Sheryl Bentley

Slay Nation/ Ladies Online Series/Tournament Director/ Angler and Artist

I was introduced to fishing as a child by my family. My dad loved to fish and we would take family trips to trout fish as well as some salt water fishing. By teen years I had stopped fishing all but an occasional salt trip. Later in life, married with children, we bought a house on the river. Looking back, it amazes me how long it took me to start going out on the river in a canoe. I had been a very busy parent, mostly raising my daughters on my own, and it wasn't until they were older that I started taking the canoe out. I fell in love with the peace it brought to me. I eventually started adding simple fishing gear to my evening river excursions and then I discovered what bass were. And then things accelerated fast. I bought a kayak and more fishing gear, then another better kayak and more and better gear. At that time, I saw a Facebook post by a local kayak bass fishing trail looking for members. I wasn't sure really what it was or if it was even something I was capable of but I gave it a try and found that I loved tournament fishing. I learned of some online tournaments, including the Slay Nation Tournament series and I started participating in their Ladies Online Series. After that first year, Frankie, of Slay Nation, sent out an email asking if anyone wanted to assist with the Lady Series. I knew this was something I wanted to do and jumped right in. I love getting to know the ladies that participate from across the country. I love the fishing community and have met some amazing people. Though I mostly fish for Bass, I consider myself a multispecies angler. I get super fired up to fish anything! I've been making it a point to travel and fish more and have recently fished the West Coast for salmon and sturgeo, and Oklahoma for Spoonbill. This month I am going to Texas for Red Fish.

That is the information how I became involved with fishing and Slay Nation. I am a full time freelance artist and I am adding some additional paragraphs below that I use in my artist statements (whether we use this information or not in this podcast) as it will give you an idea of how integrated fishing is in my life. I created a space for my fishing and art passions, and this "space" is called Where Water Meets Air " Where Water meets air =
"Creatively Honoring the Art of Fishing
The rhythm of the current and my paddle breaking water, the constant casting, the dropping of a line. These are hypnotic mantras for inner introspection. They are incantations for summoning ideas, words, poetry, images. The mystery of bringing an unknown catch up from the depths, up to the place Where Water Meets Air, is infinitely exciting to me both literally and metaphorically. All of this is my Love, my Passion, my Obssession."

How fishing ties in with my art-
"When I was in fourth grade, I thought that my career would be as an oceanologist. As I entered high school, I found that art was my calling and in the many years since, I have grown a successful freelance business creating art for the public. I also found my passion for fishing. The art of fishing is awe inspiring to me and it has been important for me to look at it as not only a sport, but also as a close relationship with the earth. At times I even feel I may have mis-chosen my career because how I would love a job with the Fish and Game department! But I listen to my heart, and I know that I communicate best through art, and I feel I have things to share through it: things about my love of fish and water, of dragonflies, spiders, trees and plants, the importance of the bats swarming overhead while I am floating home on the river at dusk. My love of pine needles warmed in the sun while searching for trout bankside, and of frozen lake ice crunching under foot while ice fishing, are reminders to me that this earth is softly delicious and frighteningly hard all at once. It deserves our reverence, our gratitude, and respectful tending. I am drawn to express this through color and shape."