SMA X FAILED TO COMPLY WITH ATC CLRNC IFR DEP.

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AT APPROX XA35 SMA X WAS GIVEN A TKOF CLRNC FROM RWY 24 AT WJF. SINCE THIS WAS AN IFR DEP; I EXPECTED TO BE GIVEN A HEADING TO FLY UPON DEP. THE TWR GAVE NO HEADING OR OTHER DEP INSTRUCTIONS. I ASKED THE TWR CTL WHAT I WAS EXPECTED TO DO AFTER TKOF. AFTER A PAUSE; THE TWR CTLR SIMPLY TOLD ME TO CONTACT DEP AFTER TKOF. THIS LEFT ME WITH THE IMPRESSION THAT DEP WOULD GIVE ME FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE TERRAIN CLRNC BECAME AN ISSUE. THE TERRAIN RISES TO THE SW AND THE SUN HAD JUST SET SO THE MOUNTAINS WERE PLAINLY VISIBLE. SINCE IT WAS CAVU; I DECIDED TO DEPART AND ASK DEP FOR INSTRUCTIONS WHILE MAINTAINING VISUAL TERRAIN CLRNC. AFTER TKOF; I ASKED JOSHUA APCH WHAT I WAS EXPECTED TO DO. THE CTLR SAID I SHOULD PROCEED DIRECT PMD AS CLRED. I WAS ALREADY IN A L TURN WHEN HE ISSUED A LOW ALT WARNING AND SAID THAT IF I HAD QUESTIONS ABOUT MY DEP INSTRUCTIONS; I SHOULD ASK BEFORE DEPARTING. HE SAID I WAS EXPECTED TO FLY THE PUBLISHED IFR DEP PROC. WHAT HE SAID IS CORRECT; IN THE ABSENCE OF INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE TWR; I SHOULD HAVE FLOWN THE PUBLISHED IFR DEP PROC. I DID NOT REALIZE THIS AT THE TIME BECAUSE EVERY TIME I HAD DEPARTED A TOWERED FIELD PRIOR TO THIS; I HAD BEEN GIVEN A SID BY CLRNC DELIVERY OR OTHER DEP INSTRUCTIONS BY THE TWR. THIS SIT COULD BE PREVENTED BY FLYING THE PUBLISHED DEP PROC AS REQUIRED. WHEN PLTS ASK FOR DEP INSTRUCTIONS AND THE TWR HAS NONE; CTL TWRS SHOULD SAY 'FLY THE PUBLISHED IFR DEP PROC.' THE INSTRUCTION TO DEPART AND CONTACT DEP FOR FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS WAS CONFUSING.