The 9 Most Popular Fishing Lies Ever Told By Anglers

“ Of all the liars among mankind, the fisherman is the most trustworthy.”

~ William Sherwood Fox, Silken Lines and Silver Hooks 1954

If William Sherwood Fox is correct (which I believe he is), then why is it that fishermen are always associated with telling fish stories (aka lies)?

First, let’s talk about the different types of lies that people usually tell (in order from putting you behind bars to getting a roll of the eyes):

• Lying while under oath in court
• Bold-faced lies
• White lies
• Fishing lies

Now although we here at Salt Strong strongly urge you to never lie under any circumstance, we wanted to highlight the top 9 “fishing lies” that fishermen have been known to tell over the years…

Enjoy.

(and let us know in the comments if we missed any good ones)

#1 – Lying About How Big The Fish Was

“It was THIS big…”

Camera phones were a huge game-changer for the fishing community because they almost eliminated fishermen lying about the size of a fish… at least for a little while…

See, it didn’t take long for anglers to realize that holding the fish up the camera with stretched out arms makes the fish look much larger than it is in real life.

One company even made stretch arms for fish pics!

Note: always look at the size of the person’s hands/fingers to see just how far they stretched out their arms.

On the other end of the spectrum, you have the anglers that claim they had incredible days but “forgot” to have their cameras ready…

Listen, if it’s just one of those days where you can’t catch a single fish (big or small), you can always post pictures of the sunset…

Just never mind these guys on social media.

#2 – Lying About How Many Fish Were Caught

Fishing writer John Gierach wrote and launched a book titled, “All Fishermen Are Liars” (see it here on Amazon) in 2014 – telling stories about the wonders and challenges of fishing, teaching life’s lessons and making the readers realize how the “sport” can be really entertaining and beneficial in many ways.

The title of the book should NOT be taken literally because as far as I’m concerned “fishermen were all born honest.”

We also believe a few minor facts shouldn’t get in the way of a good fishing story…

#3 – Lying About Hooking Into A Big Fish When You Really Hooked The Bottom

Congrats, you’ve got a really big fish on the line (feeling proud … already imagining the picture you are going to post on Instagram…)!

But all of a sudden, reality bites – you know the truth…

You’ve hooked the bottom.

So the big decision comes… do you fight it like it is a beast of a fish or admit defeat?

And this meme says it all, right?

#4 – Lying About Your Line Breaking Due To A Monster Fish… After You Realize Your Knot Slipped

Don’t worry, it even happens to the best of them…

Whether it be that you were in a rush because you could see the fishing biting and you needed a quick knot, or if you were trying to tie the knot in pitch black darkness, we’ve all had a fishing knot slip at one point or another (some of us still won’t admit it though).

Just another reason to always take your time with your braid to leader knot.

After all, your fishing knots should be more like this:

#5 – Not Telling Your Real Reasons For Missing Work…

Ever made up an alibi or a tale so you could skip work to do something fun?

Well, the same thing happens to us anglers.

And it goes something like this:

Just keep your fingers crossed that your boss won’t ask for a doctor’s note and you don’t get a sunburn (related: 5 Things Anglers Can Do To Avoid Dying From Skin Cancer)

Otherwise, you’re in a very big trouble, brother!

Or let’s take a different scenario… lying to your wife about a fishing trip.

If you take a chance with this, don’t forget to remind your friends not to tag you, too.

Or else… silent treatment at home probably awaits!

Which is more difficult for you… explaining something like this to your boss or to your wife? Honestly…

#6 – Promising To Not Buy Any More Fishing Gear

Anglers just can’t help it.

We all know how important quality fishing gear is.

Not to mention, it pains us to not have the latest and greatest rods, reels, line, lures, and tackle.

And the last time I checked, it’s an investment in your happiness.

Doesn’t your spouse know about this?

#7 – Lying About The Number Of Hours You Said You’d Be Fishing

Scenario: Wife says you have to be home early because she needs you to help weed the garden…

If you are like most anglers, you get caught up in your love of fishing and forget about the time…

Well, better ready your “valid” reasons or an angry spouse awaits at home.

You’ll probably be better off taking her fishing and see if she’ll love the sport, too.

Don’t feel bad if she catches bigger fish than you… it happens.

#8 – Not Telling The Truth About Your Fishing Spots 

Well, honestly, I consider this an angler’s ultimate secret than a lie.

Why?

Because …

See what might happen?

Trust no one about your fishing spots… almost the same as an entrepreneur’s “trade secret”.

Lesson Learned

#9 – Telling Someone “This Is My Last Cast”

Who else is guilty?

Sometimes in our strong desire to catch more fish, our last cast never means “last cast”.

Fishermen just don’t like to quit… nothing wrong with that.

Fish Strong!

Did we miss any popular “fishing lies?”

Let us know in the comment section below.

Related Post: “Top 5 Myths About No Bananas On Board Your Boat” (see it here now)

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