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S P O R T I N G C L A S S I C S • 67 T he chances of running into Jimmy Buffett at the dock or President George W. Bush at the fly shop are pretty slim, but there are a lot of celebs who enjoy wetting a line like the rest of us. Here are a few notables who could be working the same waters as you one of these days. Also, a few whose spirits still cast their Heddon Dowagiac Minnows or Comstock Flying Hellgrammites into the depths for ghosts of fishes past. Jimmy Buffett, the singer/songwriter who beckons us to waste away in Margaritaville, is naturally handy with a saltwater rod. But he doesn't just fish around his Palm Beach home; he likes to work in some angling on his tours as well. While fishing off Nantucket between New York concerts, he once landed a 350-pound tuna. Changes in latitude don't bother the Boss Parrothead. A musician who is rarely seen without a guitar in his hand, Eric Clapton enjoys time away from the stage with a fly rod at the ready. Having been taught to fly fish by Procol Harum founder Gary Booker, Clapton has used that knowledge to help him through tough times. "Fishing is an absorbing pastime and has a Zen quality to it," Clapton reflected. "It's an ideal pursuit for anyone who wants to think a lot and get things in perspective." One of American's top alpine skiers, Lindsey Vonn also enjoys dunking a fly now and then. She's even competed in the accuracy-casting segment of the GoPro Mountain Games in Vail. It's hoped that she'll take part in the Games' 2 Fly X-Stream event in June, when catching an actual fish is part of the competition. Vonn's former squeeze, Tiger Woods, also likes to fish. When asked to rate the TPC Sawgrass Golf Course, his answer was, "Largemouth bass. They're everywhere around here." He's also had the opportunity to fish for salmon in Ireland. Probably played a bit of golf while there, too. Gotta do some work to write off those fishing trips, right? A celeb that's neither a singer, songwriter, guitarist, actress, or . . . well, we really don't know what she is, but Paris Hilton has been fishing since she was a youngster. Angling is her getaway from the glitz of Hollywood. "I'm Fishing by Larry Chesney Some famouS folkS Share our love for fiShing. still a tomboy," she said. "I love to go fishing." Blake Shelton, country singer and host of The Voice, fishes for bass, catfish, carp, and trout. Born in Oklahoma, he's been doing it since he was a boy. His ex, Miranda Lambert, fishes, and so does his current lady, Gwen Stefani. Coincidence? Perhaps . . . Living on a ranch in Montana, Michael Keaton has had the good fortune to fall in love with fly fishing in his own backyard. But even he believes you can have too much of a good thing. In an interview with MidCurrent, Keaton, who is never short of introspection, stated, "As much as I like fishing, after a while I start to hate fishing if I talk about it all the time. It's like guys who say, 'I'm going to run a fly fishing shop.' You hate fly fishing after about three months." To break up the monotony of fishing the streams around his ranch, Keaton travels south for tarpon and bonefish. Wouldn't want him to get burned out on those Montana trout. Roger Daltrey, lead singer for The Who, has owned a 26-acre fishing reserve for more than 30 years. Like Keaton, he has his own unique take on the pastime. "When I go fishing," says Daltrey, "I come away feeling Photo ItAR-tASS / DmItRy AStAkhov / www.AlAmy.com B.A.S.S. founder Ray Scott hosted George w. Bush on Scott's private Alabama lake in 1994.