If you can’t handle rejection don’t write or fish. At least with fish, you know it’s nothing personal. A fish, with no cerebral cortex, is incapable of passing judgment. I project the thought process of a fish inspecting my fly to be this is food, this is not food or I could die, get gone.
Brings out the cringe factor hearing someone use the phrase “match wits” with a fish.
I live in the North and the cold of the winter makes the fish here groggy and tough to catch. Nice post.