08.29.26 Great first day of fishing and, well of course...

     I know you were just waiting for it. Most were wondering when I was going to show a bloody limb from an alligator attack. Well, sorry to disappoint. But we'll get to the ending near the ending of the post. 

     So I thought I had a good plan, and even as I write I was good with it after it was all said and done. Had high flood tide at 930 am and I got down there with two hours left on the incoming. My goal was to walk across the creek that was surely going to be a bouncing walk to get across if I waited until the top of the tide. 

     The wooden board marker that I had placed on the high side was gone and the only left was small mound of oyster shells that I had used as an anchor. Once across I started my search for wakes, tails, and moving grass. There was still hours until the high tide and I knew I had to wait until the water, and hopefully fish, moved in. 

     There were some birds flying around, some perched near the water waiting for baitfish, shrimp getting chased across the top, and mullet in v-patterns on the move. There were no blitzes or kurplunks although eery now and then there was a circular splash of something chasing something. 

     It took about 10 minutes until my eyes found a target where the water met the grass. While I was there to catch a fish it's wasn't the most important thing. I wanted to see. I wanted to watch. I wanted to learn. I didn't make a cast on this fish, because hell, this is going to get great. It was the only tailing redfish I saw all morning.

     I was there for two hours left on the incoming and two on the outgoing. One thing about a moon tide especially where you have creeks that empty into rivers which empty into sounds is that happens quickly. It was just about to the second for the high tide where the water came in, went slack, and then left. 

     At the flip the waters edge took on a new life. The water receded rather quickly and the creeks and points started to show strong current. There were some bigger fish chasing smaller fish and I let my fly go to see what was in the mix. 

     I caught a couple of chicken finger sized sea trout before moving along. I reached for my phone to take a picture and it was dead. The day before I went deeper into the water and it was in my pocket and since it's been acting a little wonky. So as far as pictures the day was over, and I was to, as the chance for tailing reds, at least here, wasn't going to happen. 

     I went back to my truck and put my gear away and started home. I had the place to myself except for three guys in the distance shrimping near a creek mouth. Their car was parked way up the dirt road that ran against a bridge. I thought that was weird because I had been back here a few times and besides a few large puddles.... and then BAM. 

     The first thing that almost happened was I almost disconnected my spine from my skull. Then I almost lost my front teeth to the steering wheel. "WTF just happened?". I spend the door and the water ran in but just into the corner. The truck was on and I wasn't shutting it down. I was all alone. I had no tools. The phone was dead. I have no friends around here. Since the truck was running I was able, in between getting in and trying to forward and reverse it out, to charge up my phone for a bit to send my life partner a text. Surely she would come and help me. 

     I texted her at 1220 and then went to work. I first tried to drain the swamp, well puddle that my truck was sitting in, to no avail. I found the jack and tried to jack the rear tires to get some rocks and stuff underneath it...forget that. A nice guy who comes down here on his lunch stopped and helped but couldn't. There was nothing left to do but to call AAA. An hour and a half later Theresa responded back. 

      I had worked out there in the rain for about two hours. At one point I heard all kinds of sirens coming towards my position. I thought, "Please don't let this be a false truck in the water 911 call", but it wound up being a motor vehicle stop that turned into a medical call. But the road was now blocked for the tow truck.

      After I called for service it literally took 20 minutes between the time I called and when my truck was back on the road. I called, the guy was sitting in a lot a mile or so away, he knew exactly where I was, he came, pulled me out and that was it. 

     Of course when I got back on the road my truck was below empty. I thought how embarrassing it would be to have to call AAA again for some gas. After filling up the heavens opened up which I

thought would be good for there truck but I knew underneath was covered in that think gray mud. I thought she deserved some better love and I headed to a do it yourself car wash and I'm glad I did. The tow truck driver said I was very lucky to have not swamped the truck which wouldn't have been good. 

     By the time the bath was done I was done. I hadn't eaten breakfast, didn't have much except a cold coffee to drink, and I was dirty and soaked. As I headed home a familiar sign caught my eye and I immediately made the traffic move to get into the lot.

     Believe it or not it was just what I needed. For a while there I felt alone. Truck stuck. Don't know where I am. Don't know nobody. Jersey Mike's brought me back to familiar territory. I knew what they tasted like no matter what state you get them from and the large picture of Point Pleasant on the wall made me feel like home. 

     I used to finish old blog posts with a picture of a white milk and an egg and cheese on bagel, scooped out and toasted of course. Today I post the most perfect lunch. If I want to repeat it I'll have to do it by Monday because Tuesday September 1st my new life begins, again.

