Uh oh...

Went back to the urban lake where a few weeks ago I fell and racked my shin pretty badly. It's a series of connected ponds that winds between a hospital and a medical clinic. I'd been fishing for about an hour I guess and had just pulled out and released a really nice bluegill when I sensed someone behind me. "Nice fish," he said. "Thanks," I said, and when I turned around I noticed he was wearing a uniform and a badge. Uh oh, I thought. "I'm a security guard over at the hospital," he said, "And they really don't want you fishing here."

I apologized, said I wasn't really surprised, but since there were no signs posted I though maybe it was OK. "I just live over there a ways," I said, pointing over my shoulder. He said he really didn't know why they minded as long as people didn't make a mess or cause trouble, but that they had a security camera set up and he saw me and figured he better come out. "I used to hunt here," he said, "Before all this was built up." I said I remembered, and that I'd lived here for 35 years and knew what it used to be like. He said he remembered the day when there was a farm pond at the end of every two-lane dirt road, and you just went and fished them; nobody cared, you didn't need permission or anything like that.

He said, "I'm just an old guy with a part time job; I really don't have any authority, but they do review the tapes sometimes and if I didn't talk with you I'd be in trouble. I'll tell them you're a local fella that I've seen around and a real nice guy, and that when I talked to you you just moved on." I got ready to pick up my gear and head out. Then he said, "If you move up to the north end the camera can't see you. I work every Saturday and Sunday and you won't have any trouble from me. Have fun and good luck!" and he headed back to the hospital.

That man deserves a beer. :)

It's good to see there are still people out there like that man.

Sort of sad to see old fishing holes closed to the public. Seems like we are getting closer to losing public water where we either pay the government (Forest Service, State Parks, etc.) or closed to the public. Sad to see society changes caused this and all we can do is remember the old days.

Vinny

Great story, Prairieschooner.

Those sort of days really make it worth it.

Brian

Buy that man a beer.

Or find the PIO (Public Information Office) or equivalent and state your case that allowing fishing would be another way of serving the community. The reasonable requirement of not making a mess would of course apply but that would be enforced on any user of the grounds. The worse that can happen is that he/she will say ?No? in which case you are only out an email, letter or visit and back where you started.

I have done this twice, once on a private pond in an exclusive development (answer = No) and once at an Industrial Park where all they said was pick up after yourself. The second case had a sign saying ?No use by non-residents?. I explained I used to work for one of the companies in the park and fished during my lunch hours and missed doing so. The Head of Security gave me the go-ahead. I even fished it in my float tube a few times.

Excellent! How was the fishing in the North End?

Not as good as the south, where there are some drainage culverts and rip rap the fish seem to like. But I'm not gonna be picky ;)!

An absolute dereliction of duty. TWO beers !

Mark

The problem maker is probably the risk manager. I could send you a disclaimer, but it would probably do no good. You represent a potential liability claim and your presence brings in no profit. If they let you, they have a hard time excluding the other guys, then some kid falls in and drowns and sue. The pond is know as an attractive nuisance. I was ask to leave a pond where I was told there were 2 lb. shellcrackers.

The problem in cases like these (in addition to the "attractive nuisance" that Uncle Jesse points out) is the reputation of fishermen.

I like to fish a lot of out-of-the-way places, including city park streams, and remote National Forest wild trout streams. It is usually very obvious which ones have had other fishermen before me; there will be bait containers, beer cans, bobbers hanging from tree limbs, and tangled fishing line lying around. It's almost like you aren't a real fisherman unless you leave some type of trash lying behind. I wouldn't want the public to be allowed to fish on my body of water either, based on the evidence I've seen.

I would say to please clean up after yourself, but I'm fairly certain that the readers of this forum already do that, and the people who are leaving trash won't stop doing it anyway.

By the way, great story prairieschooner!