In Norman Maclean's novel "A River Runs Through It" the two apparent themes are religion, and fly-fishing. Norman, in describing his father Minister John Norman Maclean states, "To him, all good things --- trout as well as eternal salvation --- come by grace and grace comes by art and art does not come easy." This statement serves as a parallel between the two themes, each having qualities stronger in one aspect. Religion relates more to the concept of grace while fly-fishing is based more on the art.

The two themes of religion and fly-fishing have a different meaning for the Macleans than they would for most families. The opening lines of the novel describe the upbringing of the boys saying, "In our family there was no clear line between religion and fly fishing." Just as there are traditions, customs and ideas passed down in religions, techniques and stories...