As a boy, Joe King spent Sundays watching movies at the Madam Walker Legacy Center for just a few cents. Now at 90 years old, he’ll return to watch himself as a star on the big screen.
King will appear in “The Fish Thief: A Great Lakes Mystery” 7-9 p.m. Sept. 16. It’s not just a regular movie screening, but a celebration of a man who has spent decades mentoring Indianapolis youth, building outdoor programs and introducing youth and adults to hunting, fishing and archery.
If you go
Screening of “The Fish Thief: A Great Lakes Mystery”
🗓️ 7-9 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 16
📍 Madam Walker Legacy Center, 617 Indiana Ave.
🎟️ Free
Growing up, King’s Sunday routine was church with his grandmother, then he’d ride the bus down to Indiana Avenue, get off and walk to the Walker Center. He’d buy a ticket with money he’d saved from doing random jobs, then sit in the same seat every time to watch his movie.
“As I was watching those movies, I said, ‘One day I want to live like those movie stars,'” King said, “and I’ve had the experience to do some of the things those movie stars do.”
While on one of his annual salmon fishing trips with a group of men in Michigan, King said he was approached by someone working on “The Fish Thief.” Their conversation led the man to ask if King would be interested in appearing in the documentary. King said yes.
Born and raised in Indianapolis, King was introduced to fishing as a child by his two older cousins. King said they would go out fishing at about 5:30 p.m. every day, and they ate whatever they caught. When they noticed King watching them, the cousins invited him to come along.
“They told me my job was that I was supposed to catch the bait, the minnows, dig the worms, and cut the crawfish so that when they got there, they would have the bait ready to go fishing,” King said.
This sparked a love of the outdoors, King said. Fishing evolved into hunting rabbits and turkeys. He eventually met a group of men and they started the Dirty Dozen Fishing Club in 1980.
The group met in King’s basement on the first Sunday of every month to talk about hunting, fishing and other shared interests. Soon they started going on hunting trips across the country.
In 1988, King created a youth fishing program, Outdoor Youth Exploration Academy (OYEA), teaching children fishing, archery, hunting and conservation skills.
Indiana residents under the age of 18 are not required to purchase a fishing license; requirements vary for hunting licenses for young people, according to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.
“OYEA is about so much more than hunting or fishing — it’s about giving kids experiences that can truly change the course of their lives. When you take a child out into nature, you’re teaching patience, discipline, and responsibility, but you’re also opening their eyes to a bigger world,” OYEA board member Jeana Ouattara said.
The screening of the “Fish Thief” at the Walker Center showcases King’s work with youth, while also allowing him to tell the people about the work OYEA does today.
“For more than 40 years, he’s been out there with the same passion, the same belief that every child deserves a chance to experience the outdoors. That’s a legacy that will last far beyond him,” Ouattara said.
King said the screening fulfills a personal dream.
“I started in this facility, and to be able to come back and see myself in a movie in the facility … You know, things do happen,” King said.
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Garrett Simms is a Mirror Indy freelance contributor. You can reach him at garrettsimm22@gmail.com.
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