"A bad day (of) fishing is better than a good day of work” has been put on gift items (such as bumper stickers, T-shirts and signs) since at least 1986. “A bad day fishing is better than the best day at the office” has been cited in print since at least 1984.

A 1986 citation (below) claims that Sir Izaak Walton’s classic work, The Compleat Angler (1653), contains the line “A bad Daye fishing always beats a goode Daye of Worke,” but the saying does not appear in Walton’s book.

Another work/fishing saying is “Work is for people who don’t know how to fish.”


The Quote Garden
Quotations about Fishing
A bad day of fishing is better than a good day of work.  ~Author Unknown

1 July 1984, Springfield (MA) Sunday Republican, “Why fish don’t bite” by Frank Sousa, pg. D11, col. 3:
THE DAY WAS a success as well, as we understood that a bad day fishing is better than the best day at the office.

Google Books
Pennsylvania Outdoors
Volumes 5-6
1986
Pg. 65:
In The Compleat Angler (1653), Sir Izaak Walton theorized that “A bad Daye fishing always beats a goode Daye of Worke.”

Google Books
The Michigan Natural Resources Magazine
Volume 55
1986
Pg. 68:
The thought reminded him of a sign he’d seen taped to someone’s office wall: “A bad day of fishing beats a good day of work.”

Google Books
The Woodenboat
1986
Pg. 25:
They had gun racks in the rear windows and dog cages in the back and bumper stickers proclaiming such truths as “Flamin’ Harry’s Harley- Davidson, Hot American Steel” and “A Bad Day of Fishing Is Still Better than a Good Day of Work.

27 September 1986, The Cobb County Times (GA), “The Judds do love their work” by Jim Lewis (United Press International), pg. 8E, col. 2
Wynonna’s mom, Naomi Judd, piped in with one of her old sayings, “A bad day fishing is better than a good day at work.”

Google News Archive
16 April 1987, Record-Journal (Meriden, CT), “Angling action isn’t limited to trout opening day” by Mike Roberts, pg. D10, col. 6:
And for those who were not as successful during this “day of days” for fishermen, remember, “A bad day of fishing is still better than a good day at work!”

Google News Archive
23 August 1987, Record-Journal (Meriden, CT), pg. D9, col. 4:
Some Long Island Sound advice this time of year is to spend a few fishing days ...
Battling the blues
(...)
Remember, a bad day of fishing is still better than a good day at work.

Google Books
April 1989, Boys’ Life, pg. 22, col. 1:
Patrick stared at David for a minute and said, “Look at it this way, David, a bad day fishing is still better than a good day at school.”

31 May 1992, The State (Columbia, SC), “Looking for something to do? Go fish,” pg. 11C:
Bumper sticker philosophy says it all: “A bad day fishing is better than a good day working.”

New York (NY) Times
ATLANTA CITY; Storm? What Storm?
By BILL KENT
Published: August 30, 1998
(...)
His wife, Regina, likes the casinos, ‘’so I’ll probably take her to one of them a little later on,’’ Mr. Ford said. ‘’For me, bring on the peace, the quiet and the fish. The way I see it, even a bad day of fishing beats a good day of work, and this is turning into a good day.’’

Meaningful “A bad day of fishing is better than a good day of work” note certainly!! Your picking point in this issue are really very good.
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Thanks for the head up! Will keep this in mind!

The quote is really confusing at first. Have to think in deeper to understand and decipher its true meaning.

-CJ
SEO Company Perth

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as we understood that a bad day fishing is better than the best day at the office.  THE DAY WAS a success as well,

Daye fishing always beats a goode Daye of Worke.

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“A bad day of fishing is better than a good day of work”

I think this means that fishing is way better than work, since work can be quite stressful while fishing could be fun and totally exciting.

I’m really happy to read this article, cause my today is awful. I have to work all day and all night so i do not have any free time. I hope my day will have a good finish…

I chuckle a bit every time I see these bumper stickers. 

Yes , he should also add “Work smart not hard so you have more time for fishing”

I think this means that fishing is way better than work, since work can be quite stressful while fishing could be fun and totally exciting.