Garden State Trout

Every year when Opening Day is upon us, I wonder how many people who watched the Wide World of Sports remember Joe Brooks visiting NJ on Opening Day. Jack

No one even replied, Joe Brooks, Who's He? Guess I'm the only old guy on here and he was my idol. I read every article that he wrote for Field & Stream and how I got into fly fishing. Since my father had no interest in the outdoors or fishing and until I had a drivers license, I would beg anyone I knew to allow me to come along with their father. I believe it was the Opening Day of 1966 and Joe made an appearance at Saxton Falls on the Musky for the opening bell. It was in the afternoon when I was fishing in Hacklebarney Park, that Game Wardens showed up with a pickup and a tank of trout. They cleared anyone fishing one large pool and dumped buck loads of trout into this pool. The film crew from Wide World of Sports had set up their giant mirrors and cameras. Joe waded into the tail of the pool and cast this huge Fan Wing Royal Coachmen and attempted to get one of terrified fresh stocked fish to take. I remember thinking that they probably thought the #10 Coachman was some sort of predatory bird, and I don't recall him catching anything.

That's a great story .... While I haven't seen all the Joe Brooks documentary yet , I know he revolutionized alot of what Fly-fishing was to what it is today .

I don't recall him although you seem to be a few years older than I am (born '65). If he were there on the opening day, he would have seen then Governor Hughes also fishing. I think every Governor until Whitman fished Saxton Falls pool on Opening Day. Whitman learned to fly fish at Pequest Hatchery when the late Rick Ege (stonefly) and Agust Gudmundsson from TU taught her. When we were cleaning out Rick's apartment this last winter, a photo of them teaching Whitman hung prominently on Rick's office wall.

I don't recall him although you seem to be a few years older than I am (born '65). If he were there on the opening day, he would have seen then Governor Hughes also fishing. I think every Governor until Whitman fished Saxton Falls pool on Opening Day. Whitman learned to fly fish at Pequest Hatchery when the late Rick Ege (stonefly) and Agust Gudmundsson from TU taught her. When we were cleaning out Rick's apartment this last winter, a photo of them teaching Whitman hung prominently on Rick's office wall.

Rusty Spinner wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 06, 2020 12:30 pm

I don't recall him although you seem to be a few years older than I am (born '65). ....

He died when you were about 7 years old.

In his prime, he was a popular outdoor writer, who wrote for the Baltimore Sun, and the big name outdoor magazines. He was one of the early pioneers popularizing fly fishing for species not previously considered fly fishing quarry.

see also: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Brook ... fisherman)

Brian, Yup, you were born the year I graduated High School. As hard as I try, I can find nothing to document that Opening Day. I was sure that there would be a photo of him in the Freshwater Fisheries building in Lebanon, but nothing there to document it. I guess the only way would be to research the old Sunday Newark News article, If I still have those articles from Outdoor Life, I'll get them to you. Jack

Jerzguy21 wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 06, 2020 9:04 pm

Brian, Yup, you were born the year I graduated High School. As hard as I try, I can find nothing to document that Opening Day. I was sure that there would be a photo of him in the Freshwater Fisheries building in Lebanon, but nothing there to document it. I guess the only way would be to research the old Sunday Newark News article, If I still have those articles from Outdoor Life, I'll get them to you. Jack

The old Charles O. Hayford hatchery building in Hackettstown has the most historic photos from the Division of any of their buildings I know of. There's at least a chance if they have a photo, it would be there. Craig Lemon, Hatchery Supt. would know.

Hello (new member),
I was at Saxton Falls when Joe Brooks was there. I also remember Governor Meyner several times. In grammer school I would take a bus to Paterson Rod and Gun for flies. At that time I was a dark hendrickson/royal wulff fisherman, after bait fishing first light.
Regards Bob

Trout Bob wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 07, 2020 6:17 pm

Hello (new member),
I was at Saxton Falls when Joe Brooks was there. I also remember Governor Meyner several times. In grammer school I would take a bus to Paterson Rod and Gun for flies. At that time I was a dark hendrickson/royal wulff fisherman, after bait fishing first light.
Regards Bob

Welcome to the forum!

Thank you.