Fishing is such great fun, I have often felt, that it really ought to be done in bed

A writer judging his own work is like deceived husband - he is frequently the last person to appreciate the true state of affairs.

I look at trees, hunt mushrooms, and watch animals. Fishing is what gets me out into the woods so I can notice these things.

...buying a fly rod in the average city store, that is, joining it up and safely waggling it a bit, is much like seeing a woman's arm protruding from a car window: all one can readily be sure of is that the window is open.

The true fisherman approaches the first day of fishing season with all the sense of wonder and awe of a child approaching Christmas.

There is a lot of amiable fantasy written about trout fishing, but the truth is that few men know much if anything about the habits of trout and little more about the manner of taking them.

Most fishermen swiftly learn that it's a pretty good rule never to show a favorite spot to any fisherman you wouldn't trust with your wife.