A Bulletin Board request for information on this old fly sparked
the research which eventually involved Gerald Wolfe,
(Host RW) who dug through many years of back issues of his
magazine collection to find the real stuff.
Ken Lockwood was a noted journalist, having written
the outdoor column for the once prestigious but now
defunct Newark Evening News. He was also and
avid hunter expert fly fisherman and, above all, a
dedicated conservationist. Mr. Lockwood died in 1948.
Mr. Lockwood's column on fishing and game was called
"Out In The Open" and was featured in the Newark News
for 35 years. "Out in the Open" was one of the earliest
known outdoor columns. Over the years it grew from a
semiweekly to a daily feature. In the 1940's his column
usually contained timely news on fish and game, a
write-in question and answer section on outdoor topics,
as well as information on tides and local fishing and
hunting conditions. The articles frequently reported
where the best New Jersey hunting and fishing action
was. Unusual catches were reported, along with much
news pertaining to the state and local sportsmen's
organizations. The column often included material
contributed by a guest columnist with special insights
and unusual areas of expertise. "Out in the Open" was
a "lighthouse" for conservation, stressing this aspect
above all other outdoor topics.
Ken was a leader as well as a top journalist. He was a
former president of the Fish and Game Conservation League,
a trustee of the New Jersey Audubon Society, a former
national director of the Izaak Walton League of America,
as well as a two-term president of the Rod and Gun
Editors Association of Metropolitan New York. In
other related areas he was a member of the advisory
board of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission
and also a past president of the famous Newark Bait and
Fly Casting Club.
Mr. Lockwood was an accomplished speaker and often
addressed sportsmens' meetings and instructional
classes. In November 1947 the Newark News started a
series of Friday night broadcasts over radio station
WNJR. The broadcasts featured Mr. Lockwood along with
important guest speakers as an extension of "Out In
The Open.
Ken Lockwood was an enthusiastic trout fisherman and
an accomplished fly caster. He contributed to the
widespread popularity of the irresistible fly and even
had another pattern named after him. (The Ken Lockwood
Streamer).
On Friday, April 2, 1948 Mr. Lockwood died enroute to
his EAst Orange, New Jersey home from the studios of
radio station WNJR, where he had broadcast a program
on the opening of trout season. He had been in poor
health for some time.
Through his "Out In The Open" column Ken Lockwood
introduced two ideas which were to have important
effects on hunting and fishing in New Jersey. The
first was the concept of stocking adult fish in trout
streams. The adoption of this policy by the New Jersey
Division of Fish, Game and Wildlife has made trout fishing
available to almost everyone in the state. Because of
this practice many new trout waters were created in brooks,
streams, and lakes that previously had supported few,
if any, native trout.
The concept of public shooting and fishing grounds in
New Jersey was also fostered by Mr. Lockwood. In an
area of decreasing habitat where most private land is
posted, the Wildlife Management Areas, as they are
now called, are, in this writer's opinion, the salvation
of hunting in New Jersey.
Thus it is befitting that one of the most beautiful
wildlife management areas in New Jersey bears Ken Lockwoods
name. The tract was acquired in 1948 and includes
approximately 260 acres of woodlands and a two and one-half
mile portion of the South Branch of the Raritan River.
The area was purchased through the State Green Acres
Program along with funds from hunting and fishing license
fees. It is also maintained and supported by license money
from New Jersey Sportsmen.
There is a granite memorial dedicated to Ken Lockwood in
the Gorge with this inscription:
Dedicated to Ken Lockwood
When the voice of the wood thrush stills and the Dog trout
shakes his lethargy
We will remember a stalwart, gentle master of the anglers art,
Half submerged in the smother, Unerringly shooting that long line,
watchfully Mending the drift.
Nevermore will your skilled hand tempt the
Patriarchs of the flood.
Farewell, old timer
|
The Ken Lockwood Gorge can be reached by traveling east
or west on U.S. Route 22 and heading north on NJ State
Hwy 31. Next take Route 513 to either Califon or High
Bridge. The tract lies between the two towns.
Recipe Ken Lockwood
Body: Scarlet floss.
Rib: Gold tinsel.
Throat: White bucktail or hackle fibers.
Wing: Black bucktail.
Cheek: (Optional) Jungle cock.
Source: Cross, R.R. (1936) Tying American Trout Lures, p.55.
~ DLB
Credits: Ken Lockwood information from the 1983
March/April edition of "New Jersey Outdoors" written by Larry Boa.
Especially to RW for his never ending diligence in the
course of fly fishing history and research for finding this for FAOL.
Color fly photo and recipe from Forgotten Flies published
by the Complete Sportsman.
|
