Fisherman overcomes obstacles

Clay Dyer will speak next week at First Baptist Church’s Sportsman Banquet.

Clay Dyer will be speaking Thursday, March 11, at the eighth annual Sportsman Banquet at First Baptist Church, 223 North Fulton St. Tables of eight are available for $70, tables of six are $50 and individual tickets are $10. For more information, contact Rod Kerr 704-633-0431 or e-mail elizabeth@fbcsalisbury. org

By Rod Kerr

For the Salisbury Post

Like most young boys, Clay Dyer dreamed of becoming a professional athlete one day. Unlike most young boys, Dyer did.

"I'm a competitor at heart," Dyer said. "I really wanted to play, but the NFL wasn't looking for linebackers my sizeÉ"

Size wasn't the only thing Dyer lacked.

Dyer, a native of Hamilton, Ala., was born May 23, 1978, without legs or a left arm. He only has half of a right arm.

Doctors could never tell him why. "It was just one of those freak things that happened. I'm honestly glad to be this way, to be honest with you." he said.

Dyer started fishing at the age of 5. When he was 6, he experienced one of the moments that set the course for the rest of his life. While fishing at a private lake with his grandfather, he caught a 26-pound catfish. The 45-minute battle exhausted him, but it flamed the passion that was already in his heart.

On Saturday and Sunday, he began to watch all those 30-minute fishing shows and dreamed of catching the big ones like Bill Dance and Hank Parker.

Like any angler in training, he wanted to learn what types of cover bass like, where they are when the water is muddy and warm, and where they are when it's cold and clear. "I don't have any special equipment," Dyer said, "I taught myself by watching other fishermen's mechanics and adopting their mechanics to myself.

He vividly recalls a dream he had in his teenage years, after a life changing religious experience and asking how God could use him. In the dream Dyer saw himself in a shirt with sponsor patches all over it. "The only two types of people who I have ever seen wearing those kinds of shirts were professional fishermen and NASCAR driver, and I had a feeling that it wasn't NASCAR," he joked.

If you're wondering how Dyer fishes with his limitations, you just have to see him doing everything by himself. He puts the rod over his left shoulder and snaps his neck back, allowing the fishing line to release. He holds the rod with his right arm and moves the reel with his teeth. Dyer also uses his teeth to remove the hook from the fish's mouth. He puts a pair of pliers in his mouth, bites on one end and uses his hand to hold the fish down. Then he removes the hook.

Jay Yelas, former Bassmaster Classic champion said, "In bass fishing, there are about 10 different lines and hook-set techniques that can be good. Clay is an expert in the techniques that don't require a strong hook set, and some days, he gets on a roll and doesn't lose any fish."

You can imagine there are occasionally problems with this operation. "Just about every time it gets ugly, I lose a little blood," he said.

Yelas said, "Clay fishes at the level just below the top tours in the field. I am amazed that a kid with his limitations can play at that high of a level."

Dave Washburn from FLW Outdoors Magazine writes, "Without question, Clay is the most amazing person that I have ever had the pleasure to meet. From his enthusiastic attitude to the incredible talent with a rod and reel, he is an inspiration to everyone around." Washburn continued, "His accomplishments in the sport of professional fishing and in life are without equal. His unwavering determination and sheer will to succeed are wonderful examples for all of us, no matter what our chosen profession or circumstances may be."

Dyer has fished in more than 200 bass tournaments and placed first in 20 state tournaments. In addition, he is the national spokesman for C.A.S.T. ("Catch a Special Thrill"), a national charity dedicated to providing equality outdoor experiences to disabled and disadvantaged children, and is a fishing guide for disabled and terminally ill children through the United Special Sportsmen Alliance.

His television appearances include ESPN, FOX, CNN Headline News, The Outdoor Channel and CBS. Published articles about Clay have appeared in USA Today, Newsweek, Bassmaster, FLW Outdoor Magazine and Boating Life. His biography is entitled, "The View From Down Here is Just Fine."

"A motto I live by is that if I can do it, you can," says Dyer. "The next time you have an obstacle standing in front of you to keep you from living your dream, remember to have perseverance, have the heart to keep trying, and never give up. Remember to focus on the resources you have rather than the resources you are missing.

"When you set your mind and focus your heart, have the faith in yourself and God that He will give you the strength to overcome any obstacles that may be in your life."