I feel that the professional angler should be considered an athelete. I don't think that just because the sport is not in the mainstream so to speak, that the stars of the sport are not atheletes. Look at nascar for instance; most people feel that the drivers are atheletes. All these guys do is drive a car. The similarity between the two is that there is an incredible amount of mental preparation involved being a top-notch competitor in either sport. Just because the physical aspect of the sport is not incredibly taxing, it isn't a sport. I have heard people call bowlers atheletes........explain that one.