Fly Fishing quotes often capture the essence of a sport that many consider to be an art form in itself. It's more than merely a way to catch fish; it's a philosophical pursuit that allows one to connect with nature, reflecting an elegance and patience that's rare in our fast-paced world. The intertwining of man and environment, the silent dance of the fly on the water, and the thrill of the catch—these are the experiences that have inspired poets, authors, and anglers alike to share their passion in words.
Whether you are an expert fly fisherman or just starting to explore this intriguing hobby, the following insights and information will take you on a journey into the depths of fly fishing, unraveling its beauty and technical aspects.
Fly Fishing Quotes (2024)
Fly fishing has a way of touching the soul, marrying the art of angling with the tranquility of nature. It's more than a sport; it's a way of life, expressed and cherished through various quotes. Here are related and unique quotes that capture the essence of fly fishing.
"The charm of fishing is that it is the pursuit of what is elusive but attainable, a perpetual series of occasions for hope." – John Buchan
"Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after." – Henry David Thoreau
"Time is but the stream I go a-fishing in." – Henry David Thoreau
"The solution to any problem—work, love, money, whatever—is to go fishing, and the worse the problem, the longer the trip should be." – John Gierach
"Fly-fishing is the most fun you can have standing up." – Arnold Gingrich
"If I fished only to capture fish, my fishing trips would have ended long ago." – Zane Grey
"The act of fishing transports us to a special world, and a state of mind, where we are free." – Fennel Hudson
"Fishing is a discipline in the equality of men—for all men are equal before fish." – Herbert Hoover
"I fish because I love to... because I suspect that so many of the other concerns of men are equally unimportant, and not nearly so much fun." – John Voelker
"There's no taking trout with dry breeches." – Miguel de Cervantes
"A trout is a moment of beauty known only to those who seek it." – Arnold Gingrich
"Give a man a fish, and he eats for a day. Teach him how to fish, and you'll get rid of him for the whole weekend." – Zenna Schaffer
"There he stands, draped in more equipment than a telephone lineman, trying to outwit an organism with a brain no bigger than a breadcrumb, and getting licked in the process." – Paul O'Neil
"To him, all good things—trout as well as eternal salvation—come by grace, and grace comes by art, and art does not come easy." – Norman Maclean
"I fish better with a lit cigar; some people fish better with talent." – Nick Lyons
"Fishing is a hard job. Fishing at night. Rain. Day, night. You have to be wise and smart. And quick." – Mariano Rivera
"The best fisherman I know tries not to make the same mistakes over and over again; instead, they strive to make new and interesting mistakes and to remember what they learned from them." – John Gierach
"There is no greater fan of fly-fishing than the worm." – Patrick F. McManus
"To fish is to dance." – Marcia Norman
"If people concentrated on the really important things in life, there'd be a shortage of fishing poles." – Doug Larson
"Fishing is only an addiction if you're trying to quit." – Unknown
"Fishing is not an escape from life, but often a deeper immersion into it." – Harry Middleton
"The best time to go fishing is when you can get away." – Robert Traver
"Fishermen are born honest, but they get over it." – Ed Zern
"The fishing was good; it was the catching that was bad." – A.K. Best
"Angling is somewhat like poetry; men are to be born so." – Izaak Walton
"The two best times to fish is when it's rainin' and when it ain't." – Patrick F. McManus
"May the holes in your net be no larger than the fish in it." – Irish Blessing
"All Americans believe that they are born fishermen. For a man to admit a distaste for fishing would be like denouncing mother-love or hating moonlight." – John Steinbeck
"Fishing is not about the fish; it's the time spent together catching them." – Unknown
"A bad day of fishing is better than a good day at work." – Unknown
"If fishing is a religion, fly fishing is high church." – Tom Brokaw
"Fishermen are like that, so damn sure others crave detailed graphic information about past battles." – Robert Traver
"You can't catch trout with dry breeches." – Spanish Proverb
"Last year I went fishing with Salvador Dali. He was using a dotted line. He caught every other fish." – Steven Wright
