A River Runs Through It was adapted into a movie by Columbia Pictures, directed by Robert Redford, starring Craig Sheffer as Norman Maclean and Brad Pitt as Paul Maclean in 1992. A River Runs Through It has been credited as the most important motion picture concerning the art of fly fishing ever produced. Immediately after the movie's release, the public embraced fly fishing in huge numbers, with American fly fishing waterways seeing a new generation drawn to try their hand at the enduring pastime, or those renewing the forgotten pleasure of the peace one can achieve in a natural environment. Through this film, the public, largely unaware of fly fishing, came to ap¬preciate the beauty, grace, and true artistry of the sport. Like no other, Maclean's writing captivated readers who have never held a fly rod in their hand. By all accounts, Maclean penned one of the classic American stories of the twentieth century.

...It was so big and flashy. It was the first fly I saw when I opened my box."
" It was called a Bunyan Bug. I took one look at it and felt perfect."

Norman Maclean
A River Runs Through It
©1976 University of Chicago Press