Fishing Culture Reflected in “River Run”

by Mak Gilley

“River Run” by Anthony Doerr details the story of Mulligan, the protagonist, and how he is having an affair on his wife and his struggles surrounding that, taking place during one of his fishing trips. While there’s much to be said about the relationship between Mulligan and his wife and his affair, the actual fishing aspect of the story is something that has been sorely underexplored. “River Run” can accurately be seen as a representation of fly-fishing culture, including the way Mulligan acts throughout the story regarding things other than fishing. Mulligan’s overall demeanor reflects that of someone ingrained in fly-fishing culture but taken to another level. This culture can be seen through other characters as well, such as the niece, showcasing how the story exhibits these influences. Understanding how fly-fishing culture works and the way those within the community act adds a nuance to the short story as a whole. While Mulligan isn’t a very likable protagonist, understanding the environment and culture he is in adds a level of complexity to his behavior, although it does not excuse it.

Fly-fishing has a rich culture, even if it may not seem like it at first. Paul Schullery’s article “Frontier Fly-Fishing in the New West” covers how ingrained fly-fishing is to the culture of the West in general more so than any other region of the United States. Fly-fishing can become so much more than simply a sport or leisure activity, almost taking on a character of its own that exceeds simply catching fish. In a quote from “Frontier Fly-Fishing in the New West” that encapsulates the beauty of what fly-fishing can be, “… and fly-fishing, like the West itself, is in good part an exercise in imagination, if not dreams” (Schullery 8). However, there is a slightly more negative side to fly-fishing, examined more in “Elitism, Keeping Secrets, and Fly Fishing in Utah”. Fly-fishers can have an air of elitism, deciding that their way of doing things is the best. For example, the usage of bait in order to fish is often looked down upon by fly-fishers, and they also feel no need to share the ways they think you should fish, keeping the secrets of the trade to themselves (Cutchins 5).

“Elitism, Keeping Secrets, and Fly Fishing in Utah” covers the secrecy of fly-fishers in great detail, highlighting this aspect of the culture and even stating, “Keeping secrets has likely always been a part of fishing, and fly fishing in particular (Cutchins 5). Generally, this level of secret keeping within the fly-fishing community applies to good fishing spots or lures, but it can still be seen how this common practice is something Mulligan engages with throughout the story. The most obvious display of this being his affair. This affair, or more so the letter from Mulligan’s affair partner, turns into the crux of the story when he accidentally gives it away, potentially revealing his well-kept secret. While this is an example of secrecy taken to the extreme, it can still be seen how this common practice within fly-fishing is something that Mulligan takes with him in his everyday life. He also uses fishing as an excuse in order to cheat, alluded to in the letter, “If you married me and left to go fishing, would you really go fishing?” (Doerr 324). Mulligan is shown to consistently be a secretive guy but knowing that this is in part influenced by the fly-fishing culture he is ingrained in adds more depth to his decision making.

Fly-fishing is also usually a solitary act, somewhat playing into the nature of secrecy predominant in fly-fishing as well, although there are exceptions. Typically, one fishes alone, or with family, as fly-fishing is something that is typically shared with or passed on to male children. However, Mulligan does not share in the sport, and his want of solitude is again evident in his behavior. When Mulligan’s wife’s niece and a man visit him at his fishing spot, he is instantly standoffish and wants them to leave him alone, so he can return to his fishing, and it’s said multiple times, “Mulligan wants to be rid of them” (Doerr 327). While there are people who go fly-fishing together, the general norm is solo fishing, and this aspect of fly-fishing culture is reflected through Mulligan here.

Another aspect of fly-fishing culture represented within “River Run” is the male domination of the sport. While, yes, the niece within the story is also a fly-fisher, she is described in more stereotypical masculine terms, “The other is a woman, thick and with a hard look to her” (Doerr 326). Her actions when she interacts with Mulligan also fit into a more stereotypical masculine frame, such as speaking loudly, aggressively eating, and chewing with her mouth open. The niece also criticizes Mulligan, stating “You’re a softie, Mully… Always have been” (Doerr 327). This critique of Mulligan for “being soft” or for displaying more stereotypical feminine traits shows how masculinity is the predominant way of being within fly-fishing. The short story reflects this aspect of fly-fishing culture in somewhat of a more subtle way, but it’s still clearly there. This male domination of fly-fishing can also be seen in Mulligan’s attitude towards women. Mulligan describes most of the women in the story in rather negative terms, including his wife and the niece. However, with him being ingrained in the culture of fly-fishing, it can be seen how perhaps this view of women could be somewhat normalized to him.

