--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I used to like fishing because I thought…" description: "\"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 do..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2e/john-gierach-18811_boat_i-used-to-like-fishing-because-i-thought_324311.jpg" --- # I used to like fishing because I thought it had some… ![“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.” quote by John Gierach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2e/john-gierach-18811_boat_i-used-to-like-fishing-because-i-thought_324311.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2e/john-gierach-18811_boat_i-used-to-like-fishing-because-i-thought_324311.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2e/john-gierach-18811_boat_i-used-to-like-fishing-because-i-thought_324311.jpg) > “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.” [John Gierach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gierach/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Personal meaning can shift from grand purpose to simple enjoyment, highlighting the value of experiences without deeper agendas. **In simple terms:** Fishing became a pure pleasure, not a symbol. Key Takeaway Embrace activities for their own sake. Themes simplicity mindfulness purpose leisure Mood contemplative calm Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - recreational hobbies - stress relief - nature immersion Key Concepts existentialism flow state Questions to Reflect On - What activities bring you joy without a larger purpose? - How does letting go of meaning affect satisfaction? A Different Perspective Finding meaning in the mundane may overlook deeper insights. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fish/) [Fishing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fishing/) [Fly fishing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fly-fishing/) [Lakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lakes/) [Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rivers/) [Sea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sea/) [Significance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/significance/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [In fact, fishing's the thing I most associate with my dad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-whitehouse/in-fact-fishing-s-the-thing-i-most-associate-with-my-dad/) [Paul Whitehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-whitehouse/) > [The best fisherman I know try not to make the same mistakes over and over again; instead they strive to make new and interesting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gierach/the-best-fisherman-i-know-try-not-to-make-the-same-mistakes-over-and/) [John Gierach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gierach/) > [Trout aren't naturally as selective as they've become in crowded tailwaters - they've been trained to be like that by too much fishing pressure.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gierach/trout-aren-t-naturally-as-selective-as-they-ve-become-in-crowded/) [John Gierach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gierach/) > [Our tradition is that of the first man who sneaked away to the creek when the tribe did not really need fish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roderick-haig-brown/our-tradition-is-that-of-the-first-man-who-sneaked-away-to-the-creek/) [Roderick Haig-Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roderick-haig-brown/) > [The fly angler who says they have never, ever fallen while wading , is either a pathogenic liar, or has never been fly-fishing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-moore/the-fly-angler-who-says-they-have-never-ever-fallen-while-wading-is/) [Jimmy Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-moore/) > [Time flies so fast after youth is past that we cannot accomplish one half the many things we have in mind or indeed one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-gordon/time-flies-so-fast-after-youth-is-past-that-we-cannot-accomplish-one/) [Theodore Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-gordon/) > [A trout is a moment of beauty known only to those who seek it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-gingrich/a-trout-is-a-moment-of-beauty-known-only-to-those-who-seek-it/) [Arnold Gingrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-gingrich/) > [Of course, now I am too old to be much of a fisherman, and now of course I usually fish the big waters alone,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-maclean/of-course-now-i-am-too-old-to-be-much-of-a-fisherman-and-now-of/) [Norman Maclean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-maclean/) > [Fly-fishing is a magic way to recapture the rapture of solitude without the pangs of loneliness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-voelker/fly-fishing-is-a-magic-way-to-recapture-the-rapture-of-solitude/) [John D. Voelker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-voelker/) > [If you've got short, stubby fingers and wear reading glasses, any relaxation you would normally derive from fly fishing is completely eliminated when you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ohman/if-you-ve-got-short-stubby-fingers-and-wear-reading-glasses-any/) Jack Ohman > [There is no more graceful and healthful accomplishment for a lady than fly-fishing, and there is no reason why a lady should not in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper-prime/there-is-no-more-graceful-and-healthful-accomplishment-for-a-lady/) [William Cowper Prime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cowper-prime/) > [Man can learn a lot from fishing - when the fish are biting no problem in the world is big enough to be remembered.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orlando-aloysius-battista/man-can-learn-a-lot-from-fishing-when-the-fish-are-biting-no-problem/) [Orlando Aloysius Battista](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orlando-aloysius-battista/) > [What I had mastered was fly-fishing Rule # 1: Remove all hooks from soft tissue under water, where near-freezing temperatures anesthetize exposed nerve endings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-maxwell/what-i-had-mastered-was-fly-fishing-rule-1-remove-all-hooks-from-soft/) [Jessica Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-maxwell/) > [Most of the world is covered by water. A fisherman's job is simple: Pick out the best parts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-w-waterman/most-of-the-world-is-covered-by-water-a-fisherman-s-job-is-simple/) Charles W. Waterman > [Fly-fishing for wild trout on quiet waters must be one of the toughest and craziest ways to catch fish ever invented by man, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-voelker/fly-fishing-for-wild-trout-on-quiet-waters-must-be-one-of-the/) [John D. Voelker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-voelker/) ## More by John Gierach > [Fish sense, applied in the field, is what the old Zen masters would call enlightenment: simply the ability to see what's right there in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gierach/fish-sense-applied-in-the-field-is-what-the-old-zen-masters-would/) [John Gierach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gierach/) > [Something to think about: If you fish the wrong fly long and hard enough, it will sooner or later become the right fly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gierach/something-to-think-about-if-you-fish-the-wrong-fly-long-and-hard/) [John