Asking Permission To Fish Private Land

[ethan smith]

This summer we were very fortunate “in this market” to have sold our house and purchased a new one. It took 9 months but it was worth it. Our new humble abode sits away from a small little town among a few other little ranch houses scattered about. We have an extra half acre lot (we call the back 40) that adjoins the rear of our main lot, and it abuts a wood lot that has a nice sized pond.

According to my neighbors the pond is owned by a farmer who uses it to water his fields. He is, depending on who you ask, a turf farmer or a tomato farmer, I still don’t know which.

Lets say I can find out who owns it via county records which I should be able to do, how should I go about asking permission to fish?

I wasn’t sure how many fish were in there, until today when I came home from work and the kid next door had pulled 18″ Largemouth out of the TINY little feeder creek that feeds in to this pond. This little creek you could literally step over, like nuthing but a little Slough… and he pulls a 18″ LM out of there! So anyway I’m fairly certain there are some fish in the pond, because I think its safe to assume he came from the pond.

A good friend of mine said don’t even ask, just get to know the farmer and invite him over, and hang out, he may ask me if I want to if he finds out I’m into fly fishing… might work

So any ideas or stories about similar ways to gain access? I’d love to just jump the fence at dusk but I’ve managed to not do that so far 🙂

[mike gee]

Just be straight up about it and ask.  I have always used this approach and have seldom been turned down.  This includes fishing on private land as well as camping, usually on farms or ranches, when bike touring.  In fact I have met some really friendly folks bike touring, ranchers that invite me inside for dinner and want to sit around and drink.  I still have yet to meet the proverbial farmer’s daughter though… ;D

[Bob Riggins]

I agree.

[Steve K.]

Barter for the privelege…help him around his place……and I would emphasize the concept of catch and release. If he feeds his fish…offer to help purchase some feed or maybe fertilzer. I can tell you firsthand…properly maintaining a pond ain’t cheap.

[ethan smith]

Cool thanks for some ideas.

I did find out through the local county auditor’s website that it looks like the land is owned by a farming company, who may or may not be an individual person. So that complicates things a bit, with liabilities etc. But I’m going to try to get to the bottom of it.

[jason hurst]

I agree with Drifter, introduce yourself and offer a hand when needed. Has worked several times for me.

JH

[anonymous]

May be complicated by laws in your state. In Arkansas, for example, you must have written permission from the land owner in your possession to hunt or fish on private land if the land is posted.

[tom miller]

Best way I have found in the past is to take my son with me.

[Zach Matthews]

Since it seems the neighbor’s kid already has permission, offer to teach him fly fishing.

[ethan smith]

Tom good idea on taking my son, I have an extra cute three year old son with a preternatural piscatorial fascination. (Say that 5 times fast). So I think that should do the trick, especially if its a company that owns it has an older female receptionist 🙂

Zach, The neighbor kid was actually fishing next to a tiny bridge on the road a few hundred yards up stream from the pond, and not on the farm pond property. I’m pretty sure the road is owned by the township and consequently public, so any fish underneath would be public too, I guess. But I will play up the catch and release aspect for sure.

[Mark Schafer]

Take the little guy with you to the local breakfast place, before long you’ll have invites to fish every farm pond in the county.
MS

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