The Fonz on Fly Fishing

Henry Winkler, the actor who’s had a wonderful career and is perhaps most beloved for his portrayal of The Fonz in Happy Days, recently sat down for a Q&A with GQ, all about fly fishing.

Yes, you read that correctly. The Fonz, talking about fly fishing, in GQ.

Fly fishing isn’t bohemian anymore, and might be at risk of becoming decidedly mainstream. On the whole, I reckon that’s good for the sport, if only because more people enjoying it means more people willing to stand up and conserve our fisheries which are constantly under threat.

In recent years, Winkler has become known for posting his fish pics on Twitter/X. As an avid user of the platform, I’ve loved seeing the reaction from Winkler’s followers, most of whom aren’t avid anglers. On the whole, it’s been a positive experience, and something that I think will only benefit us in the long run.

But I wanted to highlight a few of the questions Winkler answered, and encourage you to go read the entire interview, which you can do here.

Of his decision to start posting fish pics on Twitter/X, Winkler said: “I’ll tell you the honest truth, I did it just because I’m just so amazed at how beautiful they are. And I thought I would just put it on Twitter for my friends to see. And then it turned into this thing where people all over the world loved it. They now ask me, “When are you going again? Don’t forget to send pictures!” They love the fish, and they love that I’m so filled with joy with every fish. It’s a wonderful feeling to take that picture, give the fish a kiss, thank it and put it back in the water.”

Of how happy he is in his pictures, Winkler said: “Oh my God, it is just so much fun. When your guide—my guide’s name is Buck—when Buck scoops it up in the net so we can look at it and get the hook out? You look and you just go, “Wow! Look at the reds. Look at the oranges. Look at the green, look at the gold. Look at the spots. Look at the rainbow going down the center of that fish. Oh my God!” They are so beautiful.”

Again, you can read the entire interview here.