09/11/2005

Blue Mt. grad turns hobby into fishing television show

BY DOYLE DIETZ Outdoors Editor

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Charlie Charlesworth readily admits there is a chasm between his enjoyment of fly fishing and his proficiency in the sport.

In all likelihood, that can probably be said by most anglers — and not just about fly fishing. Just ask the casual bass angler about the joy of baitcaster reels, but that is a topic for another time.

What separates Charlesworth from other anglers is his willingness to share his adventures with millions of television viewers as the weekly host of "Outdoors On The Fly."

Now in its fourth season, the program is aired on PAX-TV, is available regionally on Comcast and is seen in New England and New York.

Clearly, the program has proven its staying power in the competitive world of outdoors television programming. And, like so many successes, "Outdoors On The Fly" was born by accident and out of necessity.

Actually, the current program traces its roots back to Charlesworth's original premise for an outdoors program. "Outdoors On The Fly" began as "Fly Fishing Northeast PA," which evolved into "Fly Fishing The Northeast" and then into the present format.

"I was involved in producing a hunting show that went bankrupt midway through the first season," said Charlesworth, a 1969 Blue Mountain High School graduate who now resides in Clarks Summit. A third-generation Marine, he served on the Pottsville police force before settling into the television industry on the sales staff of WNEP-TV in Moosic.

"For the first two weeks, we scheduled reruns for the hunting show, but knew we needed to find a replacement," said Charlesworth, who hunted and trapped while growing up in Schuylkill County. "All of us who were involved in the production of the show went into a room and began tossing out ideas.

"Finally, someone had the idea that maybe one of us could do a show about something we enjoy. So, we go around the room, and everyone talks about their hobbies, but attending flea markets or yard sales wasn't what we were thinking about.

"When they came to me, I told them I hunted, and they said that would be the show, but I told them that probably wasn't a good idea. Someone asked if I had any other interests, and I said I enjoyed fly fishing."

And an idea was born. To hear Charlesworth tell it, however, the voice bite of Gene Wilder screaming his line "It's alive! It's alive!" from "Young Frankenstein" would have been an appropriate background.

"My dad, Al, and my uncle, Bob Grimm, who lived in Tower City, were both avid fly fishermen, and they tried their best to get me interested," Charlesworth said. "I learned my appreciation of the outdoors and hunting from my dad, but not fly fishing.

"When I explained to everyone that my enjoyment of fly fishing and my skill were far apart, everyone thought that a lot of people would identify with that kind of show. So, it was decided that each week I'd go fly fishing on the best water we could find, but have a professional go along to provide tips and show technique.

"That seems to work, and another thing is that the viewers can see the show is for real. Our rule is that we show a minimum of three fish being caught, and absolutely nothing is staged, so there are times when have to work for those fish."

Charlesworth has done shows on nearly every Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission "trout approved" stream in eastern Pennsylvania and fished with such notable area fly fishermen as Joe Humphries, Ed Shenk and Barry and Cathy Beck. He has also done shows from New England to Florida to Montana and Mexico, Venezuela and the Bahamas.

And, while his skill level has improved, Charlesworth says it remains second to his enjoyment of fly fishing.

To contact Charles Charlesworth for seminars or appearances, write to 11047 Valley View Drive, Clarks Summit, Pa. 18411 or via e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . For information about "Outdoors On The Fly," contact your cable provider.

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