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.