     I learned lots of things today. The fish aren't tailing in every water even on the flood tide. Don't drive through puddles. Call AAA earlier. Theresa won't help me. Jersey Mikes is dam good. And lastly I need a four wheel drive pick up down here. Not only for situations like this but for work at The Guide House, that names back up in the air, and for towing the two boats around. The last thing I need is an Atlantic Highlands ramp repeat from December 4, 2020. If you don't know then you can see that HERE

     I've been looking on Facebook Marketplace for something better than a beater. I'd like a Chevy Silverado 4x4 in white, preferably years 2002-2004. Low miles and original owner would be a plus. 

     The above is a picture from Titusville back in April before I sold the pick up. I wish I still had her. If I did maybe I would have been exploring in her yesterday and could have popped her into four wheel drive and avoided the drama. Maybe I need to change the name from The Guide House to The Drama House. 

08.28.26 Two tide check....

     I know I have to learn the bait as well as the fish down here. We had a busy day planned house-wise but I just had to go out on a scout especially with the full flood tide moon today. High highs and low lows. What I'm learning is during the hot months it's all about the flood tide and during the cooler months the ebb. So I went and hit some spots.

     Hey, I know there's gators down here. Just about everywhere you go there's a sign to remind people of that. My guard is especially up when I walk Luke just before bed and before first light. I carry a mini-mag light to illuminate our walk, not that the flashlight would help if we were ambushed or anything. I cut my teeth fly fishing for striped bass pulling overnights in Asbury Park back in the day and then Trenton so scary people don't phase me, but alligators do.

    I drove around before settling in at a place that looked promising away from the bayou-alligator populated swamp. It was the top of the flood tide and it looked fishy, although I was limited to where I could go due to the many deep channels that cut the landscape off of the main river. 

     As you know I'm all about walking and wading, well to fish some spots I'll have to include swimming to get from point A to point B. You can tell from the above picture by the drop off it's not knee-deep water there. So I put this spot in for my plan for today.

     My flats shoes could be anywhere and after searching through the garage and The Guide House I realized they must be in my wader bag back in Cape May. I did a quick search on Amazon and found a suitable temporary replacement. For $50 they'll do just fine. 

     They arrived while we were out at the tile place looking for backsplash tile in the kitchen. The countertop folks broke the existing tiles during their install so we arrived to find that part of the home improvement project up in the air. Then we had to run home for the appliance delivery guys who were dropping off a new washer and dryer for Theresa. The house came with a set but they weren't up to T's liking so, "Happy wife, happy life".

     Of course they came sealed in a box and we were told to inspect them before they carried them into the house. During inspection we found a dent in each one and quickly got Home Depot on the phone. I felt bad for the delivery guys who stood there dripping in the 95 degree heat waiting for us to make the call. In the end they offered to take off 25% so shortly after that call they were inside. 

     I got back to the morning spot a few hours into the incoming. I was easily able to walk across those finger channels where the water had covered it on the earlier high tide. When you're learning a new spot it's exciting and starting from square one hits all of the senses. 

     The above flat is where I want to fish today. During my couple hour trek through the landscape yesterday I noticed a few things. There tall and short spartina grass. There's hard and soft, or muddy bottoms, and there's mud, and then leg swallowing pluff mud. Hermit crabs are everywhere and I would love to have seen Bob walking and watching the bait. Those crabs love the muddy bottoms, and can't be found around the taller, and sharper, oyster bed mounds. 

     My $50 flats boots served the purpose, although they were a tad loose. I purchased an 11, and if I were in a store I most likely would have went 10.5, but I put a pair of socks on to lessen the space between rubber and skin. 

     I'm sure I will beat the piss out of these in short order so my expectations are high. I didn't want to drop big cash on a "real" pair and didn't want to miss this weeks moon tides. They worked out great as I was able to walk the various bottoms of where the water will be when I return this morning. Even though deep, the bottom was firm, a combination of hard packed sand and oyster shells. So I did some pre-planning and some work. 

     I found a spot that had a gentle slope on both my entry and exit point. It would bother were I'll be swimming across to get to hopefully a place where at least one redfish is up hunting for fiddler crabs. 

     I marked the spot with a piece of wood that I considered using for the first The Guide House sign but it was just a piece of pressure treated lumber. So I planted it in the ground and surrounded it by oyster shells which will hopefully keep it upright through the last two tide cycles. 

     I marked my entry point with a line in the sand and a few chunks of oyster bed. As I sit here at 5am writing this it seems like a good plan. I'll be changing into my bathing suit and brining a towel and change of clothes. Hopefully the gators weren't watching me prepare last evening. 

     On my out I bounced along the bumpy dirt road which brought back memories of getting into Lake Tashmoo back in June. That trip seems like an eternity ago and I can't wait to go back next year. By then, hopefully, I would have learned a ton down here and maybe even caught a fish or two. There's tarpon around and the bull reds are just arriving, not some bad targets to have, if only I can find out where they are. I'm not asking anybody for intel, even if it takes me longer to get dialed in. 

