c. 2007 Religion News Service

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. _ Jesus called his first disciples away from their fishing nets, but a new group in Madison County is calling Christians and seekers down by the riverside.

Flyfishers of Men, a fairly informal school of new and experienced flyfishers, both men and women, believe that the practice of wading into beautiful streams, fly rod in hand, can help a person catch more than fish.

That’s a good thing _ because they don’t catch many fish, said the Rev. Rick Jobe, who joined the group organized by Eddie Parks, a member of Grateful Life Community Church, where Jobe is minister.

“Fly-fishing sort of turns the odds for the fish,” Jobe says, laughing.

“When we do it, it just gives them something to look at,” Parks says as he and Jobe flicked their lines over Madison County Lake one recent afternoon.

While many congregations are searching for activities to attract more men to church, Parks didn’t start the group with that in mind.

“Trout live in pretty places,” he says. “And this is kind of a solitary sport, but you can do it in groups, too.”

Camaraderie and contemplation in balance is something that American life, with its noise and bustle, often lacks, Jobe says.

“It’s hard to get people to just sit down and meditate,” Jobe says. “But there’s something about fly-fishing that offers you an active way into contemplation.”

The activity requires focus and an almost musical rhythm to whisk the line on the flexible rod into the air and then launch it into the water. Flyfishers must sense the currents in the air and water and the perceptions of the fish as they choose which of the intricately tied feather-and-bauble flies to put on the end of their line.

As for the life lessons the fish are getting from this?

Jobe laughs.

“That’s probably a question that’s a luxury for those of us who go to the grocery store for our food,” he says. “It has to be an accepted part of how creation works: We live off the bounty of the earth.”

Jesus spent much of his ministry beside lakes and rivers. His closest companions were fishermen. The meeting of earth and water seems to call humans to contemplate what lies beyond the solid appearances of their daily lives.

Jobe and Parks have seen their activity open conversations about spiritual issues with strangers who first ask them about their techniques. The young people of the church have enjoyed wading into streams, too. Basing a fishing group in a church reflects the widening interest that many church groups are showing in finding ways to help their members find community in their congregation.

Parks scours yard sales for equipment he can make available to new members or to people who can’t afford a $50 reel. The fishers have no boat and no fancy equipment. They stick a few flies in their lapels, scrunch a hat on their heads and, for some, put on waders to keep their feet dry.

In the right light, the lines circle overhead like the outline of a large halo. With each feather-light cast, the fly settles on the water, sending ripples to the edge of the twilit water.

Nothing rises to their bait, and Jobe and Parks pull in their lines, trading jibes with teenager Carson Wright, who came over with his dog, Samson, to see how their afternoon went. Like the disciples after a bad night on Galilee, the two head home with empty nets.

Jobe takes a last look at the lake, reluctant to leave.

“One important thing is that this is an activity that proves you have a certain level of optimism,” he says.

“That’s why we never get home before dark,” Parks says. “There’s always another opportunity.”

(Kay Campbell writes for The Huntsville Times in Huntsville, Ala.)

KRE/CM END CAMPBELLEditors: To obtain photos of Flyfishers of Men, go to the RNS Web site at https://religionnews.com. On the lower right, click on “photos,” then search by subject or slug.