"Fly fishing is solitary, contemplative, misanthropic, scientific in some hands, poetic in others and laced with conflicting aesthetic considerations. It is not even clear if catching fish is even the point."
John Gierach, 'Dances with Trout'
He also says in "Trout Bum" that flyfishing is "a sport that, at its best, mixes the basics of science with dark powers on one hand and bumbling luck on the other."
I think he's quite good at throwing up these highly quotable little insights into our slightly odd pursuit.