--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There was never an angler who lived but…" description: "\"There was never an angler who lived but that there was a fish capable of taking the conceit out of him.\" — Zane Grey" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/336/zane-grey-8315_anglers_there-was-never-an-angler-who-lived-but_2554337.jpg" --- # There was never an angler who lived but that there was a… ![“There was never an angler who lived but that there was a fish capable of taking the conceit out of him.” quote by Zane Grey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/336/zane-grey-8315_anglers_there-was-never-an-angler-who-lived-but_2554337.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/336/zane-grey-8315_anglers_there-was-never-an-angler-who-lived-but_2554337.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/336/zane-grey-8315_anglers_there-was-never-an-angler-who-lived-but_2554337.jpg) > “There was never an angler who lived but that there was a fish capable of taking the conceit out of him.” [Zane Grey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zane-grey/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Even seasoned hunters recognize that a fish can humble their pride, reminding them of nature’s equalizing power. **In simple terms:** Nature can humble even the proud. Key Takeaway Respect nature’s humility. Themes humility nature pride Mood reflective humble Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - fishing trips - outdoor adventures - personal reflection - wildlife observation Key Concepts philosophy ecology Questions to Reflect On - What does humility teach you about success? - How do you stay grounded in nature? A Different Perspective Human arrogance often ignores ecological interdependence. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Angler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/angler-953255/) [Angler Lived](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/angler-lived-1548989/) [Anglers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anglers/) [Boat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boat/) [Capable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capable/) [Capable Taking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capable-taking-925576/) [Conceit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conceit/) [Fish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fish/) [Fish Capable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fish-capable-1548991/) [Fishes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fishes/) [Fishing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fishing/) [Lakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lakes/) [Lived Fish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lived-fish-1548990/) [Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rivers/) [Sea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sea/) ## Related quotes > [And if ye angler take fysshe; surely thenne is there noo man merier than he is in his spyryte.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juliana-berners/and-if-ye-angler-take-fysshe-surely-thenne-is-there-noo-man-merier/) [Juliana Berners](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juliana-berners/) > [An excellent angler, and now with God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/izaak-walton/an-excellent-angler-and-now-with-god/) [Izaak Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/izaak-walton/) > [A friend of ours, who is an admirer of Isaac Walton, was struck, just as we were, with the likeness of the old angler's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leigh-hunt/a-friend-of-ours-who-is-an-admirer-of-isaac-walton-was-struck-just-as/) [Leigh Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leigh-hunt/) > [The measure of an enthusiasm must be taken between interesting events. It is between bites that the lukewarm angler loses heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-way-teale/the-measure-of-an-enthusiasm-must-be-taken-between-interesting-events/) [Edwin Way Teale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-way-teale/) > [The traveler fancies he has seen the country. So he has, the outside of it at least; but the angler only sees the inside.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-kingsley/the-traveler-fancies-he-has-seen-the-country-so-he-has-the-outside-of/) [Charles Kingsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-kingsley/) > [Fishing is a pleasure of retirement, yet the angler has the power to let the fish live or die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zicheng-hong/fishing-is-a-pleasure-of-retirement-yet-the-angler-has-the-power-to/) [Zicheng Hong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zicheng-hong/) > [A Rod: An attractively painted length of fiberglass that keeps an angler from ever getting too close to a fish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robbie-keane/a-rod-an-attractively-painted-length-of-fiberglass-that-keeps-an/) [Robbie Keane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robbie-keane/) > [There's nothing sweeter than a real friend: Not only is he prompt to lend— An angler delicate, he fishes The very deepest of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-fontaine/there-s-nothing-sweeter-than-a-real-friend-not-only-is-he-prompt-to/) [Jean de La Fontaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-fontaine/) > [No life is so happy and so pleasant as the life of the well-govern'd angler.