Farewell to the Alley. Those are 4 words that I would never hear myself saying. That's what been going through my mind as I was driving along the Chagrin River one afternoon on my way to a job. It's late August and the river is barely flowing from the summer heat. Steelhead season feels like it's months away. I drive by some of my favorite pools and it will be odd that I'll be absent this upcoming season. Instead of stocking up for the season, I'm selling off some of my fishing equipment. My last day at work is September 6th and the house closes on the 18th. Then its the long journey to Maine, where both me and my girlfriend Kim will be starting another chapter in our lives.
It was Kim who brought up the idea of moving. For her, it was a long time desire to move back to her native New England after moving to Ohio 18 years ago. Her daughter went to the University of Maine and graduated in engineering. She currently resides in Portland, Maine and her extended family still lives in Massachusetts. Her son is entering his sophomore year at Ohio State and he's given his blessing and understood why Mom wanted to move. For both of us, it's been a wide range of feelings form excitement to full of anxiety.
As for me, I was intrigued as I loved our annual vacations in New Hampshire during the summer and fall. During those times, I really enjoyed hiking and photographing the White Mountains and the coast along Maine. With the exceptions of the mountains, New England reminded me of back home in Northern Ontario with lush forests and bounty of lakes and rivers. Plus there was the ocean as it was always a dream of mine to live by it. As much as I liked living in Ohio, it doesn't even come close to New England. Then there's my current place of employment and it was a huge factor in making my decision to move. The company I worked for the last 18 years was sold 4 years ago. What was once a tight knit mom and pop company eventually turned into a corporate toxic mess. I saw the writing on the wall and I knew this was the perfect opportunity to get out.
There will be a sense of sadness as I'm leaving behind 26 years of memories and friendships. I remember the move from Alberta in 1998, the first steelhead I caught, my first Indians and Browns game, when the Cavs brought Cleveland their first sports championship in 55 years, and meeting Kim on a whim back in 2015. But, I'll definitely miss fishing the Alley. Every September, I begin to stir and I grow antsy at the thought of hitting the rivers. I've grown to love the mornings when I'm heading out to one of the rivers for a day on the water. It was one the times when I was truly happy and in my element.
Just the other day when we were cleaning out the garage, there was steelhead rod and reel in the corner. Hanging up were my grubby worn out waders and jacket. My girlfriend asked if I was going to sell it and said there was no way I would get rid of it. A couple of fishing friends have offered me a place to stay if I choose to come back for a week of fishing. I'm grateful for the offer, but I'm not sure if I'll have the time to do it. But what I really want is one more outing before I leave. If we get some rain, that might bring in some early arrivals, but its not a guarantee. All I can do is hope and wait. For the time being it will be a week of purging and packing. It will really hit me when I'll see the Welcome to Pennsylvania sign when we cross over the state line and I'll see Ohio in the rear view mirror.
I will miss Steelhead Alley
