Two brothers, Paul (Brad Pitt) and Norman (Craig Sheffer), grow up in Montana spending much of their time fly fishing with their stern father and local minister (Tom Skerritt). While the boys love their parents, a tough stoicism has been bred into them and they struggle to express their feelings. The only way the three men can connect with each other is through their abiding love for fly fishing. Later in life the boys return to the river to fish and assess their lives – where they have been and where they are headed.