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Red Fisher has passed away.....


rick

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By Bob Boughner

Local News - Monday, May 08, 2006 @ 09:00

MITCHELL’S BAY The lights are out at Scuttle-Butt Lodge.

Bernard Herbert (Red) Fisher, whose outdoor television show was seen weekly by millions of North Americans, died Friday night in Chatham.

Fisher, best known as “Red’’ and considered the father of Canadian television fishing shows, was 92.

Funeral arrangements were incomplete at press time.

Fisher and his late wife, Lois, travelled the globe hunting and fishing with well-known sports celebrities including Fergie Jenkins of Chatham and the late Ted Williams.

A special feature of the weekly television show was a discussion on the world of outdoors from his Scuttle-Butt Lodge at Mitchell’s Bay.

Former Blenheim resident Bob Izumi, whose Real Fishing Show is seen around the world today, said Fisher was his inspiration.

“I used to sit in front of the TV every Saturday afternoon and watch Red interviewing guests at Scuttle-Butt Lodge,’’ Izumi said Sunday.

Izumi said he got his start in the television world shortly before Fisher’s program ended in the late 1980s.

“Red and I got together in 2004 and travelled to Ennadai Lake in Nunavut in the Northwest Territories to film a fishing show,’’ he said.

Izumi said after landing a huge pike, Fisher hung his rod and reel above the bar in the Ennadai Lake Lodge.

“It was the last time he ever fished,’’ he said.

Izumi said a replica of the pike Fisher landed was sold at a Fishing Forever dinner in Toronto for $22,000.

“The buyer returned the fish to our non-profit foundation and we often make it available for showing at special events,’’ he said.

Chatham businessman Bob Rule described Fisher as “one of a kind he was a very colourful individual who loved fishing and hunting.’’

Rule, owner of Maple City Marine Ltd. in Chatham, has a summer home at Mitchell’s Bay a few doors away from the old Scuttle-Butt Lodge.

“I watched many of his shows over the years,’’ recalled Rule.

“He was a pioneer when it came to fly-in fishing in Canada’s northland.’’

Bob Branquet, owner of Bob N’ Buoys Restaurant at Mitchell’s Bay, said he never met Fisher in person.

“But I knew him well from his television shows,’’ he said. “Like most people, I envied his lifestyle.’’

red_fisher1.jpg

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Guest cplummer

He was the best ever and i watched his show faithfully..

RIP *red* ..may the fish be bigger on the other side.....

cliff...

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I remember watching many of his "state of the art" fishing shows :D . I wonder what he thought about this new high tech fishing ,being from the old school ? :Gonefishing: ......He was an inspiration to guys my age for sure and it great that he got so many years of fishing !

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Guest aktone

Spent many a day watching and listening to RED's stories, as others have said he was a pioneer for

all of the other shows, RIP Red.

Over and Out.

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Red Fisher will be fishing forever now. God Bless him. My dad never missed the show and I remember sitting watching it with him. Izumi's show with him a couple of years ago was a classic.

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I used to watch that show all the time when I was a kid, and thought it was pretty neat when I started to travel around alot of northern places and pass by some of the locations, and see signs for some of the lodges I saw on the show

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Well I guess the little brown jug is on the shelf for good now. God bless you Red. Met him as a kid at the Sportman's show one year. Saturday mornings with Red. Got to love it. He certainly got my attention towards fishing. Thanks Rick for the info. Good fishing. Scottydog

:(

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Guest fishstick

Red Fisher.... :(

An icon to most of us....and unfortunately, a faint memory to most others of what the good life should really be like.

More fishin'......less bitchin'...... ;)

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Fisherman's Prayer

(Don't know who wrote this)

God grant that I may live to fish,

until my dying day,

And when it comes to my last cast,

I then most humbly pray,

When in the Lord's safe landing net,

I'm peacefully asleep,

That in his mercy I be judged,

As big enough to keep.

R.I.P. Red, you will be fondly remember by many.

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Guest vidarling

Hey Rick, Can you post this in the Fishing articles? A bit of a memorial? Or do we have to wait for an online article.

We watched him every weekend. Pops used to say that Scuttlebut lodge was the BS capital of the world! Anybody elso use that expression.

Always liked his calm delivery.

Thanks for the memories.

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Unfortunately I was born too late to catch his show but my dad used to watch it all the time Im sure it will disappoint him to learn about this RIP

Maybe there will be a CD available soon showing the best of Red Fisher . That would be a valued piece of nostalgia for us older people , and give the young fishers a look into how fishing has evolved over the years .

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How about the episode on the St. Lawrence when they were fishing for musky and he pulled out his special binoculars? They were really a flask that he had his booze stashed away in........his show was the first for me. Then came Fishing Hole, Babe Winkleman, and some other lesser knowns but Red's was definately the most entertaining.

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i remember sitting with my old man watching red and his five of diamonds, that man could catch just about anything with that damn lure. and yes those binoculars, ive thought about him many times over the years, the pleasure he brought to many fathers and sons. my father may be fishing with old red right now.

thanks for the memories

joe and pauline

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