FATC Days of Christmas (Day1)…In the Beginning There Was A River

FATC Days of Christmas (Day 1)… In the Beginning there was a River

Christmas is approaching and I have a gift for my FATC brothers. (No…it’s not a new Orvis Helios fly rod or even a package of Oros Strike Indicators.)

I’ve recently enjoyed reading Daniel Bryant’s book, GOD MUST BE A FLY FISHER, and I think many of you will enjoy it also. I’m reprinting a short chapter each day from now through New Year’s Day. This is not just a book about fly fishing. It’s a book about slowing down. It’s a book about seeing that every moment outdoors might be an invitation to come closer to the One who created it all.

(From God Must Be A Fly Fisher by author Daniel Bryant)

In the Beginning there was a River

If you’ve ever stood waist-deep in a cold mountain stream as the sun broke over the ridgeline and set the water sparkling like liquid fire, then you know —God was definitely onto something when He made rivers.

Genesis may not mention fly rods, 5X tippet, or blue-winged olives, but I’d be willing to bet the Garden of Eden had a trout stream running through it. Probably spring-fed. Definitely catch-and-release.

The book of Psalms says, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.” (Psalm 19:1). But for those of us who fish, I’d argue the rivers do too. Every riffle, every eddy, every perfectly placed cast that somehow lands just right—it all whispers something holy. Something eternal.

Fly fishing is not just about catching fish. In fact, sometimes it’s not about catching fish at all. It’s about slowing down long enough to see what God is doing in the details. It’s in the way the line arcs like a prayer through the air. It’s in the dance of a mayfly rising from the surface. It’s in the silence between the casts, when your heart syncs up with the current, and you remember—you’re not alone out here.

Let’s be honest. If God wanted to show off, He didn’t need the Grand Canyon. All He had to do was create a rainbow trout. Ever held one in the sunlight? That shimmering rose-colored stripe, those delicate black spots — it’s like He dipped His brush into heaven and said, “Let’s see them try to paint this.”

And have you noticed that some of the best people in the world can be found standing in rivers with funny-looking hats and too many tools hanging from their vests? They may not all quote Scripture, but many of them live it without knowing it. They practice patience. They live in hope. And they love their neighbor —especially the one downstream who keeps snagging branches and muttering under his breath.

I think God must smile every time someone wades into a river and forgets their troubles for a while. I think He stands back, arms crossed, nodding approvingly, saying, “That’s the way it’s supposed to be.”

So welcome to this book —a celebration of fly fishing, yes, but more than that, a celebration of God’s glory revealed through water, creation, and the quiet pull of the line. Along the way, I’ll share some stories, laugh a little, dig into the Word, and maybe even hook into something deeper than we expected.

Because out here, among the rocks and willows, under the watchful eyes of eagles and elk, you begin to understand something profound:

God must be a fly fisher.