---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If our father had had his way, nobody who…"
description: "\"If our father had had his way, nobody who did not know how to fish would be allowed to disgrace a fish by catching him.\" — Norman Maclean"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e94/norman-maclean-10625_catching_if-our-father-had-had-his-way-nobody-who_271231.jpg"
---

#  If our father had had his way, nobody who did not know how…

![“If our father had had his way, nobody who did not know how to fish would be allowed to disgrace a fish by catching him.” quote by Norman Maclean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e94/norman-maclean-10625_catching_if-our-father-had-had-his-way-nobody-who_271231.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e94/norman-maclean-10625_catching_if-our-father-had-had-his-way-nobody-who_271231.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e94/norman-maclean-10625_catching_if-our-father-had-had-his-way-nobody-who_271231.jpg)

> “If our father had had his way, nobody who did not know how to fish would be allowed to disgrace a fish by catching him.”

[Norman Maclean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-maclean/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Fishing symbolizes respect for nature; those who don't understand it shouldn't harm it.

**In simple terms:** Respect nature; don't harm what you don't understand.

Key Takeaway

Learn and respect before acting.

Themes

respect nature tradition

Mood

contemplative nostalgic

Type

literary reflective

When to use this quote

- outdoor activities
- conservation
- education
- family traditions

Key Concepts

environmental ethics humility

Questions to Reflect On

- What does fishing teach about respect?
- How can we apply this to modern life?

A Different Perspective

Overemphasis on tradition may limit innovation.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Allowed Disgrace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/allowed-disgrace-2650577/) [Catching](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/catching/) [Disgrace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disgrace/) [Disgrace Fish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disgrace-fish-2650574/) [Father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father/) [Fish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fish/) [Fish Allowed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fish-allowed-2650575/) [Fish Catching](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fish-catching-2650576/) [Fishes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fishes/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [Would be](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/would-be/)

## Related quotes

> [With rivers, you don't have a lot of room to work, and with the bigger fish that I'm catching, you might have just a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-wade/with-rivers-you-don-t-have-a-lot-of-room-to-work-and-with-the-bigger/)

[Jeremy Wade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-wade/)

> [If you don't like the fish you're catching, change the bait.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-don-t-like-the-fish-you-re-catching-change-the-bait/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [You know for many elected officials they all started in the same place. You know marriage is between a man and a woman, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcgreevey/you-know-for-many-elected-officials-they-all-started-in-the-same/)

[James McGreevey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcgreevey/)

> [I'm looking for a feel and I have to find what that feel is before I can move on from there. I'm not necessarily…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-elfman/i-m-looking-for-a-feel-and-i-have-to-find-what-that-feel-is-before-i/)

[Danny Elfman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-elfman/)

> [I love enemies, though not in the Christian way. They amuse me, excite my blood. Being always on one’s guard, catching every glance, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-lermontov/i-love-enemies-though-not-in-the-christian-way-they-amuse-me-excite/)

[Mikhail Lermontov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-lermontov/)

> [Attitudes truly are contagious, and from time to time we need to ask ourselves, 'Is mine worth catching?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mac-anderson/attitudes-truly-are-contagious-and-from-time-to-time-we-need-to-ask/)

[Mac Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mac-anderson/)

> [For some people, getting pregnant is as easy as catching cold." And there certainly was an analogy there: Colds and babies were both caused…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/for-some-people-getting-pregnant-is-as-easy-as-catching-cold-and/)

[Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/)

> [Bird taxonomy is a difficult field because of the severe anatomical constraints imposed by flight. There are only so many ways to design a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-diamond/bird-taxonomy-is-a-difficult-field-because-of-the-severe-anatomical/)

[Jared Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-diamond/)

> [Some kids win the lottery at birth; far too many don't - and most people have a hard time catching up over the rest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-heckman/some-kids-win-the-lottery-at-birth-far-too-many-don-t-and-most-people/)

[James Heckman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-heckman/)

> [Conversation, n.: A vocal competition in which the one who is catching his breath is called the listener.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/conversation-n-a-vocal-competition-in-which-the-one-who-is-catching/)

[Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/)

> [I'll just do a round around of the house and make sure the rest of the family are fast asleep. We don't want that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerstin-gier/i-ll-just-do-a-round-around-of-the-house-and-make-sure-the-rest-of/)

[Kerstin Gier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerstin-gier/)

> [When you mention to people growing up in Cleveland they bring up the river catching on fire, or LeBron James leaving, they have these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celeste-ng/when-you-mention-to-people-growing-up-in-cleveland-they-bring-up-the/)

