Sport Hero

[werewolf won]

Seeing the thread for the Canadian Hopper got me thinking to the first fly my Dad ever purchased for me. It was a hopper pattern known as Joe’s Hopper. It was designed by Joe Brooks who’s history I’ve quoted below. I like old stuff, and that extends to flies. My box still contains Joe’s Hopper and his shrimp and Blondes in numerous sizes and colors.
I never met Brooks, but I’d still call him my favorite (hero worship type) fisherman. I’ve met a few, Williams, Gartside, Wulff (Joan and Lee), Kreh etc. Kreh is an A-hole, the rest I found quite pleasant to talk to or fish with.

Joe Brooks was one of the world's premier fly anglers. He and his wife Mary, fished New Zealand, Argentina, Yugoslavia, England, Scotland, British Columbia, Newfoundland and most places in the world fighting fish are found. His writing helped popularize many previously unknown waters. He was the fishing editor of Outdoor Life magazine, and was featured on the ABC American Sportsman TV series.
Trout Fishing published in 1972 lists quite a variety of subject matter for his earlier books:
• Complete Book of Fly Fishing
• Complete Guide to Fishing Across North America
• A World of Fishing
• Saltwater Game Fishing
• Complete Illustrated Guide to Casting
• Bass Bug Fishing
• Saltwater Fly Fishing
• Bermuda Fishing
• Greatest Fishing
His best known flies are probably the "Blond" dry fly series, which were created for rough western US waters. He was however, an avid saltwater angler!
He pioneered fly fishing for striped bass, bonefish, permit, and other saltwater species, and in 1948 took a record 29-pound 6-ounce striper on a popping bug.


Wolf

[bclark]

ha that is my favorite hopper pattern, my favorite fisherman and complete book of flyfishing is my bible. im digging that out today. those joes hoppers kill up here in the lakes for panfish and trout, i even caught my only alpine lake smallmouth on one. good post

[PaulN]

That's pretty harsh about Lefty
He'll make a joke at your expense, but he's just joshin'
I happen to like him a lot. He does a program at our club about every other year

[Oberdare]

I wouldn't offend true fly fisherman by even calling myself a beginner, but I have dabbled over the years and enjoy it. When I was a kid I remember reading about it and seeing some flies and decided to tie my own. Got some thread from my mom's sewing box, a piece of red yarn and a bit of feather I found outside, slapped them all on a hook and think I sealed the threads with contact cement or something like that haha. Took it down to the creek to see what happened. Wasn't I shocked to start catching a whole mess of little chubs and I think one tiny brook trout. Not enough meat on any of them combined to feed a kitten but it was one proud afternoon using something I made myself. I really admire the art of those masters and smile whenever I think about my first attempt

[werewolf won]

That's pretty harsh about Lefty
He'll make a joke at your expense, but he's just joshin'
I happen to like him a lot. He does a program at our club about every other year

Certainly not taking anything away from his casting skills; and I’m glad you like him. Kreh won't even make eye contact with me, and if he were a younger man I’d have removed his teeth for him for a comment he leveled at me. Joke or not somethings you dare not say aloud. He crossed a line with me that cannot ever be uncrossed

Wolf