B. H. Fisher
Encyclopedia
Bernard Herbert "Red" Fisher (18 February 1914 – 5 May 2006) was an American sporting goods retailer, U.S. naval and United States Coast Guard
officer, newspaper columnist, and poet
. He later became a popular radio
and television
personality in Canada
. He is not to be confused with Montreal Gazette
sports columnist, Red Fisher
.
Fisher was inducted into the U.S. based "Fishing Hall Of Fame" in 1948. When he moved to Canada, he launched a popular radio talk show program The Red Fisher Show
in 1963, which moved to television in 1968. The TV version was set at fictitious
"Scuttlebutt Lodge" and featured silent home movies of outdoors activities, often fishing, which involved high profile guests, mainly from the major league sports of the era. These included ice hockey stars Gordie Howe
, Eddie Shack
, and Johnny Bower
, and baseball legends Ted Williams
, Roger Maris
and Ferguson Jenkins
. The Red Fisher Show
differed from other outdoor living shows of its time by promoting nature conservation, game preservation and the "catch and release
" mentality. The series continued until 1989, making it among the longest-running on CTV
.
At the same time, his weekly column, Outdoor Topics, was read in over 180 newspapers. In 1971, Fisher's first book of poems, Poems Of Our Great Outdoors, was published and distributed. Red would famously give each guest on his show a copy of these poems. Three volumes of Poems Of Our Great Outdoors were released, each one simply adding more poems to the previous collection. Red released a record on Saga Records also called Poems of Our Great Outdoors in which he read his poems to a symphonic background.
In 2000, Red Fisher released a collection of stories and anecdotes from his life called Tight Lines and Tall Tales. A portion of the profits were donated to outdoor conservation efforts.
Fisher died in Chatham, Ontario
at the age of 92. Red fisher is credited for introducing the open-faced spinning reel to North America and, as a result, was inducted into the Fishing Hall of Fame.
Steve Smith
, was a spoof of Fisher's several TV titles, some incarnations of which were Tall Tale Adventures and Our Great Outdoors.
Canadian comedy show SCTV spoofed The Red Fisher Show in a skit called The Fishin' Musician in which John Candy
played the Red Fisher character.http://www.dvdmg.com/sctvvolume1.shtmlhttp://www.pearldrummersforum.com/showthread.php?p=1852212692 Featured bands on these segments included The Tubes
(who sang "Sushi") and The Plasmatics
with Wendy O. Williams
, Joe Walsh, Jimmy Buffet and Carl Perkins and their bands.
A parody booklet of humorous rhymes, Wild Poems by B.S. 'Fred' Risher, was another project his legacy inspired.
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
officer, newspaper columnist, and poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
. He later became a popular radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
and television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
personality in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. He is not to be confused with Montreal Gazette
The Gazette (Montreal)
The Gazette, often called the Montreal Gazette to avoid ambiguity, is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, with three other daily English newspapers all having shut down at different times during the second half of the 20th century.-History:In 1778,...
sports columnist, Red Fisher
Red Fisher (journalist)
Red Fisher is a Canadian sports journalist whose columns focus on the National Hockey League and its Montreal Canadiens team....
.
Fisher was inducted into the U.S. based "Fishing Hall Of Fame" in 1948. When he moved to Canada, he launched a popular radio talk show program The Red Fisher Show
The Red Fisher Show
The Red Fisher Show was a Canadian television series which appeared on CTV from 1968 to 1989. Its episodes featured host and American expatriate B. H. "Red" Fisher with different guests who would narrate footage of fishing or hunting expeditions in various regions of Canada and the United States...
in 1963, which moved to television in 1968. The TV version was set at fictitious
Fictitious
For literary uses see FictionFor Legal uses see legal fiction*Fictitious defendants*Feigned action*Ejectment - an action to recover land*John Doe - commonly named as a fictitious defendant....
"Scuttlebutt Lodge" and featured silent home movies of outdoors activities, often fishing, which involved high profile guests, mainly from the major league sports of the era. These included ice hockey stars Gordie Howe
Gordie Howe
Gordon "Gordie" Howe, OC is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey player who played for the Detroit Red Wings and Hartford Whalers of the National Hockey League , and the Houston Aeros and New England Whalers in the World Hockey Association . Howe is often referred to as Mr...
, Eddie Shack
Eddie Shack
Edward Steven Phillip Shack , also known by the nicknames "The Entertainer" and "The Nose" is a retired Canadian hockey player who played for six National Hockey League teams from 1959 to 1975,Shack was born in Sudbury, Ontario...
