The Sportsman's Friend: Television's First Celebrity Fisherman

Bill Dance, Roland Martin, Babe Winkelman and many other TV fishermen owe a debt of gratitude to Harold Ensley. He was the creator and host of The Sportsman's Friend, the first fishing and hunting show on television.

Harold Ensley was born in 1912 and grew up on a cattle farm in rural Kansas, where he would often run off work and walk to school to go fishing in local streams. His parents and his teachers were not happy about it, but Ensley was valedictorian of his graduating class, so they couldn't complain too much. While working as a minister with his own radio show in Joplin, Missouri, a friend suggested he do a fishing show instead. The Sportsman's Friend was only 15 minutes long and aired only once a week, but although it may seem strange to modern viewers that anyone would tune in just to hear about a stranger's fishing trips, it did provide a Developed a loyal following.

In 1953, after moving his show to Kansas City, he also moved it to television, giving fans the opportunity to take him on his tours rather than hearing about them later. Sportsman's Friend received a big boost from its first sponsor, Ford Motor Company, and within 20 years, it went into national syndication. Ansley was soon fishing from various locations around the world with special guests such as Jimmy Stewart, Henry Fonda, Mickey Mantle and Joe DiMaggio. The Sportsman's Friend aired continuously for 48 years, making it the longest running show of its kind.

Ensley wasn't just an artist: He also wrote a weekly newspaper column and two books about fishing. He won the Freshwater Fishing World Series in 1960, the first major fishing tournament sponsored by Sports Illustrated, and was inducted into both the Kansas and Missouri Sports Halls of Fames. He also designed fishing bait and played a big role in making them what they are today, and marketed his own line of fishing gear, including poles, rods and reels and even fish fry batter. Own brand was also included. When he died on 24 August 2005 at the age of 92, his stomach was probably full of fish.