The story revolves around a possible conspiracy behind the real life murder of the Oregon's Head of Corrections Michael Francke.

A young man abandons his family for a solitary life of fly-fishing. His goal was to find his own way in the fishing world and thereby find himself and love.

Returning to USA after WWII, Noah goes wandering and angling. He comes to a small town and valley to catch a huge bass. He meets a cute widow and other good people there.