Over the years, many US presidents have enjoyed the sport of fishing. In fact, some Commanders in Chief were true experts with the rod and reel. Unlike most other presidential activities, fishing provided a getaway from the spotlight, and some much-needed peace and quiet. For some presidents, fishing was a sport and source of recreation. For others, it was a noble pursuit and a lifelong passion. Let’s take a look at the US presidents who loved fishing.
George Washington
Starting the long tradition of anglers in office, George Washington was an avid fisherman throughout his life. The angling adventures of America’s first president on the Potomac are well documented. During the late 1700s, the river was teeming with the likes of Shad, Char, Herring, and Bass. And Washington loved to catch them all.
What many people don’t know, however, is that before stepping into office, George Washington was a successful commercial fisherman.
Recognizing the economic potential of the Potomac and his Mount Vernon estate, Washington started selling his catch to the nearby townships. The demand was high, and Washington’s business flourished.
Before long, Washington rounded up a small fleet of ships and started shipping barrels of fish to the West Indies. Within several years, the Mount Vernon fishery became a respected and highly profitable fish supplier. Of course, running a fishing business came with its set of challenges.
To make sure his fish got to the British Caribbean colonies in top condition, Washington needed good quality salt to preserve them. At that time, the highest-grade salts came from the Mediterranean. However, because of extremely high import tariffs enforced by the British, Washington wasn’t able to get his hands on these salts.
The British essentially forced him to import inferior salts from Liverpool. The ordeal would greatly influence Washington’s pre-revolutionary sentiments towards the Crown.
Grover Cleveland
The only president to serve in two non-consecutive terms (elected in 1885 and 1893), Grover Cleveland was one of the nation’s loudest fishing advocates. The critics of the time labeled fishermen as lazy people, often inclined towards profanity and dishonesty. President Cleveland would hear nothing of it.
In his book “Fishing and Shooting Sketches,” the President stood up for the American angler, proclaiming him the “virtuous backbone of the country.”
Today, when people see a picture of President Cleveland, they see a big, burly figure, with a mustache and a stern look on his face. You wouldn’t know that behind that stern look, there was a man with an innate sense of humor.
In defense of fishermen accused of being profane, Cleveland writes:
“They, nevertheless, find sufficient excuse for their accusation in the sudden ejaculations, outwardly resembling profanity, which are occasionally wrung from fishermen in trying crises and in moments of soul-straining unkindness of Fate.”
As an avid fisher, President Cleveland often looked to fishing to deal with the burdens of his presidency. Even after serving his two presidential terms, Cleveland remained attached to his favorite activity. Years into his retirement, he would take turns fishing in upstate New York during the summer, and Florida’s Treasure Coast during the winter.
Herbert Hoover
One of the more polarizing leaders in US history, Herbert Hoover is viewed by many as the president who couldn’t stop the Great Depression. Be that as it may, he was certainly one of the better anglers among the nation’s leaders. A devout Trout fisherman, Hoover was known as The Fishing President.
One of his more memorable quotes was, “Presidents have only two moments of personal seclusion. One is prayer; the other is fishing – and they cannot pray all the time!”
Coming from a Quaker family, Hoover was encouraged to avoid activities that included playing cards, consuming alcohol, or any other “immoral” acts. Instead, he spent much of his leisure time in the outdoors. This opened the path for Hoover to become an avid fisherman, and one of the most conservation-oriented presidents to date.
He wrote a book called “Fishing for Fun: And to Wash Your Soul.” In his book, Hoover famously wrote “All men are equal before fish.” Anglers might have been equal before fish, but certainly not before Hoover. In fact, the president wasn’t shy about his views on the hierarchy of fishers.
In terms of skill and virtue, Hoover put dry-fly fishermen at the top of his pecking order. Next came the wet-fly casters, then the spin casters and, the lowliest of them all, users of live bait.
As a true conservationist, Hoover worked closely with the National Parks Service to open and expand a number of national parks. He laid the groundwork for the opening of the Everglades, Great Smoky Mountains, and Shenandoah National Parks. In doing so, Hoover gave American anglers invaluable fisheries which they will enjoy for years to come.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt
It takes one look at FDR’s overseas travels to see how fond the man was of deep sea fishing. Prior to the war, Roosevelt made regular visits to the Bahamas, where he would enjoy the best the Caribbean fishery had to offer. He also famously caught a 235 lb Shark after a 90-minute battle in Costa Rica.
But perhaps the most detailed depiction of how good a fisherman FDR was lies documented in a book written by legendary Texan fishing guide Barney Farley. In his book, Farley describes Roosevelt’s 1937 visit to Port Aransas, and his enduring battles with monster Texan Tarpon. The book offered a unique look into the president’s angling prowess as well as his witty personality.
