Sunday, April 15, 2012

Facing Your Fears ~ Sunday Tippets, Damsel Style

 
How does one go about taking risks and overcoming
fear???  Well, I decided to take on the challenge of a friend that told me that I needed to take the leap.  The leap to overcome my fear of a river bed!  Now, I know that it sounds funny that after four years of fly fishing, that I would still be apprehensive about the flow of the water in a stream or river.  But, I am.  I've had enough adventures of falling and nearly drowning that it has made me a bit gun shy.  And the last thing I want to do is stand on the side of a river casting out in one direction!  It works, but it is so much better to stand in the middle and be able to cast to one bank and turn around and hit the other side too.  So, I decided to confront my nemesis and leap into it a little bit farther...with a wading stick!  A great invention.

 

Most of our experiences in life are determined by
our own perception.  And my perception of the water that I fish twice a week, has been off kilter for sure.  I have spooked myself out!  In a nutshell, my perception of a situation that can be remedied just by practicing a lot more...has been hindered by my fear factor.  So, you feel apprensive about something that you want to do.  You are feeling scared and timid about jumping in. That prompts you to worry and that worry then influences all of your actions. It affects how you talk and it even impacts your body. You get the nervous stomach and so on. That all began with a feeling.  And this past year, I have searched for "safe spots" to fish...slower water, deep pools.  But, am I improving my skills as a fly fisherman?  No. 

 
Which bug is fake?  Oh...I guess that one with a bead head!
The best thing to do when confronted with anything is to view the situation with objectivity and an open mind. Be honest with yourself, too.  If the water is too swift, then I'm not going to plunge through it!  Of course not.  But, if I can scope out the different areas in front of me, I can usually see one route that would be easier to walk to get where I want to be.  When you put your emotions aside and can see something independently from what you may think about it, then you can cut through any possible delusion and see the situation accurately.  The interesting thing about overcoming a fear is that you need to believe that you can do it. Doubt is like cancer. It feeds on all the positive, happy thoughts and feelings you may have. Nothing kills a dream more quickly than doubt.  It's kind of like picking up the stone fly yesterday as I was re-rigging.  There was no more doubt on what to throw out there to land a fish.  So, I quickly put on the arsenal...  Bam, bam, bam!  Shakespeare said that “life is a stage and we each must play a part.”  It was so true yesterday.  For the stone fly, the trout, and for me!

A most deserving kiss from RD...

Now the thing about believing in yourself is that you have to have an accurate perception about yourself and the situation at hand.  When I picked up that stone fly, I knew my subject and fly of the day like I knew the back of my hand. I have no doubt about my potential and/or talent. I also know that I am capable of learning more and that makes me even more secure in knowing that I am on the right path.  I just needed a little bit of courage and a kick in the butt from a friend that told me to start believing again.  And you know what I found out?   It is easier to take a risk when you believe that you can achieve what you are trying to do.  Bottom line.

So, I headed out to the Weber River yesterday to try out the wading stick that has stood up in the corner of my room for the past four years...don't ask me why...Stubborness?  Probably.  But, we put it to the test.  And after ten laps across the river as my "practice time", I felt more comfortable with my balancing act.  Even the rain and then snow pellets coming down, did not deter me!  And how odd that it would make for better fishing!!  They were slurping... = )

It was a "rainbow" day for sure...and I actually killed two birds with one stone.  I started my journey in overcoming my fear of wading in a river and I won the battle with my old favorite river, the Weber!!  Now, this river has been tough for me this past year.  But, today...with a new confidence and positive attitude, I believed and those big ol' browns and rainbows filled my net.  I will take 17-18 in trout anyday!!!  In the end, oh yes...there had to be an end to the day unfortunately...we headed back to the car at 6 pm...ha!  When you have a successful journey, you make the most of it.  Don't you???  Nothing is better than the feeling of accomplishment and laying the fears aside.

SUNDAY TIPPET:

Cast your fears aside.  Face them head on and take on the challenge if you are physically, mentally, and emotionally able.  When you test your limits, sometimes you find that you can accomplish more than you originally thought!  It is often the anxiety that prevents you from doing it.  .Don't let the fear corner you or prevent you from doing something that you really want to do.  In my situation...it is just going to take practice, practice, practice!   That means that you give your best to the present moment and trust that it will lead you exactly to where you need to be.   
Fear and risk does exist in all aspects of life.  However, we become a slave to our fears only when we allow ourselves to be intimidated by it. Fear only becomes real when we believe that it is real.  So, believe that it isn't and LIVE BIGGER (As a friend has told me...)!!  Fear is not the boss of you….you are the boss of it. Decide today that YOU CAN and you will overcome your fears!





22 comments:

  1. Great post and great idea about the wading stick. I might have to give this one some serious thought this year. Of course most of my falls were on shore! (:

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    1. Matt - Preventative measures definitely are needed in some situations. And it did help to have some extra leverage in certain parts of the river yesterday.

