Ray Gildow was born in Pine River, and he has lived in the Brainerd area for most of his life. Ray graduated from Brainerd High School, and went on to attend Brainerd Community College, the University of Minnesota, and received a graduate degree from St. Cloud University. Ray worked for 8 years in the restaurant field in the Brainerd Lakes area, as well as the paper mill for 4 years. Ray has worked 33 years as an educator; six years as an elementary teacher, and 27 years as a college administrator in Staples and Brainerd retiring in 2004 as a Vice President of Central Lakes College. Ray has also preformed as a musician, been a commercial beekeeper, and was a co-owner of a nursery business specializing in landscape products. Ray continues to coach boys basketball, and is the Assistant Coach for Staples High School. In 2005 Ray published “Legends & Legacies, a History of the Nisswa Guides League”, as well as writing free lance outdoor articles for newspapers. Ray contributes his love for fishing to his grandfather. At age 2 Ray and his grandfather would fish on the Pine River using a cane pole with worms and grasshoppers for bait. Ray has been married to his wife, Gwynne, for over 30 years and they have one daughter, Melissa. Melissa and husband, Mitchell, are the proud parents of Ray’s two grandchildren. Ray has a background in music and enjoys playing the drums, trumpet, piano and singing. Ray’s most memorable fishing trip was when he went out with five other guys in two boats on Leech Lake in the 1980’s. It was a stormy day in July and they got caught 4 miles from shore making a run to get away from a real bad looking black system coming right at them. They didn’t make it, and got caught on the water in 55 mile per hour winds. The waves made the boats disappear every time they got to the bottom of the wave. Both boats sank when they made it to the shore. Thankfully, no one was hurt, just soaking wet and full of sand. Ray and the other guys still talk about it every time they get together. Ray likes to fish most fresh water species from muskies to catfish, and fishes he fishes all season long