"More boat owners said their health is excellent or good (83%) than did non-boat owners (77%). Sixty-seven percent of boat owners said having a boat has contributed to their well-being. Boat owners experience greater self-esteem (+10%), ability to enjoy life (+9%) and a better sex life (+7%). Non-boat owners are more prone to feeling useless (+8%), lonely (+7%) unhappy (+5%) and fatigued (+ 4%). Nearly two-thirds of boat owners said owning a boat has brought their family closer. Most boat owners said the benefits of owning a boat include being outdoors (89%), spending time on the water (85%), being able to unwind and leave pressures behind (79%), and finding tranquility (71%)."

Health: The hours spent, up late tying flies, spent driving to and from a fishing spot, spent frequenting nefarious establishments with others of like ilk for research reasons, the time wasted on repeating the same search each year, hours spent dallying about in leaking rubber pants in a river, the stress of creating excuses for the boss (like having to bury your grandmother at least six times in four years) all these things tend to degrade the general over countenance of one's health a bit. Overall, it would say it does look like it is better to own a boat than a fly-rod on the health issue.

Well-being: What the hell does that mean?

Self esteem: We lose on that one too. There are no more humble souls on earth than fly-fishers. Never are they stuck-up, conceited, nor difficult to get along with; my survey did not of course include fly-shop owners or guides.

Ability to enjoy life/better sex life: I lumped these two together. Wouldn't you? They say that buying a boat will make your number go up at least 7, I think probably a fly-fisher would more likely be an 8 or 9, fly-fishers being so more use to judging numbers and such.

" Non boat owners are more prone to feeling useless, lonely, unhappy or excessively fatigued."