Unpredictable. I tried to think of a word that has a more optimistic spin. Most of the synonyms for unpredictable have a gloomy tone. Like uncertain or inconsistent. Unexpected is a little better….could go either way. Amazed? Wonderment? Are you ever amazed or felt wonder by something that is predictable? I haven’t. So does that equal unpredictable? I don’t know.

But I do know that life is unpredictable. And not always in a negative way. Life is amazing. Life is wonderful. And, you can still be surprised by joy. The year of fishing in 2022 was most definitely unpredicted. I wasn’t expecting the absolute joy that encapsulated those 12 months of catching fish. Reflecting on the months spent pursuing whatever swims beneath the surface, I am so grateful for the joy I found in this unexpected way.

The times in which you are expecting all the goodness, it is easy to face what comes. But during times you face uncertainty, failure, times when you need to reset, or when you are trying something new…maybe taking on a challenge and pursuing a goal…those are the times in which you leave your heart open. Be brave. Because it takes courage to give yourself room to feel the ups and downs.

In the midst of the year, there was no way to make sense of how it was all playing out. Some months were easy…many were not. I didn’t hit every podcast, but I still met some amazing people. Some people bailed on me and I ended up bailing on others. I was too in it to understand. However as I listened and learned and kept going, some things were very clear.

Giving grace reveals a generosity of heart. But accepting grace, well that can be a little more difficult because it means setting your ego on the back burner. It means some things aren’t turning out the way you thought they would. And maybe instead of beating yourself up about it…reminding yourself of your perceived failures…you free yourself of the shame and regret of those failures. And keep going. It isn’t about whether or not you have earned the grace you give yourself. You simply accept it, unearned, and keep going – free from the burden of failure.

I learned to persist. When I felt like I was on the brink of defeat…near sunset on the 30th of November…I got message after message to keep trying. It isn’t over till it’s over. Without even knowing all the people who were cheering me on — there they were, pouring into me. I borrowed their certitude and persisted until, right at dusk, I pulled a rainbow through the ice.

I learned to pursue things that heal my heart. It isn’t selfish to focus on yourself. Do the things that soothe your soul, that promote your peace, nurture your being – that is how you find a life worth living. I am reminded of the phrase, joie de vivre…the enjoyment of life. I will continue finding delight in the things that bring joy to my life.

And finally, to wrap up this season, I have to thank YOU. To all of you who have listened, commented, and shared. I give you my deepest and most sincere gratitude. It has been an absolute joy getting to know you. There is something so special about the smile a person wears as they are holding their latest catch. And I feel so lucky to have been included in so many of yours.

The summer continues on as we reach the midway point of our challenge to catch a fish every month for 12 months in 2022! In this combined episode, we talk about the Cutt Slam and how last month went down.

Did I catch my June fish? Uh. YEAH.

My first carp on the fly! Listen in as Peter and I cover some new ground – Carp and Grizzlies.

In this episode we confront our limitations – both our physical ability as well as the ability to access public lands. Dustin encourages us to be active in the outdoors and gives some great advice as we begin to explore more land this summer! Time to push past our limits!

There is so much here, and so much more we didn’t get to, I considered making this one into a series of podcasts. How do you funnel all the experiences, growth, understanding, research, realizations, goals, and opinions of a lifetime of fishing into one podcast? I couldn’t begin to wrap my head around organizing it, so I simply give you the conversation in its entirety.

In this episode, we revisit the journey Jason Hamrick has taken through his lifetime on the water. From the creeks of Wyoming to the Gulf Coast waters, Jason has adventured all over this country. He shares with us some of his most memorable adventures, some of the people he has met, and discusses some of the hot topics in fly fishing.

I can confidently say that Jason is 199% consumed with fishing (when you hear it…IF you hear it, drop me a comment). When I first started fly fishing several years ago, Jason took a day to teach me how to set up my rig and I soaked up all the little tidbits of advice he dropped throughout the day. Teaching me about the line, knots, casting in the brush…it was a lot for one day. After a brief lesson in casting, he couldn’t demonstrate the technique without catching a fish on each cast. We joked that he was the Harry Potter of fly fishing, waving his magic fly rod over the river. The fish basically rise to the surface begging to be caught.

He thinks in fish.

This is an angler who has devoted his life to understanding behavior, habitat, and the effect we have on all of that.

It is a longer one to listen to – but I promise you’ll walk away with a few intriguing stories, possibly a new perspective, and some great strategies to land your next fish.

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