Grant Saunders always wanted to follow in his father's footsteps and become a fisherman, but it took decades to make his dream a reality.

Fishing is in his blood. As a Biripi man from the NSW mid-north coast, his people have been fishing the Manning River for thousands of years.

His father Ray started commercial fishing in 1975, but convincing him to pass on his knowledge has been a huge battle.

"As a kid he didn't really encourage me to follow fishing because I think he saw I had been bitten by the bug quite young," said Grant Saunders.

"He didn't want to encourage that any further by waking me up every opportunity that he could. He wanted a different life for me."

Like father, like son

Ray Saunders learnt to fish from his dad. In the early days he would use a mix of Aboriginal knowledge and commercial skills to fish his local waterways.

But he did not dream of being a fisherman.

"I wanted to be an electrician but it was impossible for an Aboriginal to get a job in Taree at that time, so I went to the air force," Ray Saunders said.

"I heard my dad was starting to get crook from working out at sea so I thought the best thing for me was to leave the air force, come back home and help modernise my dad's fishing business."

Father and son fishers Ray and Grant Saunders on the banks of the Manning River at Taree. ( ABC Mid North Coast: Kia Handley )

Over the years Ray Saunders experienced first-hand how tough the life of a fisherman could be, and that is why he hoped Grant would follow a different path.

"I tried my best to encourage Grant to have a different life," he said.

"He went to three different universities, we helped him out of difficult situations. He was in an industry he loved but all he wanted to do was go fishing."

A case of perfect timing

In a twist of fate, as Grant Saunders' uncle stepped away from the fishing business, he was waiting in the wings ready to hop in the boat.

His dad had no choice but to teach him to fish.

"Getting used to the early mornings and the cold when you get down to the river was tough," Grant Saunders said.

"Driving a boat looks so simple but it's not. Paired with all the basic skills like tying knots that I just don't have the patience or the concentration for, it was really frustrating for Dad."

Ray Saunders stopped short of saying Grant had been a bad student.

He was diplomatic when asked how he had found the experience of teaching his son the basics of fishing.

"I've enjoyed the time that I've worked with him as he has learnt how to fish and prawn," he said.

"He still has a lot to learn and the longer we work together the more I'll be able to show him how you can learn from nature, the water and birds, even the weather."

Documenting the transition

As Ray Saunders taught his son to fish, the cameras were rolling as Grant Saunders brought together his film and documentary training together with his dream of fishing.

Teach a Man To Fish is the end result, and the documentary debuted at the Sydney Film Festival in June.

While the documentary has a lot of personal sentiment, Grant Saunders hopes it starts some big conversations around Australia.

"I want the film to initiate conversations in this country around racism, around fishing politics, identity, depression and mental illness," he said.

"There's so many themes that are wrapped up in the film that can really engage important discussions.

"If I can achieve that, if it adds to the education of our young people who take on these experiences and the world becomes a better place, then that's amazing."