Culture and Lifestyle Quotes and Sayings 30 Fishing Quotes That'll Make You Want to Get on the Water What's better than a day spent on the water? By Sierra Guardiola Sierra Guardiola Sierra is a writer and editor with many interests. She comes from a newspaper background and has over four years experience writing for magazines. She enjoys learning about new topics and providing readers with helpful tips and ideas. She has covered everything from how to make the best apple pie to transforming your outdoor space with a few key decorations. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on January 20, 2023 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Vladimir Smirnov / Contributor / Getty Images There are few better ways to spend a day than out on the water with a pole, lots of bait, and your thoughts. Fishing is a classic pastime that often has been passed down from generation to generation. It's a break from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and a chance to practice patience. It's an activity that is meant for solitude, yet also for good company depending on the day. Fishing brings people together over a mutual love for the hunt and the high you get when you reel a good one in. Sometimes you may strike out on catching any good ones, but a true fisherman knows that it's not just coming home with lots of fish that proves your day on the water was a success. Whether fishing is second nature to you or you're just getting started, these fishing quotes will remind you why a day spent on the water is hard to beat. 01 of 30 Unknown Southern Living "Carpe Diem" does not mean 'fish of the day.'" – Author Unknown 02 of 30 Henry David Thoreau Southern Living "Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after." – Henry David Thoreau 03 of 30 A.K. Best Southern Living "The fishing was good; it was the catching that was bad." – A.K. Best 04 of 30 Charles Waterman Southern Living "Most of the world is covered by water. A fisherman's job is simple: Pick out the best parts." – Charles Waterman 05 of 30 Ed Zern Southern Living "Fly fishermen are born honest, but they get over it." – Ed Zern 06 of 30 Jimmy Carter Southern Living "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 07 of 30 Tony Blake Southern Living "Some go to church and think about fishing, others go fishing and think about God." – Tony Blake 08 of 30 Herbert Hoover Southern Living "Be patient and calm—for no one can catch fish in anger." – Herbert Hoover 09 of 30 Mark Twain Southern Living "Do not tell fish stories where the people know you. Particularly, don't tell them where they know the fish." – Mark Twain 10 of 30 John Buchan Southern Living "The charm of fishing is that it is the pursuit of what is elusive but attainable, a perpetual series of occasions of hope." – John Buchan 11 of 30 Chuck Clark Southern Living "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 12 of 30 Maimonides Southern Living "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime." – Maimonides 13 of 30 Koos Brandt Southern Living "My Biggest worry is that when I'm dead and gone, my wife will sell my fishing gear for what I said I paid for it." – Koos Brandt 14 of 30 Robert Altman Southern Living "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 15 of 30 Unknown Southern Living "Nothing makes a fish bigger than almost being caught." – Unknown 16 of 30 Zane Grey Southern Living "If I fished only to capture fish, my fishing trips would have ended long ago." – Zane Grey 17 of 30 Jack Nicklaus Southern Living "There are always new places to go fishing. For any fisherman, there's always a new place, always a new horizon." – Jack Nicklaus 18 of 30 William Tapply Southern Living "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 19 of 30 John Ashley-Cooper Southern Living "One thing becomes clearer as one gets older and one's fishing experience increases, and that is the paramount importance of one's fishing companions." – John Ashley-Cooper 20 of 30 Harry Middleton Southern Living "Fishing is not an escape from life, but often a deeper immersion into it." – Harry Middleton 21 of 30 Roderick Haig-Brown Southern Living "There will be days when the fishing is better than one's most optimistic forecast, others when it is far worse. Either is a gain over just staying home." – Roderick Haig-Brown 22 of 30 Ovid Southern Living "Opportunity is ever worth expecting; let our hood be ever hanging ready. The fish will be in the pool where you least imagine it to be." – Ovid 23 of 30 W.D. Wetherell Southern Living "Those who fish get to know and understand a river in a way few others can."– W.D. Wetherell 24 of 30 Katharine Weber Southern Living "Fishing is marvelous... there is the irresistible urge to tangle with the mysterious and unknown, to rely on intuition and hunches." – Katharine Weber 25 of 30 Dorothy Noyes Arms Southern Living "Fishing is fundamentally a game of chance, and at heart we are all gamblers." – Dorothy Noyes Arms 26 of 30 Spanish Proverb Southern Living "He who wants to catch fish must not mind getting wet." – Spanish Proverb 27 of 30 Dan Baughman Southern Living "When we fish, we are awake. We are attuned to the environment, to the world, to the reverence and wonder of life." – Dan Baughman 28 of 30 Lord Home Southern Living "Fishing is unquestionably a form of madness but, happily, for the once-bitten there is no cure." – Lord Home 29 of 30 Justin Morgan Southern Living "It doesn't matter if the rod is or isn't bent. Time spent fishing is time well spent." – Justin Morgan 30 of 30 German Proverb Southern Living "The fishing is good in troubled waters." – German Proverb Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit