Red Herring Fisher
This came up in conversation recently. Can you be a red herring fisher? That is, can you be predisposed to be distracted by things which you are false lures?
The Word Detective has a history of the phrase "red herring." The herring spoils quickly and the only way to preserve it for any length of time is to smoke it which turns it a very distinct red color. These smoked fish were also used by hunters to train their hounds to follow a scent, and were later used to test the hound's ability to distinguish between the real scent of the fox and the false trail laid down by the smelly fish.
There is another etymological version wherein criminal used the fish to disturb their trail in order to evade the dogs used by the law. If a copper found a fish in your pocket, was it circumstantial enough of the possibility that you might be planning a crime or were you just a fish enthusiast?
I've got enough projects scattered around my desk that I sometimes wonder if I might be a fisherman for the red herring.