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/izaak-walton/no-life-is-so-happy-and-so-pleasant-as-the-life-of-the-well-govern-d/) [Izaak Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/izaak-walton/) > [The meditative angler is not exempt from sensational periods. There are times when all the uncertainty of his chosen pursuit seems to condense itself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-van-dyke/the-meditative-angler-is-not-exempt-from-sensational-periods-there/) [Henry Van Dyke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-van-dyke/) > [For me, the life of the angler is an almost flawless example of how not to have a good time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/for-me-the-life-of-the-angler-is-an-almost-flawless-example-of-how/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [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/) > [All the charm of the angler's life would be lost but for these hours of thought and memory. All along the brook, all day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper-prime/all-the-charm-of-the-angler-s-life-would-be-lost-but-for-these-hours/) [William Cowper Prime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cowper-prime/) > [The time must come to all of us, who live long, when memory is more than prospect. An angler who has reached this stage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-grey-1st-viscount-grey-of-fallodon/the-time-must-come-to-all-of-us-who-live-long-when-memory-is-more/) [Edward Grey, 1st Viscount Grey of Fallodon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-grey-1st-viscount-grey-of-fallodon/) > [For the true angler, fishing produces a deep,unspoken joy, born of longing for that which is quiet and peaceful, and fostered by an inbred…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thaddeus-norris/for-the-true-angler-fishing-produces-a-deep-unspoken-joy-born-of/) [Thaddeus Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thaddeus-norris/) ## More by Zane Grey > [I arise full of eagerness and energy, knowing well what achievement lies ahead of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zane-grey/i-arise-full-of-eagerness-and-energy-knowing-well-what-achievement/) [Zane Grey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zane-grey/) > [“You and I will never live to see the day that women recover their balance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zane-grey/you-and-i-will-never-live-to-see-the-day-that-women-recover-their/) [Zane Grey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zane-grey/) > [“So that's troublin' you? I reckon it needn't. You see it was this way. I come round the house an' seen that fat party…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zane-grey/so-that-s-troublin-you-i-reckon-it-needn-t-you-see-it-was-this-way-i/) [Zane Grey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zane-grey/) > [“I was a preacher, and now I am thirsting for vengeance,” answered Christy, his face clouding darkly. “Wait until you learn what frontier life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zane-grey/i-was-a-preacher-and-now-i-am-thirsting-for-vengeance-answered/) [Zane Grey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zane-grey/) > [What makes life worth living? Better surely, to yield to the stain of suicide blood in me and seek forgetfulness in the embrace of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zane-grey/what-makes-life-worth-living-better-surely-to-yield-to-the-stain-of/) [Zane Grey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zane-grey/) > [I hate birthdays.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zane-grey/i-hate-birthdays/) [Zane Grey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zane-grey/) > [Fishermen, no matter what supreme good fortune befalls them, cannot ever be absolutely satisfied. It is a fundamental weakness of intellect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zane-grey/fishermen-no-matter-what-supreme-good-fortune-befalls-them-cannot/) [Zane Grey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zane-grey/) > [“We must dress to make other women jealous and to attract men.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zane-grey/we-must-dress-to-make-other-women-jealous-and-to-attract-men/) [Zane Grey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zane-grey/) > [“Don’t apologize. It’s a sign of weakness." Captain Nathan Brittles, "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon "(1949)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zane-grey/don-t-apologize-it-s-a-sign-of-weakness-captain-nathan-brittles-she/) [Zane Grey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zane-grey/) > [Adam Larey gazed with hard and wondering eyes down the silent current of the red river upon which he meant to drift away into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zane-grey/adam-larey-gazed-with-hard-and-wondering-eyes-down-the-silent-current/) [Zane Grey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zane-grey/) > [I am full of fire and passion. I am not ready yet for great concentration and passion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zane-grey/i-am-full-of-fire-and-passion-i-am-not-ready-yet-for-great/) [Zane Grey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zane-grey/) > [Fishing is a condition of mind wherein you cannot possibly have a bad time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zane-grey/fishing-is-a-condition-of-mind-wherein-you-cannot-possibly-have-a-bad/) [Zane Grey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zane-grey/) > [Realism is death to me. I cannot stand life as it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zane-grey/realism-is-death-to-me-i-cannot-stand-life-as-it-is/) [Zane Grey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zane-grey/) > [Before exulatation had vanished, I felt as if I had been granted a marvellous privilege. Out of the inscrutable waters a beautiful fish had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zane-grey/before-exulatation-had-vanished-i-felt-as-if-i-had-been-granted-a/) [Zane Grey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zane-grey/) > [Jealously was an unjust and stifling thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zane-grey/jealously-was-an-unjust-and-stifling-thing/) [Zane Grey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zane-grey/) [Explore all 82 Zane Grey quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zane-grey/) ## More