Even though Paul must have had three or four fish by now, I took my time walking down the trail, trying with each step to leave the world behind. Som… - Norman Maclean

Many of us would probably be better fishermen if we did not spend so much time watching and waiting for the world to become perfect

Something within fishermen tries to make fishing into a world perfect and apart — I don't know what it is or where, because sometimes it is in my arms and sometimes in my throat and sometimes nowhere in particular except somewhere deep. Many of us probably would be better fishermen if we did not spend so much time watching and waiting for the world to become perfect.

Many of us probably would be better fishermen if we did not spend so much time watching and waiting for the world to become perfect.

They were still so young they hadn't learned to count the odds and to sense they might owe the universe a tragedy.

I sat there and forgot and forgot, until what remained was the river that went by and I who watched. On the river the heat mirages danced with each other and then they danced through each other and then they joined hands and danced around each other. Eventually the watcher joined the river, and there was only one of us. I believe it was the river.

One great thing about fly fishing is that after a while nothing exists of the world but thoughts about fly fishing. It is also interesting that thoughts about fishing are often carried on in dialogue form where Hope and Fear — or, many times, two Fears — try to outweigh each other.