Lee Stokes

  • Rites of passage are simple to attain in the Lowcountry
    There are very few instances where one is not granted a rite of passage these days. A few letters behind your name, a parchment on the wall, a social position or elite club membership, a degree of status available for a price. Those rites of passage had to be earned and in the manner appropriate for the position.
  • Saltwater fishing can teach you some harsh lessons
    It's no secret I used to be an exclusive freshwater fisherman. Long after my arrival in the Lowcountry, I still failed to grasp the concept of water that was here one hour and gone the next. Tides were my nemesis, as well as the vastness of the waters before me.
  • Desperate hunting: Not a very bright idea
    Squirrel, raccoon, possum and rabbit were plentiful in the late 1960s. We hunted often during those early years, and Jerry Searson, Bill Neil and I hunted more than most. We were always hunting something, building something or planning something grand, which made our mothers nervous and our neighbors cautious.
  • Take a kid fishing, learn a lesson
    I never fail to learn something when I fish with a youngster, especially a newbie to the sport. With questions and constant breaks, the lack of attention and occasional setbacks, everything doesn't always work as planned. With my focus being more on the child and less on what I presume to get from the venture, I gain a new perspective of what is really more important.
  • Around Lowcountry, autumn is for anglers
    Fall fishing has arrived, and with it an array of fishing opportunities. There will be exceptions, followed by excuses, but the time will be shared with enthusiasm, optimism and the promise of some outstanding meals and worthwhile memories.
  • Some news and notes for Lowcountry anglers
    At the onset of my limited journalistic ramblings, I discovered it was better to add detail, using nouns and verbs, rather than over-do adjectives. With this in mind, and considering the fact that fishing has been everything but productive the past week, perhaps a break from routine would benefit both reader and participant.
  • Exactly how do you pronounce Pocotaligo?
    A tourist arrived in the Lowcountry and was stumped pronouncing some of the local names. They noted the strange spelling of the town they were approaching -- Pocotaligo -- and tried to figure how to pronounce it: Po-cot-ala-go. They grew more perplexed as they drove into the town.
  • Clearing waters mean new fishing opportunities
    Fishing conditions continue to improve as temperatures become more tolerable. Humidity levels remain high, but cooler days and gentle breezes make fishing more enjoyable as we head out of the summer season.
  • There's more to find outdoors than fish and game
    There are a number of things I enjoy about fishing. I enjoy returning to waters that hold memories and casting to the same spot hoping my luck remains. I've been fishing for many years, and enjoy both how it stays the same and how much it has changed over the years.
  • The angler's dilemma: Dock tyranny or owner's rights
    For years you have fished a spot known to harbor take-home species; you have found the proverbial honey hole. Now a dock has been placed directly over your presumed territory and you take exception to the intrusion.