The person who loses their conscience has nothing left worth keeping.

We may say of angling, as Dr. Boteler said of strawberries, Doubtless God could have made a better berry, but doubtless God never did; and so, if I might be judge, God never did make a more calm, quiet, innocent recreation than angling.

Lord, what music hast thou provided for Thy saints in heaven, when Thou affordest bad men such music on earth!

You cannot lose what you never had.

And this, and many other like blessings, we enjoy daily. And for most of them, because they be so common, most men forget to pay their praises: but let not us, because it is a sacrifice so pleasing to Him that made that sun and us, and still protects us, and gives us flowers, and showers, and stomachs, and meat, and content, and leisure to go a-fishing.

Good company and good discourse are the very sinews of virtue.

I have known a very good, fisher angle diligently four or six hours for a river carp, and not have a bite.