Book Review: Angling Life

When I was a little girl, I used to go on fishing excursions with my dad and brothers. We would rise early in the morning (3 or 4 a.m.). I remember one time in particular when my grandmother had made a Ziploc baggie full of Chex mix for us to munch. We would climb in the car and promptly go back to sleep while my dad drove to Camp Mihaska, a Salvation Army camp in Missouri. Here is a brief video I found that shows where we fished (although, I remember it a bit differently).

One time, our fishing venture was a total wash. I remember that my dad decided to stop by a local fish hatchery on our way home. This was a place where they breed fish to stock ponds. Somehow my dad convinced the man to let us fish in the small runs teeming with trout. I think my dad paid for us to catch about four each. We caught those fish in record time. Best fishing trip ever (minus the exhilaration of actual challenge, of course).

While I have limited experience and passion for fishing, Captain Dan Keating is a professional. In his book, Angling Life: A Fisherman Reflects on Success, Failure and the Ultimate Catch, the author provides a romping tale of fishing adventures. However, this book is more than just a good fish story! It weaves the tales of fishing in order to reveal deeper truths about life and our spiritual quest. Indeed, it is a fisherman's apologetic.

I loved the inscription to his son Ethan, a challenge to listen to his life and to continue to live with passion. I loved the forward containing a brief story about a woman contemplating suicide who gets an unexpected break. This was a perfect introduction for a book about God "helping his children believe."

There is a sense of story throughout this book that captures you. Even though I am not a trained or skilled fisherman, I could completely relate to the struggles the author presents in the story of his life and his fishing adventures. Captain Keating's passion for fishing reminded me to examine my own passions for the fingerprints of God.

The book is also peppered with wonderful quotes from Thoreau and others. Here were two of my favorites (both Thoreau):

"Many go fishing all their lives without knowing it is not fish they are after."

"A truly good book teaches me better than to read it; I must soon lay it down and commence living on its hint; what I began by reading, I must finish by acting."

I loved Keating's analogy about people:

"Boats, like people, are created in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors. Some are rather fragile and best suited for shallow water. If they are caught offshore in an unexpected storm, the waves will quickly consume them. Some are designed to withstand long journeys into uncharted deep water ..."

I felt challenged by these words:

"Jesus doesn't want us to be distracted by the wind or waves, the loss of a job, a broken relationship, a dwindling savings account, or a difficult health challenge. He wants us to focus on Him. The foundation of every decision, of every act of obedience and repentance, of our love for God and neighbors, is all anchored by our confidence in Jesus. When you trust Jesus with your life, work, family, health, savings, sins, recreation, abilities, everything, there's no telling what God will do in your life. Who knows, you may even find yourself walking on water!"

If you know a person who is passionate about fishing, you might like to recommend this book. To learn more about this book and how you can order a copy today, check out the book's web-page or Captain Dan Keating's charter sport fishing site.