My children and I had a great Father’s Day Weekend made all the better by fishing my cousin’s small pond. It’s the exact sort of place you’d dream of where the fish haven’t seen a hook in years and just inhale your lure as it hits the water. While we’re lucky to have family who allows us to access this, not everyone has that ability, and need to ask permission instead. This article’s aim is to help you get (and keep) permission to fish private ponds.
A good place to start is probably understanding what the concerns the homeowner might have. It’s easy to think of someone who says “no” as a grump but honestly there are several legitimate reasons not to want to let a stranger on your property! Let’s explore a few concerns, as well as how to overcome them.
Stranger Danger
First and foremost, not everyone in the world welcomes strangers on their property. While there are certain parts of our country that are more hospitable than others, the media has done everything they can to make us absolutely terrified of each other.
The Solution: Dress and Act Appropriately
Do everything you can to look “normal” when you go and knock on someone’s door to seek their permission to fish their private pond. I know that’s asking a lot of some of us fishermen, but try to leave your shirt covered in worm guts at home for the first time! While you don’t need to show up in a suit, try and look as presentable and friendly as possible for this first meeting.
On that note, handshakes say a lot about a man, and the sort of fellow who is going to say yes or no to your fishing his pond is probably going to be the sort who pays attention to your grip. A firm handshake while introducing yourself and looking them in the eye is important.
You might also consider how you feel these days when the doorbell rings. There have been comedians who have had some pretty solid jokes about how odd that is in the modern era. While that may be your only ticket, you’re probably better off if you happen to catch the person outdoors where they can see you coming.
Not Wanting a Mess
Look, for every angler who leaves the bank a little cleaner than they found it, there’s another who gives them the opportunity. Riverbanks and shore access tend to be dirty places filled with trash. Property owners may well be expecting this and leery of granting someone permission to fish their private pond because of it.
The Solution: Offer to Clean Up After Yourself, Others, and Nature
It goes without saying that you should be clear you will leave absolutely no mess from your activities. You should also offer to clean up any trash you find.
With that said, most private ponds aren’t going to have much trash around them due to their private nature. They may, however, have a good deal of overgrown vegetation and such along the shoreline. Some folks have reported success with offering to take a weed whacker down and trim up the shoreline for the owner and clean the brushes out. Many ponds become overgrown because they’re a pain to mow around. The owner might actually appreciate your offer to landscape for them and agree to allow you to fish it in return.
Not Wanting Their Fishing Spot Ruined
Some folks might fish their ponds on their own, or, at least view them as fun little ecosystems they want to keep in balance. They don’t want their fish being taken or mortally injured or such.
The Solution: Offer to Use Circle Hooks, and Mention Catch and Release
Regardless of if you like to keep your catch now and then, you shouldn’t expect to do that when fishing a private pond. These are small bodies of water without many fish in them, and for all you know, the owner may have paid quite a bit to stock them. You should mention catch and release early. If the owner wants to practice selective harvest for pond management, they’ll let you know, but never expect it.
You might also mention circle hooks, rubber nets, or any other ways you have of being respectful to the animals you encounter. The idea is to let the owners know you’re going to take care of the fish in their private pond like they’re your own.
Another Solution: Leave the Friends Behind
You should be very clear with the property owner exactly who is seeking permission to fish their private pond. That person should be you, and you alone (well, a kid in tow wouldn’t hurt your chances). Property owners aren’t going to want their pond becoming the talk of the town, and there’s nothing like a buddy to do that. You also never know if your guest will now think they have the right to fish the pond too. It’s just a bad look. The whole reason you want to get permission to fish private ponds is so that you can have outstanding fishing all to yourself. Leave others behind!
Liability
Unfortunately, one of the main reasons folks aren’t going to want to give you permission to fish their private ponds is the liability of it. We live in such a litigious society and all they need is a lawsuit.
The Solution: Waivers?
There are some liability waivers that you can print out online and you might offer signing one if they ask. I’m not comfortable recommending one as I’m not a lawyer and you also might put yourself in a bad predicament with one. You might consider consulting a lawyer if you have 3 or 4 of them in the family like everyone in this country and ask them for help.
Other Tips
Here are some other things you can do to help you get permission to fish private ponds:
- Bring a kid with you to ask permission. For one, you might catch their soft spot. For two, if you get told “No,” it’s a good opportunity for your kid to learn how to handle that with grace.
- Show up with a gift. It wouldn’t be the worst idea to bring something small for the owner (including some cash). If you have a garden, some vegetables from it would be a good trade.
- Offer to clean fish for them. While some pond owners are going to want everything to stay in there as unharmed as possible, others might actually want a meal. If you get the read that they’re the latter, offering to filet up a meal for them could make a big difference.
- Don’t give up. If you’ve ever looked at Google Earth, you’d know there are ponds literally everywhere. Keep plugging away until you find someone who lets you fish them!
Conclusions
Private ponds are a great place to take kids fishing if you can get permission to fish them. I definitely recommend trying to secure it. Just remember that it isn’t like the old days and folks are wary of strangers, often with decent reasons. Also, someone set out to get that private pond with the idea of keeping it private and well-maintained. If you’re lucky enough to be granted the right to fish it, don’t abuse it!
Thanks,
John Paxton
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