“There are these two young fish swimming along and they happen to meet an older fish swimming the other way, who nods at them and says "Morning, boys. How's the water?" And the two young fish swim on for a bit, and then eventually one of them looks over at the other and goes "What the hell is water?”

“Oh, things are frequently what they seem,
And this is wisdom's crown:
Only the game fish swims upstream,
But the sensible fish swims down.”

“What is significant in one's own existence one is hardly aware, and it certainly should not bother the other fellow. What does a fish know about the water in which he swims all his life?”

“You don't accomplish much by swimming with the mainstream. Hell, a dead fish can do that.”

“Gene Ray: Another thing, did you know your father is a fish?
Interviewer: No, I did not know my… [laughter]
Gene Ray: You know how salmon swim upstream, the male fertilizes the female eggs laid in the water?
Interviewer: Yes.
Gene Ray: The sperm fish swims upstream just like the salmon fertilizes female eggs laid in the water.”

“There are three things that smell of fish. One of them is fish. The other two are growing on you!”

“Never forget that only dead fish swim with the stream.”

“Remember, a dead fish can float downstream, but it takes a live one to swim upstream.”

“It takes a strong fish to swim against the current. Even a dead one can float with it.”

“Some fish love to swim upstream. Some people love to overcome challenges.”