I have a love-hate relationship with fishing. I love the feeling of the strike when a rainbow trout hits my fly. I am thrilled by the tension on my line when a big crappie tries to escape. My first cast of the day, when the sun is rising, and steam is coming up around my bass boat, is a rush!
But I cannot stand spending the morning on the lake and returning with an empty cooler. Have you been there? Do you wake up at 4 am to ensure you arrive at the dock before the boat ramps fill up? Do you employ the latest navigation and sonar technology? Are you a chart plotter who uses expensive fish finders? Or do you love pulling on the waders and fly fishing in a waist-deep, cold stream?
Who among us has not seen an old black and white photo of grizzled Ernest Hemingway standing on a Cuban pier underneath a giant marlin, tuna, or swordfish! What a life … write a chapter for a novel in the morning … then spend the afternoon sailing and fishing off the Cayman Islands! No matter where you fish: ocean, lake, stream, river, or farm pond, it is one of the top outdoor hobbies.
Let’s face it, fishing is one of the best ways to get outside and enjoy God’s good creation. It doesn’t really matter if you’re standing on a low bridge, sitting in a canoe, or trolling in the tropics for trophy fish. Getting outdoors and wetting a line can become a habit-forming experience.
It’s fascinating that much of the New Testament centers on fishing. It’s how several of the disciples made their living. Jesus challenged them to drop their nets, follow him, and become fishers of men. Jesus of Nazareth spent much of his time teaching in fishing villages. Jesus performed a fishing miracle when he brought in a boatload of fish after the disciples spent the night getting skunked. Jesus spent most of his time around men who smelled like fish. We often picture Jesus as meek and mild, sitting in a field of flowers. But Jesus knew life on the lake and the docks. In fact, he once came to the disciples in a fierce storm walking on the water. No doubt he was a man’s man…he was a carpenter. But he was also God in the flesh. He was divine so that he could forgive all our sins. He was human so that he could relate to our struggles.
Wisdom from the Stream: What is the difference between keeping what you catch and catch and release? It’s really the difference between marriage and parenting. In marriage, God’s design is spelled out in Genesis 2:24, “For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.” Catch and keep is a picture of the marriage relationship. Catch-and-release is a model for parents. You are in a one-flesh relationship with your wife. You are NOT in a one-flesh relationship with your children. One day, they will leave the nest and form and build their own family.
A Passage to Ponder: John 21:6 “He said, ‘Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.’ When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the enormous number of fish.”
A Prayer to Pray: Jesus, I want to love my wife like you love your bride, the church. Help me to love my children as I raise them, so that I may release them to God’s care. Amen
© Dr. Paul Pettit
Check out Dr. Paul Pettit’s latest book, set to release on June 9th, 2026: https://tinyurl.com/yc4dds3x
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