"A street thug and a paid killer are professionals - beasts of prey, if you will, who have dissociated themselves from the rest of humanity and can now see human beings in the same way that trout fishermen see trout"

This quote by Willard Gaylin is a contrast between a street goon and a paid awesome. He is suggesting that these two people have ended up being so separated from the remainder of mankind that they check out other individuals in the same way an angler checks out a trout - as a target. This suggests that these two individuals have actually come to be so desensitized to physical violence as well as criminal offense that they no longer view individuals as humans, but instead as objects to be used for their own gain. This quote is a raw tip of the threats of becoming as well detached from culture and also the repercussions of such detachment. It is a cautioning to all of us to continue to be connected to our fellow human beings as well as to remember that we are all component of the same types.