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.

I learned to give myself grace.
But more importantly,

I learned to accept it.

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.

Choosing to do something new can be intimidating…sometimes scary….and almost always uncomfortable.

However. If you can grow a pair of cojones and do it anyway, you might just find you are stronger than you thought. Spoiler alert! You will still feel intimidated, scared, and uncomfortable. But through the process, I’m willing to bet you will uncover an inner strength you will be able to call on time and time again.

When I started this challenge a year ago…it didn’t just involve the monthly fishing goals, it also involved the podcast. It was a two-fer when it came to doing something new. It was a tremendous challenge. I was learning new things every month about fishing, I was having to re-prioritize my life to make room for all the time I needed to spend on the water, I was facing down self imposed doubts, I was overcoming my introverted nature to reach out to people for help and podcast interviews. I was asking for help. Probably one of my biggest challenges across the board in life – asking for help. And I was asking over and over again each month.

I was being challenged physically – tagging along with friends on long hikes, refusing to accept that last cast and fishing until my arm was about to fall off, pushing ice huts over the ice and through the snow. In the pitch black of night.

My mental and emotional limits were challenged as I faced my fear of walking on the ice – spending the day ice fishing in the warm sun only to find the ice slushy and puddling water as we walked back to shore that night. Hiking into unknown territory. Setting a hook in my face thanks to the ever present Wyoming wind. Facing the possibility of failing at my own challenge and not being able to catch a fish until sundown on the last day of the month. Breaking all my rods and ending the year with one last lightweight basic rod.

All of these challenges could have been the one thing that made me throw in the towel. The one thing that was just too much. But when I think back about all the ups and downs….well, I don’t feel like I am carrying the downs with me. My highlight reel seems to only include the ups. And the strength I have discovered. My willingness to open up to new things, new challenges. Experiencing growth.

And there it is….

The most important thing I am taking with me.

I learned the importance of giving myself room to grow.

I had to GIVE myself room to grow. I wasn’t going to be able to accomplish this by maintaining the status quo. I had to let go of this preconceived version of myself. I had to let go of who I thought I was. If I hadn’t let go of that version, I wouldn’t have been able to grow into who I am today at the end of 2022. We can’t exist in two realities. And as long as you are holding on to who you were…you will never become who you are meant to be.

And in doing so, I gave myself the greatest gift. I was able to find meaning through the #wyonthefly challenge and podcast. In a time in my life in which I felt like I had nothing of value to offer this world. Where I felt like I was simply existing as a middle-aged, frumpy mom, wife, and teacher…

I was able to add depth to my human experience.

I was able to learn how to flow with life. Much like the water that I spent so much time standing in and next to this past year.

I was able to show myself grace and show up for the experience and wonder of the last 12 months.

And it has enriched my life. What an incredible year.

Welcome to Part I of the December to Remember Podcast…

to be continued…

First podcast in four months. Have I been fishing? Absolutely. I have caught a fish every month so far! I’m hanging in there! With school starting back up, I was treading water. And, the challenge I set upon myself is to catch a fish every month in 2022. The podcast for me was just a bonus to document the year and all the people I meet.

So while I was disappointed to miss a few months of podcasting…it was sure good to get back into it. This little setback is just one small chapter in the podcast…it isn’t the whole story.

There is a greater story here. And I attach myself to the positivity and growth this journey has given me. I could focus on the setback, disappointment, perceived failure. But those kinds of thoughts don’t serve my life.

I’ve committed to asking myself – does this serve my life? And I learned from the great Trent Shelton, if the answer no? Hell no, let it flow!

Like the river, let it flow.

This year of fishing and podcasting has catapulted me into the greatest chapter of self awareness and growth – and that is what I focus on, as I let everything else just flow. I watch the negativity just float on by. As I sit in contentedness and fulfillment.

I hope this podcast or one of our previous podcasts have contributed something positive to your life. If it has, I invite you to participate in the spirit of contribution and share the message that has impacted you. Welcome back to our podcast this November, where we share the story of Brad Eakins a retired pastor who now enjoys guiding anglers in Wyoming.

And with three days left in November, I’m still trying to catch this month’s fish! Stay tuned to see if I can make it happen… I’m so close!

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.

Practice naming your needs. Be aware of what you need emotionally, physically, mentally….tell yourself, your partner, your kids, your friends what you need. Find people that support you.

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!

I knew there would be months like this. As soon as I started this project I knew this was going to happen. In fact, as soon as I committed to doing it I was already thinking, “…there are parts of this that are gonna suck.”

Fall in love with masterpieces and also the paint on the floor.

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.

https://www.facebook.com/cowboydriftersflyfishing

Fly fishing challenge for March recap! Peter and I talk about how things went down in March. We also talk about the importance of trust when navigating the deep, dark waters. Listen all the way to the end to catch a sample of some of Peter’s original music! Thank you for continuing to listen and support our project! Love you guys! #wyonthefly

Jon Cook is a self taught angler here in my hometown. Often times, you will find that someone who is self taught has a different understanding of the skill and concept…because they have learned from many, many mistakes and different approaches. And before you get your waders in a bunch…I have talked to new guides, old guides, new anglers, experienced anglers…and the one consistent thing is that everyone has their own, unique way.

I love it. The guides actually tend to have their go-to flies that seem to be relatively the same. But when you think about it, they are fishing the same water over and over again and they are being paid to get their guests on the fish. Of course they are going to use their tried and true. They want to pull fish out of the water.

Recreational anglers – no matter if they are experienced or novice – tend to have their tried and true but it seems as if they like to color outside the box a little more. Is it because for them it is the challenge of catching something on a new fly? Or maybe just the fascination of trying different patterns? Taking a chance to see what happens? Maybe.

But the difference in each approach is as unique as the difference in each angler. And it works! And that is the beautiful part…everyone has that one thing that they rely on or have confidence in. That’s what works for them.

This month, we talk memorable fishing trips, night fishing, bucket lists, and tying flies. And the patterns that Jon has confidence in. And this fella is a fountain of information when it comes to fly fishing. Perhaps I was profiling a bit based on Jon’s occupation as a science teacher, but he seems to approach fly fishing in the same way as a science teacher would be expected to approach anything he encounters. He wanted to learn more, so he researched, hypothesized, experimented, observed, and drew a conclusion. And we were lucky enough to be in the position to learn from his findings. Join us on this podcast as he shares what he has learned about fly fishing over the last 15 years.