     When I got home the storm clouds were building over the bubble. Theresa and I took a shot and ran over to the pool for a quick swim. While in the water we both shook our heads while saying how thankful and blessed we are. We were the only people there. 

     After our quick dip we saw that the pool side bar was still open, and there was still time to put it a food order. I'm sure this place gets busy at times but where can you take an after work dip and belly up to the bar in a complex of 10,000 people and only have a few others around? So far, well it's been only four days, we like everything, except those dam alligators. I just want to be that guy. 

08.27.26 School's in session...

     When you're just starting out, in anything, or anywhere, it doesn't matter where you begin. It's all new and everything can offer a learning opportunity. So for me having at the chance to enter any classroom in the Lowcountry gives me a beginning point. I don't know if these spots are fishy but it doesn't really matter. There's moving water, grasses, mud, crabs, shrimp, and the occasional splash to take note of. One things for sure, while at least on foot, it's not like the Jersey Shore where you can use other anglers as fish finders. Maybe from a boat down here yes, but the amount of acreage of water, and the limited access, means you'll probably have to find your own fish, which I always enjoyed more. 

     Last night on our way into Hilton Head to meet friends for dinner I stopped by Southern Drawl Outfitters to pick up a map of the area and a few flies. After dropping $8.99 a fly and $35 for the Top Spot map I was on my way to The Black Marlin Bayside Grill which

sits on the western side of Hilton Head on Broad Creek. When we pulled into the parking I looked up and saw the below building, which gave me all the reason to believe that renaming my place was the right move. 

     Inside the restaurant was a long wall with the below art covering it. It was a familiar sight, although different. What I see is a school of menhaden, bunker, or pogies getting chased by a tuna, whereas most times up north I've seen a striped bass in the pursuit. But striped bass aren't a fish of much interest down here although I've heard they can be caught in the Santee and Savannah Rivers. 

     Besides the learning the waters, and the roads, well hell just about everything, I also have to mark the various boat ramps that are down here. My early take is South Carolina is user friendly as I have seen countless access points during my limited tours around Beaufort and Jasper Counties. 

     And while I had started to think I was just about dialed in to the striped bass, but are we ever really, down here the closest thing to dialing I'm doing is my phone to ask Siri where I am. I'm missing the idea of teaching this fall semester, in some capacity, but I also like to learn, and I have a lot of learning to do. 

08.26.26 I miss my old lawn tools....

     "And like a good neighbor, The Average Angler is there....". It's been a while since The Boat House, whoops, The Guide House, has been shown any love. And the yard hasn't been mowed and raked for some time. The last thing I want is the town to eminent domain this place due to the ongoing revitalization and rebirth in the neighborhood. Like across the street, and soon next to and behind me. So being a good neighbor is important. Today I paid the price. 

     With feel-like temperatures like 1,000 degrees I pulled out hat tools I had. The two biggest were this old battery operated Ryobi weed hacker, which wouldn't draw blood if you ran it across your neck, and an old American brand 14" push mower. 

     I left my old gas powered tools when we sold the house, because, why would I need them? well, here you go. While I thought I was done with good old gas I might have to rethink that as I broke my ass with the above set-up today. 

     I spent four hours in the heat getting the jungle under control, and it didn't go unnoticed. Town hall is just a block over and several town vehicles slowed down around the curve, it sits on a corner lot, to see what activity was going on on the corner. Nobody stopped, but all gave a wave before moving on. No doubt it was somebody's talk at the coffee maker back at the office. 

     In the end the best I could do was weed whack the grass in the yard. They have different grass and weeds down here and if you let it go the stalks became almost high and stick like which is too much for the push mower. If I allowed to get back there today I'll have to rake it all out before running those sharp blades across what's left. 

     The skiff sits where I left it and I need to finish up with the sellers as far as getting the documents that go with it. I'm not worried as it was registered in Georgia and had a tag on it, 

although a little outdated. I'll have to send the SCDNR my application to get it water legal before I use it which hopefully is sooner then later. At some pint over the next few days I'll have to get down to some water and scout around. The Full Moon is August 28th so this week is a good one for flood tides, which could mean tailing redfish somewhere. 

     While the yard work was noticeable I wanted to hang something to let the neighbors know this place will soon be full of life. So I went inside and pulled an old wooden fish that was hanging on the shed up in Cape May. It wasn't much, but people notice even the smallest things. 

     The place is now marked as something-fishy-is-coming and when I find the right wooden board or plank I'm going to make the first The Guide House sign to hang outside. It won't be much, more like the finger painted "For Sale Coming Soon" sign like I planted on Route 29 which

proved to be key in selling our house before it went to market. So maybe a sign like that will start The Guide House off with some good juju. I'm thinking I might run the idea past some Martha's Vineyard artist to see what he comes up with. Anybody know any like that up in the Vineyard?

