Sunday, March 10, 2013

Chagrinned Again

The Chagrin is as beautiful a river as there is on Steelhead Alley, and unlike the name would suggest, this alley has some plenty of picture-perfect stretches shaded by tall pines and populated by deer, blue heron and mallards. And the homes along the river offer a particular charm and style that remind the angler that he is just passing through.

Lately the Chagrin's beauty has been exceeded by its difficulty. Indeed, the Chagrin is living up to its name: Chagrin, noun, Distress or embarrassment at having failed or been humiliated. I've now been humiliated (skunked) fishing the Chagrin three straight years on nearly identical days -- bright sun, perfect flows, and water below 35 degrees. While not ideal conditions, they shouldn't result in zero fish. But that's what's happened. Now the fish journal simply reads: "Don't fish the Chagrin when it's cold and bright."


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