Beginning with the unforgettable approach, "In our family, there was no clear line between religion and fly fishing," Maclean paints an evocative portrait of the sons of a small-town Montana man. The story traces the relationship between two brothers growing up in an emotionally constricted household headed by a Presbyterian minister. The scholarly Norman follows in the footsteps of his stern, stoic father, going to college, marrying and settling down. His older brother Paul -- daring, handsome and athletic -- chooses the more glamorous career of newspaper journalist. These two very different brothers are brought together through the years by a mutual love of fly-fishing instilled in them by their unyielding father. As Norman watches his brother's seemingly charmed life dissolve under the influences of gambling and alcohol, the art of fly fishing becomes a poignant metaphor for the love their father was unable to express in any other way, and, in the end, it is the language of the river that provides understanding and acceptance in the most difficult of times in life.
Norman, the idealistic brother, has always had some sort of grasp on the understanding of life. Even as a child he displayed this comprehension as he analyzed his relationships with his family as they were, and not as he wished them to be. His bond with his father, though not intimate, was still one of love and compassion. Somehow, at a young age he could comprehend his father's love through his voice while listening to his sermons, as well as his teachings of fly-fishing. Later, Norman learned of his brother's alcoholic tendencies and poor gambling practices. Instead of dealing with this situation through anger and short-ended disputes, he merely accepted it as being a part of his brother. Norman knew there would be no other way to deal with such an event than in stride. Never did he blame life for the hands he was dealt, never did he fold; he simply played the game until it was through.