     These posts, like getting away from packing and moving, are fun to write as they will tell the early days of The Guide House and my adventures down here. There's so much water, so many fish, and so much to learn. I'm gonna ride and enjoy this wave for as long I can upright.

     And to circle back to Captain Rick Stanzyck, who was struck by lightning last week and suffered cardiac arrest, well, he's now back home recovering. They say lightening doesn't strike twice and we hope for Nick's sake that is true. 

08.25.26 We made it down to "Home", and a new name for The Boat House...

 

     I don't know how well I'd do as an over the road trucker at this point in my life. Cape May to Bluffton is about 750 miles and 11 or so hours. For me that's a long trip. I can't stand still and concentrate for that long. I got so bored on the trip down I gave myself a haircut while driving. At least I wasn't texting.

     We drove down to Rocky Mount, North Carolina, which was about 7-1/2 hours before checking into a Residence Inn by Marriot. We had reservations and when Theresa checked in she asked about Luke, and their Dog Friendly Policy. The lady at the desk looked at Theresa and said, "You're service dog is no charge...", and we left it at that. Truth is Luke needs a service dog way more then he could ever be one.  

     He's not a fan of car rides and needs coaxing to get into the back of the Suburban whenever we go somewhere. It's all been a lot for him and we have tested his good-dogness since the chaos began in say April before all the moves. Now he has to get used to the real-feel 105 degree temps down in the Lowcountry. He didn't have much room to stretch out since both vehicles were 

packed to the gills. We also had stuff outside, like our matching bikes which we'll need daily when we begin our new lives on September 1st, a little less then a week away. 

     Our first stop was at the-formerly-known-as The Boat House to unload both stuff that I need, and of course don't need. To say the last few days before the closing was a shit-show would be putting it mildly. But thank God we were able to but it because I don't know where I would have stored the boats and all of my stuff, both fishing and Man Cave related. 

     So that brings me to the new name of The Boat House. After thinking about it The Boat House worked, but then it didn't. Yes, it a great place to store the two boats but it's more about just storage. There's a building, or shed, room, tiny house, attached so it'll be more about a hang then just storage. And with the hopes of guiding down here my thinking made me rethink the name, and then The Guide House hit me. I'm sure there are other guide houses across the world so it won't be original to this one. The closest thing that came to mind was the reality show that ran during the early 2000's.

     Guide House was a show that was brought to life by Jason Puris and guide Brendan McCarthy. It was set in Montauk, shot in 2006, and featured guides, Paul Dixon, Amanda Switzer, Brian Goulart, Brednan McCarthy, and Matt Miller. While there was no "The" in front of Guide House it's still The Guide House, so maybe I'm copying it a bit, but it fits. 

     The Guide House, in Ridgeland, will be a place for me to do all things boat and fly fishing that will be open to the guides down here if they let a Yankee in to join the ranks. I can just imagine working on skiffs and boats, having fly tying sessions, and campfires and barbecues sometime in the future. I know you just don't show up into other peoples backyard so I'll have to learn and earn my way in, but time is ticking.

     For now it's just a storage place and after I get a handle on our real house I'll have to come up with a plan and get to work up there. Right now I have to keep the grounds up and have it look like it's inhabited and not just a dumping ground. This first thing I have to do is move the fence that surrounds the property. On one side the fence is way over the property line and almost into the street.

     I have the name of the contractor who installed the town approved, but out of compliance, fence and am going to let him deal with the move. I'm not lazy but I just think that'll be something be worth paying for as I deal with other things that need to get done.  

     The town also gave them a permit which stated the previous owners were installing a six-foot high fence, when really the neighborhood allows for a four foot high one. So I am going to take a 

little off the top and duplicate the scalloped design. That'll be a chore but it will look good, and more neighborhood friendly, when I'm all done with it. 

     The early plan is to gut it inside and out and replace the T1-11 siding with Hardie Board and do a board and batten siding, which fits into the neighborhood and the Lowcountry. The doors and windows will be replaced and some type of air conditioning will be installed. I've never delved into mini-splits but this may be the place that I do. 

     I'm going to resist my usual ghetto-half ass projects and really get this planned out and sketched on paper before I start construction. The covered area to the right sports a ceiling fan and wall mounted television, which is a great hang, but I wonder if I shouldn't expand the structure past it's 13 x 25 foot current footprint. Erin is midway through her design studies and is pretty handy with CAD and computer based modeling and concepts so I'll give her something she may be able to have for her portfolio. and if her design wins I'll throw her a couple of dollars for her time, and brain. 

     Back home we'll begin the torturous task of unloading and figuring out what to do with all of this stuff that's filled the two car garage. Needless to say we could have done with far less but it is what it is. Luckily some of this is going to make its way down to the kids and my Mom in Florida so it'll lessen the pile in the garage. 

It took us 58 and 60 years to get here and it's going to take us a bit to unwind it all.