[Celeste Ng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celeste-ng/)

> [Discovering witnesses is just as important as catching criminals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-wiesenthal/discovering-witnesses-is-just-as-important-as-catching-criminals/)

[Simon Wiesenthal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-wiesenthal/)

> [ When they \[people with insomnia\] start worrying about not sleeping, I'll say, "Say the mantra to myself; if I don't sleep tonight, I'll likely… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelby-harris/when-they-people-with-insomnia-start-worrying-about-not-sleeping-i-ll/)

[Shelby Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelby-harris/)

> [I was 3-years-old - to this day it is a vivid memory. My family and I were on a boat, catching fish. As one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joaquin-phoenix/i-was-3-years-old-to-this-day-it-is-a-vivid-memory-my-family-and-i/)

[Joaquin Phoenix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joaquin-phoenix/)

## More by Norman Maclean

> [At the time I did not know that stories of life are often more like rivers than books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-maclean/at-the-time-i-did-not-know-that-stories-of-life-are-often-more-like/)

[Norman Maclean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-maclean/)

> [“In this story of the outside world and the inside world with a fire between, the outside world of little screwups recedes now for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-maclean/in-this-story-of-the-outside-world-and-the-inside-world-with-a-fire/)

[Norman Maclean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-maclean/)

> [“I hope there are others also who don't mind trees.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-maclean/i-hope-there-are-others-also-who-don-t-mind-trees/)

[Norman Maclean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-maclean/)

> [Probably most catastrophes end this way without an ending, the dead not even knowing how they died...,those who loved them forever questioning "this unnecessary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-maclean/probably-most-catastrophes-end-this-way-without-an-ending-the-dead/)

[Norman Maclean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-maclean/)

> [I knew that, when needed, mountains would move for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-maclean/i-knew-that-when-needed-mountains-would-move-for-me/)

[Norman Maclean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-maclean/)

> [“I sat there and forgot and forgot, until what remained was the river that went by and I who watched... Eventually the watcher joined…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-maclean/i-sat-there-and-forgot-and-forgot-until-what-remained-was-the-river/)

[Norman Maclean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-maclean/)

> [It is those we live with and love and should know who elude us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-maclean/it-is-those-we-live-with-and-love-and-should-know-who-elude-us/)

[Norman Maclean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-maclean/)

> [Unless we are willing to escape into sentimentality or fantasy, often the best we can do with catastrophes, even our own, is to find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-maclean/unless-we-are-willing-to-escape-into-sentimentality-or-fantasy-often/)

[Norman Maclean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-maclean/)

> [As for my father, I never knew whether he believed God was a mathematician but he certainly believed God could count and that only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-maclean/as-for-my-father-i-never-knew-whether-he-believed-god-was-a/)

[Norman Maclean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-maclean/)

> [At sunrise everything is luminous but not clear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-maclean/at-sunrise-everything-is-luminous-but-not-clear/)

[Norman Maclean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-maclean/)

> [“On the Big Blackfoot River above the mouth of Belmont Creek the banks are fringed by large Ponderosa pines. In the slanting sun of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-maclean/on-the-big-blackfoot-river-above-the-mouth-of-belmont-creek-the-banks/)

[Norman Maclean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-maclean/)

> [Of course, now I am too old to be much of a fisherman, and now of course I usually fish the big waters alone,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-maclean/of-course-now-i-am-too-old-to-be-much-of-a-fisherman-and-now-of/)

[Norman Maclean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-maclean/)

> [“...it is not fly fishing if you are not looking for answers to questions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-maclean/it-is-not-fly-fishing-if-you-are-not-looking-for-answers-to-questions/)

[Norman Maclean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-maclean/)

> [“Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it. The river was cut by the world's great flood and runs over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-maclean/eventually-all-things-merge-into-one-and-a-river-runs-through-it-the/)

[Norman Maclean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-maclean/)

> [He told us about Christ's disciples being fisherman, and we were left to assume...that all great fishermen on the Sea of Galilee were fly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-maclean/he-told-us-about-christ-s-disciples-being-fisherman-and-we-were-left/)

[Norman Maclean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-maclean/)

[Explore all 64 Norman Maclean quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-maclean/)

## More Catching quotes

> [I was 3-years-old - to this day it is a vivid memory. My family and I were on a boat, catching fish. As one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joaquin-phoenix/i-was-3-years-old-to-this-day-it-is-a-vivid-memory-my-family-and-i/)

