Religion and fishing
Norman’s father was a deeply religious man, being a Presbyterian pastor. Despite his religious calling, he was also interested in fishing and the art of fly fishing which he considered as being the only right way to fish. In fact Norma’s father loved fishing so much that Norman compared his father’s love for fishing with his love for God. This comparison has the purpose of highlighting just how important fishing was for Norman’s father.
Metaphor for a man’s life
The rod is an important element in the story and Norman’s father emphasizes the idea that real fishing is done with a rod not with a fishing pole. The rod is quite an archaic instrument and its simplicity often makes those who want to fish think that it will be easy to use of well. The rod is used here to make reference to a man’s life and to highlight the idea that while it may seem simple at a first glance, the rod is far more complicated than anyone would want to believe and far more fragile than one would like to think.
A man without training and a man without God
An important comparison in the story is the one made by Norman who was also a very religious man. He compared a man who does not know how to fly-fish with a man who does not lets himself be guided by God. The comparison has the purpose of highlighting the idea that just like someone who has no fishing experience and technique will eventually fail, a man who is not guided by God will fail as well.
Fly-fishing and music
Norman’s father compares fly-fishing with music in the idea that a person needs to have rhythm in both cases to succeed. In fact, Norman’s father taught his children how to fish by learning them how to follow a four-rhythm to have fluid movements. What the author wants to emphasize here is the idea that fishing, just like music, is an art and the musician and the fisherman are both artists.
Metaphor for rejection
In the first part of the story, Norman mentions an instance when Paul refused vehemently to eat the oatmeal that was placed in front of him. The action is important because it has a metaphorical value and it stands for the idea that Paul refused not the oatmeal but rather his father’s teachings and his overbearing presence in his life. Thus, Paul broke from his father’s influence from an early age.
