Military Post
Shhh!!!
I'm going to tell you all about one the best kept secretes in fishing. Most military post have some body of water on them that is an untapped resource. I am speaking strictly from the ARMY perpesoective, but almost all the post I have been to ,that are larger than a postage stamp, have a small pond or lake. Some even have large bodies of water. These waters are usually ignored except when there is a picnic to be had at the pavilions that suround them. I have caught fish at Fort Hood TX, FT Sill OK, a post in Kansas I can't remember, Baghdad Iraq, and Camp Maybry Austin TX. I was on duty this past few weeks at Camp Maybry and after work was able to catch bluegills that went over ten inches and had eyes as big as marbles!!! Now I know, you are saying,"I'm a civilian, how can I get onto a military post?" Well I am going to tell you.
Steps:
1. Do some research.
Just use the internet to look up perspective post in your area. Most will have a website that will tell you what you need to know, some even have a recreation area on their site. Find out what you need to do to get on(possibily there will be a pass that civilians can use), rules you need to follow, and regulations for fishing the area(some post will have permits that you have to buy in addition to your fishing liscence). You can also ask someone who has fished there before, to get info. on the way to get access to the post and how good the fishing is. Be prepared with info. that is important.
2. Gain access
Prior to 9/11 many military post were open to the public, but the times have changed. Many times the post will have a pass that civilians can use and will give you info. on all the rules and regualations reguarding the use of post facilities. If the post does not offer a pass that civilians can use to get on, you might want to think about finding a person who will let you be their guest. These people include soldier, and retired military personel. Retired personel will usually have an ID Card that allows them to utilize some of the resources on post (like the Post Exchange, a tax free store). Soldiers and retired military personel are also great friends to have, and many love to fish, so take a Veteran fishing. At the gate the guard will want to see the identification that allows them access, and also your identification. There is still a chance that you may not get on so try to be understanding, and don't hassle the guard.This is a very difficult time for the military and security is a top priority. After you gain access you can also find out info. about how to get to the body of water from the guard, so be curtious. Some post also have a visitors center(if the post is large enough).
3. Follow the Rules!!!
All the normal rules of flyfish and the post rulesapply . The important thing to remember is that you are a guest, so remember to act like a guest. Things you can do to be curtious include giving space to other fishermen, cleaning up litter, and leaving promtly when you are supposed to. Also it is important to remember that you should never interfer with the operations of military personel. If approached about leaving an area, do it. It is not worth being escorted off post just to keep fishing!!! Most of the time the only interaction you will have with soldiers is them asking how the fishing is.
If you do these things there is a good chance of you getting access to some great fishing. All of this may sound inconvient, but I find it is worth it. There has been a lot of talk about golf corse fishing holes, well this is very similar. Who knows you may get some fish and a few new friends out of the experience. Remember to be corrtious and like always, never talk bad about the job that the military is doing, no matter what you think about it. Like I always say "soldiers don't come to your job and tell you how to mop the floor", so don't do it to them. So give it a try and see what happens.
Till Later,
Sarge.
Soldier,
Iraqi War Veteran,
and Flyfisherman.
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