extreme, you hit it right on the money. Firefighter has to be the best fishing job. I was a firefighter for four years, in the military. We worked day on day off and 3 day weekends. Was not hard labor. We worked 8 hour days ( if you could call it work) and sit around the station watching tv at night. I know the city firefighters here are making some bucks average at least 30 k per year. A paramedic I know makes around forty.
I left that line of work to become a fisheries biologist ( currently in school ). I will never have a schedule like a firefighter though.

I am completely worthless around the house. I always want to fish. My wife thinks I have no other pleasures in life besides fishing ( I do but they are when steelhead season is closed! )
I thought school would bring me more fishing time......wrong.....its called homework. It is nothing of hard labor, but you have to discipline yourself. I have to force myself to put down salmon trout steelheader and pick up trigonometry.
Anyway. We can always dream of being on the river, even if it ain't today