Harold Ensley

Who is Harold Ensley?

Harold Edward Ensley was an American radio and television personality best known for his television program The Sportsman's Friend. His innovative, nationally syndicated program was one of the first to feature fishing and hunting, and ran nonstop for 48 years. Harold Ensley earned the title: "World Champion of Freshwater Sport Fishing" by winning Sports Illustrated 's first major fishing tournament, "The World Series of Freshwater Sport Fishing" in 1960. He has been inducted into the National Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame, the Kansas Association of Broadcaster's Hall Of Fame, Legends of the Outdoors Hall of Fame, the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame, and the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 1994. He has won numerous awards for hunting, fishing, and broadcasting. Mr. Ensley, a noted lure designer, contributed to the development of modern sport fishing lures. He also marketed his own line of fishing rods, reels and various fishing accessories, and wrote two books, Winds of Chance and Wings of Chance, which recount some of his life's adventures outdoors.