Anglers quotes > [Some people are under the impression that all that is required to make a good fisherman is the ability to tell lies easily and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-k-jerome/some-people-are-under-the-impression-that-all-that-is-required-to/) [Jerome K. Jerome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-k-jerome/) > [Lust is as it were desire and desire, will which extends beyond the natural will, passionate, not governed by the law and moderation. There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patriarch-philaret-of-moscow/lust-is-as-it-were-desire-and-desire-will-which-extends-beyond-the/) [Patriarch Philaret of Moscow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patriarch-philaret-of-moscow/) > [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/) > [And if ye angler take fysshe; surely thenne is there noo man merier than he is in his spyryte.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juliana-berners/and-if-ye-angler-take-fysshe-surely-thenne-is-there-noo-man-merier/) [Juliana Berners](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juliana-berners/) > [We waded so gently and reverently, or we pulled together so smoothly, that the fishes of thought were not scared from the stream, nor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/we-waded-so-gently-and-reverently-or-we-pulled-together-so-smoothly/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The time must come to all of us, who live long, when memory is more than prospect. An angler who has reached this stage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-grey-1st-viscount-grey-of-fallodon/the-time-must-come-to-all-of-us-who-live-long-when-memory-is-more/) [Edward Grey, 1st Viscount Grey of Fallodon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-grey-1st-viscount-grey-of-fallodon/) > [All the charm of the angler's life would be lost but for these hours of thought and memory. All along the brook, all day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper-prime/all-the-charm-of-the-angler-s-life-would-be-lost-but-for-these-hours/) [William Cowper Prime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cowper-prime/) > [Anglers have a way of romanticizing their battles with fish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/anglers-have-a-way-of-romanticizing-their-battles-with-fish/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [Yet compared with the serious things of life, fishing is after all rather trivial. The thoughtful angler must frankly confess this.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-russell/yet-compared-with-the-serious-things-of-life-fishing-is-after-all/) [Harold Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-russell/) > [These poor rich men, we anglers pity them perfectly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/izaak-walton/these-poor-rich-men-we-anglers-pity-them-perfectly/) [Izaak Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/izaak-walton/) > [The trout in yonder wimpling burn - That glides, a silver dart, - And, safe beneath the shady thorn, - Defies the anglers art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-burns/the-trout-in-yonder-wimpling-burn-that-glides-a-silver-dart-and-safe/) [Robert Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-burns/) > [Satan, that great angler, hath his sundry baits for sundry tempers of men, which they all catch greedily at, but few perceive the hook…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bradstreet/satan-that-great-angler-hath-his-sundry-baits-for-sundry-tempers-of/) [Anne Bradstreet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bradstreet/) > [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/) > [Most anglers, especially tyros, false cast too often. Three false casts should be sufficient for any throw and two is better. One is perfect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-brooks/most-anglers-especially-tyros-false-cast-too-often-three-false-casts/) [Joe Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-brooks/) > [For me, the life of the angler is an almost flawless example of how not to have a good time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/for-me-the-life-of-the-angler-is-an-almost-flawless-example-of-how/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) [Browse all 62 Anglers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anglers/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There was never an angler who lived but that there was a fish capable of taking the conceit out of him.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Zane Grey" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zane-grey/there-was-never-an-angler-who-lived-but-that-there-was-a-fish-capable/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Anglers" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zane-grey/there-was-never-an-angler-who-lived-but-that-there-was-a-fish-capable/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/336/zane-grey-8315_anglers_there-was-never-an-angler-who-lived-but_2554337.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/336/zane-grey-8315_anglers_there-was-never-an-angler-who-lived-but_2554337.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/336/zane-grey-8315_anglers_there-was-never-an-angler-who-lived-but_2554337.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There was never an angler who lived but that there was a fish capable of taking the conceit out of him.” — Zane Grey", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Zane Grey", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zane-grey/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "There was never an angler who...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zane-grey/there-was-never-an-angler-who-lived-but-that-there-was-a-fish-capable/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zane-grey/there-was-never-an-angler-who-lived-but-that-there-was-a-fish-capable/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```