Moving on from the behavioral aspects of fly-fishing culture, “River Run” also showcases the typical physical aspects of the culture as well. Within “Elitism, Keeping Secrets, and Fly Fishing in Utah” the author Dennis Cutchins interviews several actual fly-fishers about the nature of fly-fishing and what it means to them, stating, “… that fly fishing is not particularly about catching fish, but more about learning to function properly within the natural system” (Cutchins 6). While Mulligan does not directly reflect his reasons for fly-fishing or his opinion on it, this aspect of fly-fishing culture is still reflected through his actions. When he catches his first fish, even when he struggles to reel it in fully, he lets it go, “Mulligan holds it in the river, strokes its flanks, and releases it” (Doerr 328). The act of fly-fishing isn’t necessarily about catching the fish for Mulligan, but rather the process he goes through, the emotions it causes him to feel, and allowing him to connect with his surroundings, something that he is constantly remarking on. Again, his actions and thoughts wonderfully reflect fly-fishing culture in many ways.

This leads into the third article, “New Streams of Religion: Fly Fishing as a Lived, Religion of Nature” which highlights how the ritualistic acts of fly-fishing and the importance of nature in the sport can be considered a religion. In fact, many fly-fishers do speak of how the act of fly-fishing is, to them, spiritual, and again “River Run” reflects this aspect of the culture. On a basic level, the descriptions of nature throughout the short story are incredibly detailed and are far more vibrant than other descriptions in the story, “On the bank beside the Rapid River pouring along sleek and glazed and black, he feels an old feeling, the irresistible tug of moving water and his blood trundling with it, and weak joy splits his lips” (Doerr 324). This shows how important nature is to the fly-fishing culture, even if the short story shows this in more subtle ways. Mulligan seems to find connection when out in nature, actually expressing joy when he is fishing. The end of the short story also shows this almost spiritual aspect of fly-fishing that so many fly-fishers relate to, both in word usage when describing things, but also the open-ended nature of the plot. “There is only the ceaseless suck of flowing water where the river glides endlessly through the silence and the snow makes its faintest sliding whispers” (Doerr 330) the imagery used here truly paints a serene picture, something that could be seen in a religious light. The story as a whole reflects the spiritual nature of fly-fishing, both through description and Mulligan’s actions.

Overall, “River Run” by Anthony Doerr is a beautiful reflection of fly-fishing culture, showcasing both positive and negative aspects of the sport. Mulligan’s behavior is clearly that of someone ingrained deeply in fly-fishing culture, although taken to more extremes. Even besides Mulligan though, the short story as a whole reflects the culture of fly-fishing through its vivid descriptions of nature and word usage. The way Mulligan interacts with nature and the people around him is also telling of the common fly-fishing practices, and Mulligan as a character is a clear reflection of the culture. Understanding the culture Mulligan has surrounded himself with allows for a deeper understanding of his actions and adds a level of nuance to the story that wouldn’t be there otherwise. “River Run”, when viewed in this light, truly is a wonderful representation of the culture of fly-fishing.

Works cited

Cutchins, Dennis. “Elitism, Keeping Secrets, and Fly Fishing in Utah.” Western Folklore, vol. 63, no. 1/2, 2004, pp. 189–202. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/25474672. Accessed 28 Apr. 2024.

Schullery, Paul. “Frontier Fly-Fishing in the New West.” Montana: The Magazine of Western History, vol. 52, no. 02, pp. 2–9. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/4520414. Accessed 28 Apr. 2024.

2, 20Snyder, Samuel. “New Streams of Religion: Fly Fishing as a Lived, Religion of Nature.” Journal of the American Academy of Religion, vol. 75, no. 4, 2007, pp. 896–922. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/40005968. Accessed 28 Apr. 2024.