Describing his first meeting with the president, Farley writes:
“His legs may have been weak, but his handshake wasn’t. When I told him he could catch a whale with a grip like that, he laughed. His warmth and friendliness gave me courage to tell him that his personal fishing boat wasn’t suitable for Tarpon fishing. I asked if we could use a local boat and guide. Hist response was instantaneous. ‘You’re in charge of the party, Barney. We will do as you say.’”
Roosevelt continued to fish even in later, not so fortunate times. During a World War II conference in Shangri-La (now Camp David), FDR took his guest Winston Churchill for a little fishing respite.
Dwight Eisenhower
Five-star general and America’s 34th President, Dwight Eisenhower had been fishing since he was a little boy. From a very young age, Eisenhower and his five brothers fished the waters of Mud Creek, near Abilene, Kansas. With nothing more than an improvised rod, a 5¢ hook, and a few worms, the brothers would make regular catches of local Sunfish, Bullheads, and Carp.
It wasn’t until after the war that Ike became passionate for fly fishing. A little too passionate some might say. Why? In 1952, Ike got in trouble for going over the Colorado state Trout limit. That just goes to show that the rules apply to all, even a decorated war hero.
Speaking of Colorado, this is where Eisenhower made a second home after the war. He intimately knew Colorado’s fisheries, in part because his wife Mamie was from these parts. Two particular spots had a special spot in President Ike’s heart, and these were Bal Swan Ranch in Pine and the Byers Peak Ranch in Fraser.
While running for his first presidential term, Eisenhower came to Colorado to plan his campaign. His running mate, Richard Nixon, was with him. Of course, Nixon wasn’t nearly as good at fishing, nor did he share Ike’s passion for the outdoors. Still, that didn’t prevent the general from trying to teach Nixon how to fly cast.
Stepping into office didn’t prevent Eisenhower from pursuing his passion for fishing. During his 8 years in office, Eisenhower made over 40 fishing excursions! Many of these were precisely in the remote Colorado fisheries.
On one of these occasions, Eisenhower invited former President Herbert Hoover to fish in the high Rockies. The two statesmen didn’t always see eye to eye, but they did share a life-long love of catching fish on the fly.
Hoover wasn’t going to be easily convinced, however. After all, this is the man who said that he, Teddy Roosevelt, and Grover Cleveland were the only three Presidents who were true fly fishermen before they stepped into office.
Ike needed to charm the ex-president as best he could:
“I assure you that you don’t need to be especially terrified at the prospect of living on my cooking for a couple of days. My culinary reputation is pretty good – but my repertoire is limited. It is only after about four days that my guests begin to look a little pained when they come to the dinner table. It is a grand place to loaf and we will have absolutely no one with us except my great friend who owns the place, and possibly my brother Milton.”
Hoover said yes, and the two presidents ended up having a great time.
Jimmy Carter
Arguably the only US president to enter the realm of “fishing mastery,” Jimmy Carter is highly respected in the fly anglers’ community. He’s a member of the Georgia Hunting and Fishing Hall of Fame, as well as a highly prolific author on the great outdoors.
Growing up in Plains, Georgia, Jimmy Carter fell in love with the outdoors when he was barely old enough to hold a fishing rod. Introduced to fishing by his father James Sr., young Jimmy made his first angling steps on the Satilla River. Here, the father-son duo had great fun catching fish such as Bluegill, Redbreast Sunfish, and Crappie.
As he got older, the would-be president became more and more fascinated with the art of fly angling. And once he came into office, his love of fly fishing only continued to grow. He collected an extensive collection of fly fishing books. At his oaken roll-top desk, the president would work meticulously on his fly tying skills.
In one of his interviews, Carter described his admiration for the art of fishing on the fly:
“…fly-fishing to me opened up just a new panorama of challenge. Because you had to learn the intricacies of streams, of currents, of water temperature, of different kinds of fly hatches, how to tie your own flies, which you wouldn’t ordinarily do in other kinds of fishing…”
As president, Carter took only 79 vacation days (less than any other chief executive in the last 50 years). We’re willing to bet that at least half of those involved fly fishing in some shape or form.
Over the years, President Carter honed his skills in fisheries around the world, wetting his lines in Alaska, Mongolia, and New Zealand. To this day, Jimmy Carter continues to fish, proving that at 95, there are still plenty of fish to catch.
Different People, Same Fabric
Through the years, America has had many different presidents. Whether it was their policies, their views, or simply their personalities, these leaders were all different people. It’s fascinating to think that this one thing connected so many of them. Yes, the love for fishing tied even the most opposed of presidents.
Not only that, fishing brought presidents closer to us regular folks, too. Seeing a president struggling to get the fish to bite showed that they are, at least in that respect, just like us.
Thank you to Bill Mares for his book Fishing with the Presidents, which compiled many presidential fishing anecdotes we used as our inspiration for this blog.
Who’s your favorite fishing president? Are there any Anglers in Chief you think we might have missed? Let us know in the comments below.
