Fishing in and around Frankfurt

Hi I'm an avid angler 8) If someone knows the ropes for getting a fishing liscence, it would be really appreciated. Company would be welcome if anyone is interested? Thanks Matt

Tricky one. Mostly you have to join a club to fish in ponds and lakes. You can fish in rivers without a membership but still need a (typically German) license which requires classes lasting several weekends last time I looked. You have to pass the tests as well.

Hmmm. Well not exactly a shocker. Thanks for letting me know. Matt

Gawd...you have to take classes to fish?!??!

Hm...cut the bait...bait the hook...cast...hook and bait falls into water...wait...wait..wait...

I was excited when I saw the thread, I love to fish. But good grief! That's a bit much!

Fischereischein ... Gewässerschein

Man after my own heart. Same frustration.

I did find a set of stocked ponds near Neu Anspach where one pays for what one gets ... but it's a lot of bobber fishing.

If you really want to do it right, save up, hop on a plane to Heathrow and make a pilgramage to Mecca.

JMO but the fishing in the immediate vicinity of Rhein-Main is pretty dull You either join a Verein and sit around the same two acre pond with 30 other dudes (and don't try getting dibs on Horst's favorite spot), or fish the rivers which are kind of dirty. Best luck I've had is to drive over to the Ardennes where you can camp and get a weekend license for about €20. Pretty good trout over there.

Fishing in Germany is a pain. I am a rabid fisherman, but I have not seen anything that inspires the effort. There are many good options for lake fishing/camping right across the border in France where you can buy a license at the local drug store and your daily fishing permit from an automatic machine at the lake. Also I have heard it is pretty easy to buy a license in Denmark and that there is decent fishing in the Baltic.

As mentioned above, you must take a class which covers several weekends. The cost of this class is between 200-400 Eur or more.
The classes is not about how to bait a hook, but more along the lines of teaching you what the laws are on the different species of
fish found in Germany. It also covers animal cruelty. You catching a fish is treated as Animal cruelty and unlike most other countries
which take a strong stand on catch and release, in most parts of German Catch and Release is Illegal and carries a heavy fine if you caught.

In addition to the costs for the initial class, there are refresher classes every 5yrs or so if I remember correctly to keep you up to
speed on the new rules/laws and limits. Seats in both the initial and refresher classes are limited and classes are usually only held 1-2
times per year. Once you get you fishing license, you also have to pay for each body of water you fish in.
As mentioned, its best to join a fishing club as they usually have special deals with the local lake/river owners/authorities.

And if that wasn't enough to put you off fishing, there are also fees for the amount of fish you catch. This is not for all location in
Germany, and not every places has them but they are out there. The same applies to hunting, but the classes and other licenses
fees make it very expensive and not worth doing for the Avg. person.