On the Big Blackfoot is Norman Maclean's memoir about his Montana youth that inspired his beloved story, A River Runs Through It.
In this archival recording, Norman Maclean reflects about his father, his brother, Paul, and the fly fishing that united them to one another and the natural world. Interwoven throughout are the musings and memories of his own son, Chicago Tribune journalist John Maclean—son remembers father, father recalls brother. Set against the gurgling sounds of the Big Blackfoot River, their voices recount a bittersweet love across the generations. It's a story sure to leave the listener, like Norman Maclean, "haunted by waters."