"Fishing is a... discipline in the equality of men—for all men are equal before fish." – Herbert Hoover
"There is certainly something in angling that tends to produce a serenity of the mind." – Washington Irving
"Calling fishing a hobby is like calling brain surgery a job." – Paul Schullery
"The water you touch in a river is the last of that which has passed, and the first of that which is coming; thus it is with time." – Leonardo Da Vinci
"When I go fishing, I like to know that there's nobody within five miles of me." – Norman Maclean
"Fishing is much more than fish. It is the great occasion when we may return to the fine simplicity of our forefathers." – Herbert Hoover
"Fly-fishing may be a very pleasant amusement; but angling or float fishing I can only compare to a stick and a string, with a worm at one end and a fool at the other." – Samuel Johnson
"Fishing seems to be the favorite form of loafing." – E.W. Howe
"I only fish for edible fish, and hunt for edible game even in the field of fiction." – Ernest Hemingway
"If I'm not going to catch anything, then I 'd rather not catch anything on flies." – Bob Lawless
"Fly-fishing is solitary, contemplative, misanthropic, scientific in some hands, poetic in others, and laced with conflicting aesthetic considerations. It's not even clear if catching fish is actually the point." – John Gierach
"Fishing is the chance to wash one's soul with pure air. It brings meekness and inspiration, reduces our egoism, soothes our troubles and shames our wickedness. It is discipline in the equality of men–for all men are equal before fish." – Herbert Hoover
"Fishing is much less about the fishing, and much more about the time alone with your kid, away from the hustle and bustle of the everyday." – Dan Pearce
"Three-fourths of the Earth's surface is water, and one-fourth is land. It is quite clear that the good Lord intended us to spend triple the amount of time fishing as taking care of the lawn." – Chuck Clark
"There's a fine line between fishing and just standing on the shore like an idiot." – Steven Wright
"My biggest worry is that my wife (when I'm dead) will sell my fishing gear for what I said I paid for it." – Koos Brandt
"Fishing provides that connection with the whole living world. It gives you the opportunity of being totally immersed, turning back into yourself in a good way." – Ted Hughes
"The gods do not deduct from man's allotted span the hours spent in fishing." – Babylonian Proverb
"Somebody just back of you while you are fishing is as bad as someone looking over your shoulder while you write a letter to your girl." – Ernest Hemingway
"Angling may be said to be so like the mathematics that it can never be fully learned." – Izaak Walton
"Fishing is boring unless you catch an actual fish, and then it is disgusting." – Dave Barry
"I go fishing not to find myself but to lose myself." – Joseph Monniger
"A fisherman's job is simple: Pick out the best parts." – Unknown
"Most of the world is covered by water. A fisherman's job is simple: Pick out the best parts." – Charles Waterman
"If you've got short, stubby fingers and wear reading glasses, any relaxation you would normally derive from fly fishing is completely eliminated when you try to tie on a fly." – Jack Ohman
"Fishing is a delusion entirely surrounded by liars in old clothes." – Don Marquis
"Do not tell fish stories where the people know you. Particularly, don't tell them where they know the fish." – Mark Twain
"The best fisherman is the one who fishes for the joy of it, and is rewarded with the joy of it." – Unknown
"Fishing is not always about catching fish. It's about understanding yourself and nature." – Lou Schultz
"I've gone fishing thousands of times in my life, and I have never once felt unlucky or poorly paid for those hours on the water." – William Tapply
"A fisherman is a jerk on one end of the line waiting for a jerk on the other." – Unknown
"Fly-fishing is the most fun you can have standing up." – Arnold Gingrich
"Creeps and idiots cannot conceal themselves for long on a fishing trip." – John Gierach
"In our family, there is no clear line between religion and fly fishing." – Norman Maclean
"I don't want to sit at the head table anymore. I want to go fishing." – George Bush
"When you are on the river, ocean or in the woods, you are the closest to the truth you'll ever get." – Jack Leonard
"Fishing is not an escape from life, but often a deeper immersion into it." – Harry Middleton
"The fish is not so much your quarry as your partner." – Arnold Gingrich
"The best fisherman is the one with the most fun." – Unknown
