Fishing as a way to wisdom, and a kind of spiritual practice, is not a new idea. Others have written of fishing as a way of prayer. And the late Robert Redford directed one of the greatest films of the last half-century, A River Runs Through It (1992), centered on what we called “the spiritual solace of mastery in a sport” in our review, referring to the fly-fishing around which the narrative centers.
Nunnally’s book focuses on this same theme, which he refers to as “the divine mystery of fishing” in the opening chapter. Nunnally proceeds gracefully, and with a special kind of energy, through chapter titles that almost speak for themselves for anyone experienced with pole and fly or lure or worm: “Preparing to Let Go” (Chapter 2), “Tying Knots” (Chapter 3), “Catching What You’re Really Fishing For” (Chapter 5). This book is designed to speak to people who increasingly find their spiritual fulfillment more out of doors than in.
Redford’s film, if you recall, was about beauty and attention. In contrast, the primary practice here is hope. The author writes: “Every fish you catch is a small miracle. Even when you have everything you need, the tackle, bait, and wisdom, the right place at the right time, you never know if you’re going to catch a fish. Often they’ll swim right past a perfectly placed lure. You can only prepare well, throw what you’re confident in, and hope they bite…. In the end the whole thing, all of it, is miraculous.”
The author is an Episcopal priest and founder of a ministry called Water and Wilderness Church, a gathering of people of differing spiritual backgrounds who worship, study, and retreat together in wild outdoor places.