, and Johnny Bower
Johnny Bower
John William Bower , nicknamed "The China Wall", is a Hockey Hall of Fame goalie.-Playing career:...
, and baseball legends Ted Williams
Ted Williams
Theodore Samuel "Ted" Williams was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire 21-year Major League Baseball career as the left fielder for the Boston Red Sox...
, Roger Maris
Roger Maris
Roger Eugene Maris was an American Major League Baseball right fielder. During the 1961 season, he hit a record 61 home runs for the New York Yankees, breaking Babe Ruth's single-season record of 60 home runs...
and Ferguson Jenkins
Ferguson Jenkins
Ferguson Arthur "Fergie" Jenkins, CM, is a Canadian former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He was a three-time All-Star and the 1971 NL Cy Young Award winner. In 1991, Jenkins was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. During a 19-year career, he pitched for four different teams,...
. The Red Fisher Show
The Red Fisher Show
The Red Fisher Show was a Canadian television series which appeared on CTV from 1968 to 1989. Its episodes featured host and American expatriate B. H. "Red" Fisher with different guests who would narrate footage of fishing or hunting expeditions in various regions of Canada and the United States...
differed from other outdoor living shows of its time by promoting nature conservation, game preservation and the "catch and release
Catch and release
Catch and release is a practice within recreational fishing intended as a technique of conservation. After capture, the fish are unhooked and returned to the water before experiencing serious exhaustion or injury...
" mentality. The series continued until 1989, making it among the longest-running on CTV
CTV television network
CTV Television Network is a Canadian English language television network and is owned by Bell Media. It is Canada's largest privately-owned network, and has consistently placed as Canada's top-rated network in total viewers and in key demographics since 2002, after several years trailing the rival...
.
At the same time, his weekly column, Outdoor Topics, was read in over 180 newspapers. In 1971, Fisher's first book of poems, Poems Of Our Great Outdoors, was published and distributed. Red would famously give each guest on his show a copy of these poems. Three volumes of Poems Of Our Great Outdoors were released, each one simply adding more poems to the previous collection. Red released a record on Saga Records also called Poems of Our Great Outdoors in which he read his poems to a symphonic background.
In 2000, Red Fisher released a collection of stories and anecdotes from his life called Tight Lines and Tall Tales. A portion of the profits were donated to outdoor conservation efforts.
Fisher died in Chatham, Ontario
Chatham, Ontario
Chatham is the largest community in the municipality of Chatham-Kent, Ontario. Formerly serving as the seat of Kent County, the governments of the former city of Chatham, the county of Kent, and its townships were merged into one entity known as the Municipality of Chatham-Kent in 1998.Located on...
at the age of 92. Red fisher is credited for introducing the open-faced spinning reel to North America and, as a result, was inducted into the Fishing Hall of Fame.
In popular culture
The Red Green Show, created by Canadian comedianComedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
Steve Smith
Steve Smith (comedian)
Steven "Steve" Smith, Jr., is a Canadian actor, writer and comedian.Smith was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Before turning to comedy, he studied engineering at the University of Waterloo and then worked a variety of jobs...
, was a spoof of Fisher's several TV titles, some incarnations of which were Tall Tale Adventures and Our Great Outdoors.
Canadian comedy show SCTV spoofed The Red Fisher Show in a skit called The Fishin' Musician in which John Candy
John Candy
John Franklin Candy was a Canadian actor and comedian. He rose to fame as a member of the Toronto branch of The Second City and its related Second City Television series, and through his appearances in comedy films such as Stripes, Splash, Cool Runnings, The Great Outdoors, Spaceballs, and Uncle...
played the Red Fisher character.http://www.dvdmg.com/sctvvolume1.shtmlhttp://www.pearldrummersforum.com/showthread.php?p=1852212692 Featured bands on these segments included The Tubes
The Tubes
The Tubes are a San Francisco-based rock band, whose 1975 debut album included the hit single, "White Punks on Dope". During its first fifteen years or so, the band's live performances combined quasi-pornography with wild satires of media, consumerism, and politics...
(who sang "Sushi") and The Plasmatics
Plasmatics
The Plasmatics were an American heavy metal and punk band formed by Yale University art school graduate Rod Swenson with Wendy O. Williams. The band was a controversial group known for wild live shows that broke countless taboos...
with Wendy O. Williams
Wendy O. Williams
Wendy Orlean Williams , better known as Wendy O. Williams, was the lead singer for the American punk band the Plasmatics, as well as a solo artist...
, Joe Walsh, Jimmy Buffet and Carl Perkins and their bands.
A parody booklet of humorous rhymes, Wild Poems by B.S. 'Fred' Risher, was another project his legacy inspired.