[Joaquin Phoenix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joaquin-phoenix/)

> [ When they \[people with insomnia\] start worrying about not sleeping, I'll say, "Say the mantra to myself; if I don't sleep tonight, I'll likely… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelby-harris/when-they-people-with-insomnia-start-worrying-about-not-sleeping-i-ll/)

[Shelby Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelby-harris/)

> [Discovering witnesses is just as important as catching criminals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-wiesenthal/discovering-witnesses-is-just-as-important-as-catching-criminals/)

[Simon Wiesenthal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-wiesenthal/)

> [When you mention to people growing up in Cleveland they bring up the river catching on fire, or LeBron James leaving, they have these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celeste-ng/when-you-mention-to-people-growing-up-in-cleveland-they-bring-up-the/)

[Celeste Ng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celeste-ng/)

> [I'll just do a round around of the house and make sure the rest of the family are fast asleep. We don't want that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerstin-gier/i-ll-just-do-a-round-around-of-the-house-and-make-sure-the-rest-of/)

[Kerstin Gier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerstin-gier/)

> [Conversation, n.: A vocal competition in which the one who is catching his breath is called the listener.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/conversation-n-a-vocal-competition-in-which-the-one-who-is-catching/)

[Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/)

> [Some kids win the lottery at birth; far too many don't - and most people have a hard time catching up over the rest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-heckman/some-kids-win-the-lottery-at-birth-far-too-many-don-t-and-most-people/)

[James Heckman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-heckman/)

> [Bird taxonomy is a difficult field because of the severe anatomical constraints imposed by flight. There are only so many ways to design a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-diamond/bird-taxonomy-is-a-difficult-field-because-of-the-severe-anatomical/)

[Jared Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-diamond/)

> [For some people, getting pregnant is as easy as catching cold." And there certainly was an analogy there: Colds and babies were both caused…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/for-some-people-getting-pregnant-is-as-easy-as-catching-cold-and/)

[Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/)

> [Attitudes truly are contagious, and from time to time we need to ask ourselves, 'Is mine worth catching?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mac-anderson/attitudes-truly-are-contagious-and-from-time-to-time-we-need-to-ask/)

[Mac Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mac-anderson/)

> [I love enemies, though not in the Christian way. They amuse me, excite my blood. Being always on one’s guard, catching every glance, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-lermontov/i-love-enemies-though-not-in-the-christian-way-they-amuse-me-excite/)

[Mikhail Lermontov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-lermontov/)

> [I'm looking for a feel and I have to find what that feel is before I can move on from there. I'm not necessarily…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-elfman/i-m-looking-for-a-feel-and-i-have-to-find-what-that-feel-is-before-i/)

[Danny Elfman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-elfman/)

> [You know for many elected officials they all started in the same place. You know marriage is between a man and a woman, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcgreevey/you-know-for-many-elected-officials-they-all-started-in-the-same/)

[James McGreevey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcgreevey/)

> [Young people today seem to be coming around to the idea it really doesn’t matter which politician or political party you vote for; and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-morcan/young-people-today-seem-to-be-coming-around-to-the-idea-it-really/)

[James Morcan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-morcan/)

> [I'd wanted to be a writer my whole life. But when I finally made it, I felt like a greyhound catching the mechanical rabbit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/i-d-wanted-to-be-a-writer-my-whole-life-but-when-i-finally-made-it-i/)

[Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/)

[Browse all 487 Catching quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/catching/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "If our father had had his way, nobody who did not know how to fish would be allowed to disgrace a fish by catching him.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Norman Maclean"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-maclean/if-our-father-had-had-his-way-nobody-who-did-not-know-how-to-fish/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Catching"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-maclean/if-our-father-had-had-his-way-nobody-who-did-not-know-how-to-fish/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e94/norman-maclean-10625_catching_if-our-father-had-had-his-way-nobody-who_271231.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e94/norman-maclean-10625_catching_if-our-father-had-had-his-way-nobody-who_271231.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e94/norman-maclean-10625_catching_if-our-father-had-had-his-way-nobody-who_271231.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“If our father had had his way, nobody who did not know how to fish would be allowed to disgrace a fish by…” — Norman Maclean",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Norman Maclean",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-maclean/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "If our father had had his...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-maclean/if-our-father-had-had-his-way-nobody-who-did-not-know-how-to-fish/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-maclean/if-our-father-had-had-his-way-nobody-who-did-not-know-how-to-fish/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```