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From lakes and rivers of Texas, E. Tennessee & N. Georgia., bayous of SW Louisiana or the inshore/offshore salt and freshwater of Florida, Ragan grew up chasing fish. With a cajun mother and Florida boy father, both avid anglers, he held a rod early on and though the Ragans moved often due to his father’s profession as a Veteran PGA pro, teacher and coach, the road always ended in water. Aside from their parents, Chuck and brother Paul fished aside paternal grandparents on the intercoastal of Daytona Bch. and maternal grandparents around Holly Bch. In Louisiana and along the Blanco River outside of Kyle, Tx. Fishing became a way of life in the family. Father Dave Ragan always seemed to relocate the family around prime fisheries whether he meant to or not and having a mama born and bred into it didn’t smother the flame one bit. As a teen, he fished bass lakes, beaches, inlets and canals in Sarasota on the Gulf of Florida. With itchy feet in 94, he left for Gainesville, FL. unknowingly continuing what would end up being his music career. As his band Hot Water Music became an international touring machine, Ragan saw the world. Moving to Gainesville followed by Micanopy in early 2000, he learned from Kip Street & Bill “The Gill” Sorton, new methods of angling and woodwork. When not working, you’d find him off the coast of Saint Augustine, Cedar Key or Shellmound chasing Redfish, offshore winching grouper or poling lilies after heavy bass and striper on Rodmans, St. Johns or the Suwannee River. In early 2000, Ragan left the South for California to marry Jill and continued a trade in carpentry, songwriting and fishing Pacific waters. He kept touring, this time with fishing rods in tow. As an angler and traveling musician, Ragan takes advantage of being in prime zones to fish and share music across the globe.
Relocating to Grass Valley, CA. in 07, he continued his career in music and began exploring the waters of Northern California through the end of a fly line. Encouraged by peers Matt “Gilligan” Koles, Hogan Brown, Clay Hash and Tom Page, Ragan became a licensed guide and vowes that it was the organization called Cast Hope that was the driving force behind finally taking that step along with having kids in the scope for the future. Ragan began slowing down on touring with his music and began guiding for the non profit organization Cast Hope www.casthope.org to help give a new perspective to kids who’ve yet to find the passion and reason to protect our naturalresources. Always positive and fired up, he lives to see people light up when their rod bends and believes in giving others the knowledge of the outdoors, fly fishing, teamwork, independent confidence and the importance of respect and conservation for all to carry and pass on themselves.
Jill and Chuck had their first child and future deck hand, Grady Joseph in May of 2015 and began slowing down even more in the touring world and focusing mainly on guiding. Now as a USCG licensed Inland OUPV Captain and California fly fishing guide that focuses on Sacramento Valley Rivers, lakes and reservoirs in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Range and The California Delta, Ragan loves sharing fun and joy on the water. Always in pursuit of largemouth, smallmouth, striper, spotted bass and shad on the fly as well as the wild trout and steelhead of the Yuba and Feather Rivers, Ragan is just as eager to put people on a fish as he is to catch them himself.
