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

During my addled career as a trout fisherman I have gone on a lot of wild-goose chases, and I ruefully expect to go on a lot more before I hang up my waders

One of the first rules in fishing is that there are few rules in fishing that resourceful trout do not manage to break.

I fish because I love to . . . because I love the environs where trout are found . . . because I suspect that men are going along this way for the last time, and I for one don’t want to waste the trip . . . and, finally, not because I regard fishing as being so terribly important but because I suspect that so many of the other concerns of men are equally unimportant––and not nearly so much fun.

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

Fly-fishing is a magic way to recapture the rapture of solitude without the pangs of loneliness.

The best time to go fishing is when you can get away.