"Many of the most highly publicized events of my presidency are not nearly as memorable or significant in my life as fishing with my daddy." – Jimmy Carter
"Fishing is a hard job. Fishing at night. Rain. Day, night. You have to be wise and smart. And quick." – Mariano Rivera
"Scholars have long known that fishing eventually turns men into philosophers. Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to buy decent tackle on a philosopher's salary." – Patrick F. McManus
"Fishing is not so much getting fish as it is a state of mind and a great discipline." – George Aiken
"A day spent fishing is never a day wasted." – Unknown
"Even if you've been fishing for three hours and haven't gotten anything except poison ivy and sunburn, you're still better off than the worm." – Unknown
"Fly fishing may be a very pleasant amusement, but angling or float fishing, I can only compare to a stick and a string, with a worm at one end and a fool at the other." – Samuel Johnson
"Most of the world is covered by water. A fisherman's job is simple: Pick out the best parts." – Charles Waterman
"Fly fishing may well be considered the most beautiful of all rural sports." – Frank Forester
"To fish for trout, you must be where the trout are, not where you'd like them to be." – Redd Foxx
"All Americans believe that they are born fishermen. For a man to admit a distaste for fishing would be like denouncing mother-love and hating moonlight." – John Steinbeck
"Fly-fishing may well be considered the most beautiful of all rural sports." – Frank Forester
"Give a man a fish and he has food for a day; teach him how to fish and you can get rid of him for the entire weekend." – Zenna Schaffer
"A woman who has never seen her husband fishing doesn't know what a patient man she married!" – Unknown
"Men and fish are alike. They both get into trouble when they open their mouths." – Unknown
"I love fishing. You put that line in the water and you don't know what's on the other end. Your imagination is under there." – Robert Altman
"If fishing is interfering with your business, give up your business." – Alfred W. Miller
"Fishing is the sport of drowning worms." – Unknown
"Men go fishing all their lives without knowing it's not the fish they're after." – Henry David Thoreau
"If I fished only for the purpose of catching fish, I would not go fishing." – Henry David Thoreau
"The mark of a successful man is one that has spent an entire day on the bank of a river without feeling guilty about it." – Chinese Proverb
"Many men go fishing all their lives without knowing it's not the fish they're after." – Henry David Thoreau
"Carpe Diem" does not mean "fish of the day." – Author Unknown
"There's no such thing as 'a big one that got away.'" – Jimmy D. Moore
"There's nothing like fishing. You put that line in the water and you don't know what's on the other end. Your imagination is under there." – Robert Altman
"Fishing is a hard job. Fishing at night. Rain. Day, night. You have to be wise and smart. And quick." – Mariano Rivera
"Good things come to those who bait." – Author Unknown
"Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. Unless he doesn't like sushi—then you also have to teach him to cook." – Auren Hoffman
"Fishermen own the fish they catch, but they do not own the ocean." – Etienne Schneider
"I love fishing, especially fly fishing. I can't explain it but there's something spiritual about it." – Joseph Fiennes
"The best way to a fisherman's heart is through his fly." – Author Unknown
"To fish or not to fish? That's a stupid question." – Author Unknown
"I spend my vacations on the water, in the woods, and at my tying bench. I'm a fisherman, not a person with a hobby." – Author Unknown
"Fishing is not just a sport; it's a way of life." – Author Unknown
"The two best times to fish is when it's rainin' and when it ain't." – Patrick F. McManus
"The fishing is always better on the other side of the lake." – Unknown
The world of fly fishing offers a tranquil escape and a profound connection to nature, inspiring countless individuals to reflect on life, patience, and the pursuit of a meaningful existence. The art of casting a line into the water has given rise to a rich collection of "Fly Fishing quotes," capturing the essence of this beloved pastime.
From humorous quips to thoughtful musings, these quotes embody the passion and philosophy of fly fishing, resonating with enthusiasts and casual observers alike. May these words inspire you to explore the waters, embrace the silence, and perhaps discover your own truths along the way.
