“Old fishermen never die—they just lose their bobbers”

“Old soldiers never die—they just fade away” is an old saying that was popularized by General Douglas MacArthur (1880-1964) in his farewell address to Congress on April 19, 1951. Many parodies of the saying have been made.
 
“Old fishermen never die—they just lose their bobbers” has been printed on many wall decorations. The saying has been cited in print since at least 2007.
 
“Old fishermen never die—they just smell that way” is another popular saying about fishermen.
   
 
Sweet ‘n’ Simple—Quotes and Sayings
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2007
POSTED BY TORI GOODRICH AT 8:54 AM
Fishing
(...)   
Old fishermen never die they just loose their bobbers
   
Texas Letters—Phrases and Quotes
3.12.08
Sports
Take me out to the ball game
Fishing stories told here
Old Fishermen never die, they just lose their bobbers
 
Twitter
Kris Tolle
‏@K_Tolle18
Old fisherman never die their bobbers quit bouncing
5:10 PM - 12 Jun 2011
 
Twitter
Allan Fisher
‏@afisher33
Old fishermen never die, the just lose their bobbers!!
1:48 PM - 24 Feb 2012
 
Twitter
Rogers Schneider
‏@hanerihusy
Old Fishermen Never Die, They Just Lose Their Bobbers Sports Hobbies Outdoor Vinyl Wall Decal Sticker Mural Quot… http://amzn.to/HEYoPa
3:01 PM - 30 Apr 2012
 
Twitter
Lauren Clark
‏@lecclark
“Old fishermen never die, their bobbers just quit bouncing “-Saying goodbye to Grandpa Clark. http://instagram.com/p/tdrBa8nurb/
4:15 PM - 27 Sep 2014