Joe Brooks and the First Televised Fishing Contest

Andrew Stiles, while visiting the IGFA headquarters in Florida, uncovered an episode of ABC’s “Wide World of Sports” that featured Joe Brooks and Curty Gowdy testing their skills against two Argentinian anglers in the 1960s. Stiles, the head of the Virginia Capital Chapter of Trout Unlimited, had a particular interest in the program because Brooks lived in Richmond, Virginia for a period of 14 years before his death. “The footage is a treasure. The rugged peaks of Patagonia soar in majestic beauty. Curt Gowdy banters like a buddy as much as a polished sportscaster. And Brooks shines as a regular guy with a brilliant gift. The show pits Gowdy and Brooks, as the U.S. team, against Erick Gornick and Tito Hosman of Argentina. Their quarry: Eastern brook trout.” Lee Graves in the Richmond Times-Dispatch.