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  2. Great advice and one that we shouldn't have to be reminded about. Just like wearing an inflatable vest (not macho enough) if you're in over your head you'll thank the Lord you have it. Drowning isn't very macho either.

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    1. Howard - Yes, i'm afraid that my pride got in the way of trying out the wading stick before this. I have learned a very important lesson. Now...my adventures might be a little more normal! Ha!

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  3. Being a person that is bit tipsy (because of a small stroke years ago), I find the 3 point stance (two feet and a wading stick) is the best solution for the river. It's standard procedure that when I put on my waders, the wading staff goes on at the same time. Like American Express, never leave home without it.

    Mark

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    1. Mark ~ It sounds like you and me are in this endeavor together! We will get there in our own way, in our own time... = ) Thanks, Mark.

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  4. Very well said, and, then done, RD. Don't use a staff myself. I am sure that it would be a great asset to have. Like, FuncFish, I usually fall before I ever get to the water!

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    1. Mel ~ If it wasn't so much fun falling all the time, I'm sure that I wouldn't still be doing this! Glutton for punishment, I guess. Seriously, I am determined to make my days ahead on the river, much easier!

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  5. WOW! That is a SUPER NICE FISH!!!!!!!! You know, that looks alot more tame than what I made you wade out in on Bradley Fork that day. I had no idea back then that it kinda bothered you so much. I owe you an apology for that. I kinda just said " Oh, you're wading this." and walked off. You should have told me! Anyway, that's an awesome fish and fishing just happens to be a great way to learn all sorts of new things and conquer new fears!

    Next month, I'm fishing with..ummm...some guy..and don't tell him but I'm going to cover him in honey and tie him to a tree. :) Unless he tells me he's afraid of bears I guess....ruin all the fun, but ...whatever..... :)

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    1. Owl ~ That is the best thing that you could have done...that helped me that day, actually. I needed the push. When I look back at the Bradley...it was a bit scary there crossing...but, we did it, didn't we??? Just proves what determination and "believing" that you can do something will do for you! You don't have to go easy on the "honey bear" guy either... = ) I just hope that he doesn't eat those pork rinds!

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    2. But Pork Rinds are AWESOME! At least you kinda half way liked the boiled peanuts. Hey, do you think I should give him any fried pies? Probably not. They'll just make him fat. :)

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    3. Owl - You must have him try at least one fried pie! Otherwise...the trip is not complete! He can go back on his Slimfast...err...Taco Bell diet when he gets home...

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  6. RD, well said. Also, way to face your fears. We all need to do things like this every once and a while to overcome our fears. On a side note, that wouldn't happen to be a stretch of the Weber that runs along I-84 would it? I travel that way frequently and see people fishing there all the time. Anyway, I was just wondering.

    Jeff

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    1. Jeff - No...this was actually on the I-80 stretch. We started in rhe Devil's Slide area though. But, it wasn't looking as fishable...so we kept moving. Thanks for stopping by!

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  7. Congrats on the double header, RD!

    I want to plant the seed that this new found confidence will continue to grow and as it does, you wading will be easier and easier. When people are afraid of something, they tend to make poor decisions and end up getting themselves in more trouble that way. Just make sure that you don't become too confident - that is equally as dangerous.

    edit - damn that captcha! errrrrr

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    1. Nick ~ Catpcha's...I hate those things! = ) Thanks for the support. We will find the middle of the road, I'm sure! Just enough surety...

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  8. Glad I wasn't too late to get the weekly "tippet". Facing your fears is a funny thing, just glad you decided to pull the stick off the wall and give it a go.

    ...and I am happy to see RD filling her net with some good looking fish :-)

    Have fun on Tuesday!

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    1. Ahhh, Sanders...it's never too late to get a weekly dose of Sunday Tippets! And RD is always happy when a rainbow fills the net from end to end!

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  9. Sometime try to run accross the river, full speed or even run down stream... you wont fall, in fact you almost cant... All of this is in the brain where confidence is stored...
    I have never seen anyone go down unless the confidence was wiped from the equasion.

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  10. Josh! You are back and just in the nick of time! By golly, I think you
    are absolutely right on with the running across! When I ran across a fast moving current trying to help some overturned tubers, I didnt have time to put fear into play! Thanks for the suggestion ...

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  11. Hey RD.....I got waders and boots for my birthday recently and haven't used them yet. It was nice (in a good way) to see that someone who has been fly-fishing longer than me had trepidation about wading into a river.

    We (Boston area) have had an unusually dry winter so the rivers are well below normal levels. This has given me a chance to see places that were not exposed last spring. I have made my way into the river without waders but rain is expected this weekend and I may get a chance to put the waders on soon.

    Thanks for sharing.

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    1. Ed - Ya know, there is never any time better than the present to get over a "trepidation". I'm glad that you now are all geared up and ready to go! When you wade in the middle of a stream and cast towards both banks...it's a whole new ball game. Good luck!

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