Successful trout fishing isn't a matter of brute force or even persistence, but something more like infiltration.

The things fishermen know about trout aren't facts but articles of faith.

I necessarily fear change except that it's so seldom for the better. It's just that I can live with any number of things going straight to hell as long as these streams continue to hold up. If this amounts to living in a fool's paradise, don't waste your time trying to explain that to the fool.

Really, the only thing a psychiatrist can do that a good (fishing) guide can't is write prescriptions.

It's an odd fact of life that whichever side of the stream you're on, two-thirds of the best water is out of reach on the other side.

If people don't occasionally walk away from you shaking their heads, you're doing something wrong.

I used to like fishing because I thought it had some larger significance. Now I like fishing because it's the one thing I can think of that probably doesn't.