My wish is to do (fishing) for full-time. So, I got to start small,” he said. "My future plans are to build my social media, to get more successful in fishing and to people to know me more, get more sponsors. If I can get a truck dealership, that would be awesome for my fishing."