Gierach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gierach/) > [I still enjoy the company of most dogs more than that of most people, because dogs are capable of uncomplicated enthusiasm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gierach/i-still-enjoy-the-company-of-most-dogs-more-than-that-of-most-people/) [John Gierach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gierach/) > [I think I fish, in part, because it's an anti-social, bohemian business that, when gone about properly, puts you forever outside the mainstream culture…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gierach/i-think-i-fish-in-part-because-it-s-an-anti-social-bohemian-business/) [John Gierach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gierach/) > [If people don't occasionally walk away from you shaking their heads, you're doing something wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gierach/if-people-don-t-occasionally-walk-away-from-you-shaking-their-heads/) [John Gierach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gierach/) > [Fishing in rainy conditions may make fisherman seem crazy to the great mass of unimaginative people, but then few fishermen care what they think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gierach/fishing-in-rainy-conditions-may-make-fisherman-seem-crazy-to-the/) [John Gierach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gierach/) > [We do have to think seriously about conservation now, although it is chilling to realize there are catch-and-release fishermen alive today who don't know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gierach/we-do-have-to-think-seriously-about-conservation-now-although-it-is/) [John Gierach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gierach/) > [If we carry purism to it's logical conclusion, to do it right {fishing} you'd have to live naked in a cave, hit your trout…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gierach/if-we-carry-purism-to-it-s-logical-conclusion-to-do-it-right-fishing/) [John Gierach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gierach/) > [I don't really know how to tie a fly until I've tied a hundred dozen of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gierach/i-don-t-really-know-how-to-tie-a-fly-until-i-ve-tied-a-hundred-dozen/) [John Gierach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gierach/) > [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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gierach/it-s-an-odd-fact-of-life-that-whichever-side-of-the-stream-you-re-on/) [John Gierach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gierach/) > [They say you forget your troubles on a trout stream, but that's not quite it. What happens is that you begin to see where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gierach/they-say-you-forget-your-troubles-on-a-trout-stream-but-that-s-not/) [John Gierach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gierach/) > [Lawyers are like nuclear weapons. By all rights they shouldn't exist, but if some people have them, then you'd better have one, too, just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gierach/lawyers-are-like-nuclear-weapons-by-all-rights-they-shouldn-t-exist/) [John Gierach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gierach/) > [The best fisherman I know try not to make the same mistakes over and over again; instead they strive to make new and interesting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gierach/the-best-fisherman-i-know-try-not-to-make-the-same-mistakes-over-and/) [John Gierach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gierach/) > [Okay, I'm in the tampon aisle, but I don't see it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gierach/okay-i-m-in-the-tampon-aisle-but-i-don-t-see-it/) [John Gierach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gierach/) > [The things fishermen know about trout aren't facts but articles of faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gierach/the-things-fishermen-know-about-trout-aren-t-facts-but-articles-of/) [John Gierach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gierach/) [Explore all 34 John Gierach quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gierach/) ## More Boat quotes > [I was 3-years-old - to this day it is a vivid memory. My family and I were on a boat, catching fish. As one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joaquin-phoenix/i-was-3-years-old-to-this-day-it-is-a-vivid-memory-my-family-and-i/) [Joaquin Phoenix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joaquin-phoenix/) > [When I get a chance to play golf or go on a boat with good people, take the boat out and put some lobsters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-mac/when-i-get-a-chance-to-play-golf-or-go-on-a-boat-with-good-people/) [Bernie Mac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-mac/) > [Fly-fishing for wild trout on quiet waters must be one of the toughest and craziest ways to catch fish ever invented by man, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-voelker/fly-fishing-for-wild-trout-on-quiet-waters-must-be-one-of-the/) [John D. Voelker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-voelker/) > [It was just the sort of yatch you'd expect a rock promoter to have. Mirrored ceilings, marble, Jacuzzis and leopard-skin everything, it made the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamela-anderson/it-was-just-the-sort-of-yatch-you-d-expect-a-rock-promoter-to-have/) [Pamela Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pamela-anderson/) > [It's a hindrance in trying to get a serious acting role. The minute a producer has a script and my name comes up, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbi-benton/it-s-a-hindrance-in-trying-to-get-a-serious-acting-role-the-minute-a/) [Barbi Benton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbi-benton/) > [Something I like to do a lot is just sit by water when there’s a current and just stare into the water. I don’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iggy-pop/something-i-like-to-do-a-lot-is-just-sit-by-water-when-there-s-a/) [Iggy Pop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iggy-pop/) > [The trouble is, you can't properly present something you don't believe in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-mcguane/the-trouble-is-you-can-t-properly-present-something-you-don-t-believe/) [Thomas McGuane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-mcguane/) > [You know how this is: if I look at the crystal moon, at the red branch of the slow autumn at my window, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-neruda/you-know-how-this-is-if-i-look-at-the-crystal-moon-at-the-red-branch/) [Pablo Neruda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-neruda/) > [A film is a boat which is always on the point of sinking-it always tends to break up as you go along and drag…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-truffaut/a-film-is-a-boat-which-is-always-on-the-point-of-sinking-it-always/) [Francois Truffaut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-truffaut/) > [I took one guitar lesson, and they wanted me to play 'Mary Had a Little Lamb' or 'Michael Row the Boat Ashore,' and that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-nielsen/i-took-one-guitar-lesson-and-they-wanted-me-to-play-mary-had-a-little/) [Rick Nielsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-nielsen/) > [I was 35 years old and in a position to take a shot at whatever I wanted to try. 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