Clay Dyer has been fishing in bass tournaments since he was 15 years old and has won 30 state and local titles. (Post / Charlie Meyers)

Next time you feel like complaining about some difficulty with your outdoor pursuits, or in any other part of life, you might want to read this again.

Got a really bad bird's nest in your line when fish are jumping all around? Try untangling it without using your hands. Or feet, if you have real talent in that direction.

Don't know where your next paycheck is coming from? Imagine having to earn it in an intense competition against skilled opponents with none of the essential tools.

Clay Dyer is a successful bass professional. He has no arms or legs. Think about it.

In a cruel quirk that has no medical explanation, Dyer was born 27 years ago in Hamilton, Ala., with only a 16-inch arm stub that ends above the elbow.

No limbs? No problems. Or at least none that Dyer hasn't been able to overcome in a life that's as remarkable as it is inspirational.

Dyer has been fishing in bass tournaments since he was 15 years old. Somehow he seized upon this as an activity at which he could excel.

"I told my parents I wanted to try fishing. They said they didn't know how I would do it, but they'd help me any way they could. I worked on my own until I figured it out."

The temptation is to fixate on how Dyer handles the physical complications of the sport: Casting. Retrieving. Tying on lures. Landing a large fish. Operating a high-powered boat.

The real focus should be not on the absence of extremities, but what's inside.

"I have a heart, a soul and a mind," Dyer said. "Anything else is just a bonus."

His motto: "If I can, you can."

I know guys who throw up their hands - they've still got two of them - over the supposed complexities of casting a fly rod or keeping a lure out of the weeds. Dyer can toss a jig into a teacup repeatedly at 50 feet and put a 5-pound bass in the boat quicker than it takes to say it. He has won 30 tournaments at the state and local level and has the confidence to believe that someday soon he can do it against the big boys on the B.A.S.S. Federation circuit.

Rules don't allow a professional fisherman to use special equipment and Dyer never asked for dispensation. He pilots a 20-foot Stratos boat and operates a Minn Kota trolling motor with standard controls.

"I thought the most difficult part would be to drive a high- speed boat, but the hardest is to use a bait-casting rig without back lashing. Fifteen years later, I still do it," Dyer said with a smile.

Join the club. Dyer somehow manipulates the rod between his chin and the stump of an arm. He controls the line with his chin and uses his mouth to tie knots and untangle snarls. Put simply, you have to see it to believe it. Can he actually cast as fast as other anglers on the pound-'em-up pro circuit?

"Faster if I have to," he said with a laugh.

Dyer demonstrated his abilities in Denver last week at the new Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World store. He supports himself largely through motivational speaking and frequent appearances for sponsors whose logos decorate his colorful shirt. He also volunteers for charitable organizations for kids, including fishing outings with those who are terminally ill.

"Mix that in with tournaments and I'm going wide open 12 months a year."

Dyer has been featured on ESPN's "SportsCenter" and in various fishing shows.

In every case, his message stays the same.

"Don't let obstacles stand in the way of your dreams. Have the perseverance and willpower to succeed."

And no whining. If he can, you can.