Ernest Livingston Vinson, a resident in the small North Carolina lumber village of Brunswick, is an avid sportsman. On most Sunday afternoons, he heads for the old Richardson millpond to cast his favorite fly rod. Vinson is in his element when he is fishing, and it is a joyous day when he finally welcomes his ten-year-old grandson aboard his johnboat.

As grandfather and grandson cast their hooks into the water and wait, Vinson begins sharing his lifelong remembrances that span many generations and paints a vivid picture of the triumphs and tragedies that the families endured while migrating to Brunswick. Starting with the original journey to the New World from England and then through Virginia and North Carolina, Vinson leads his grandson down a magnificent historical path where colorful characters bravely faced seemingly insurmountable challenges in order to achieve their dreams.