He has no legs and only a stump of one arm, but Clay Dyer is a professional bass fisherman, and he will share his story at this year's Sportsmen's Fish Fry on March 16 at New Salem Baptist Church.
Dyer, who has been featured on both ESPN and The 700 Club, was born without limbs but has never allowed his physical condition to stand in the way of his dreams. He steers his own boat, ties his lures with his mouth, and casts his line by positioning his rod between his cheek and the short stump of his right arm.
And the 33-year-old Dyer does it well enough to fish professionally, having competed on both the FLW Tour and the Bassmaster Open Series, with sponsorships from companies like ORCA Coolers, the Strike King Lure Company, Ranger Boats, Mercury Marine, Abu Garcia and Trilene.
In addition to fishing, Dyer also enjoys hunting as well as coaching placekickers for a high school football team in his hometown of Hamilton, Ala. Dyer also is the author of a book, "The View from Down Here Is Just Fine," and typically speaks at more than 75 church, charity or corporate events a year. Dyer's motto is, "If I can, you can."
The Sportsmen's Fish Fry takes place Saturday, March 16 at New Salem Baptist Church, located at 9806 Dallas Hollow Road in Soddy-Daisy. A fish dinner will be served starting at 4:30 p.m., followed by a rally at 5 p.m., featuring live music and Dyer's presentation. The event will also include door prizes and activities for kids.
Tickets for the Sportsmen's Fish Fry are $10 each, which includes admission to both the dinner and the rally, and are available from the church office at New Salem Baptist Church. For more information, call 423-842-3078.