Fellow fishermen, there is a good story behind my lengthy silence. I had promised to give you an update as to the progress of my German fishing license almost two months ago. Well, today I finally received a visitors license (Besucher-fischereischein or Gast-Fischereischein).
This blue piece of paper came with much negotiating and prayer... more prayer than negotiating on my side of things. But, I thought you might like to know the whole story. For those of you who don't care for stories, skim through my tale and find the important information.
First thing to remember about Germans: they are law-abiders. If there is a rule, spoken or unspoken, it will be followed. A perfect example is jaywalking. The majority of Germans (especially the older generation) wouldn't dare to step foot on a street that doesn't have a green "little traffic-light man" signal, and those who dare to ignore the law are scowled at or frowned upon.
So, when it come to getting a fishing license, EXPECT to deal with a lot of rules and regulations. And remember, you'll need a license for each state you visit (examples: Rhineland-Pfalz or Hessen). Okay, now for my advice, with some stories to liven things up.
1) Make sure you come to Germany with a copy of your American fishing license. I had my father scan mine and email it to me while I was here. Furthermore, it is expected that you bring a German translation of the content of your license. You will also need a passport sized photo of yourself, and your passport (for safety's sake). The desired materials depend on the state where you're trying to get a license.
Here is what I needed to get my license:
a) the grace of God!
b) a copy of my American license with a German translation
c) a passport picture
d) it wouldn't hurt to have your passport handy also
e) in my specific situation I needed a witness (which I brought in the form of a signed letter that included the person's address) that I was a "guest" in Mainz.
2) You'll need to go to the town or city's Ordnungsamt. This is essentially the building that houses all the licensing for fishing and hunting. Once there, make your way to the offices of fishing licenses.
3) ATTENTION!!! There are two normal possibilities for fishing licenses. First, if you are planning to be in Germany for an extended period of time, and you have registered with the town or city where you'll be living, you will have to take a course and exam (Pruefung). The course and test will normally cost a little less than 150 EU, but this also depends on your location. It's important for the Germans to see that you've not only passed the exam but also accrued the necessary hours of training in certain areas of knowledge (which have mostly to do with the environment). When you arrive (and after registering with the city), you'll have to register for the course and brush up on your German. From what I've been told, each state also requires its own Pruefung, but there is the possibility of transferring your credentials from state to state. Just make sure not to lose the certificate that proves you've completed the Pruefung.
If you are merely visiting the country, and would like to fish for a few days, you can go to the Ordnungsamt at get a visitor's license. Here in Mainz, I was told they last for two or four weeks. BUT, you cannot (CANNOT) get a visitor's license once you've officially registered in your location.
And that's exactly what happened to me. I showed up in Mainz, and registered with the city before (note the italics in before... this is a hint for those of you looking to do some circumventing) going to the Ordnungsamt. Once in the office I was told that there was no way for me to get a license without taking the course/exam. The problem for me was that the next course begins in December and I am only in Germany until February. So... I was stuck between a rock and a hard place. By registering with the city, I was disqualified from being a visitor, but the fellowship I have limited my ability to attend the course and still have any time afterward to fish.
What was I to do? I despaired. And then I decided, during a moment of boredom, to surf youtube for videos of trout fishing in my region. I happened upon a video, and decided to send the guy a message and communicate my situation. Not only that, but I decided to contact the local fishing clubs (Fischereiverein or Fischereiverstand). This brings me to my most important point:
4) In any country that you have a ton of rules and regulations, you're bound to have a bureaucracy. And where there is a bureaucrat, there is a way. No matter your situation, there is always a way around the red tape. With regards to problems with fishing licenses, contact the local fishing clubs. Explain your situation to them, and see if they can act as a mediator between the licensing office and you. In my circumstance, the youtube guy sent me a link to a large and influential fishing club. I contacted the president and relayed my situation. He gave the licensing office a call, argued for twenty minutes, and resolved my issue. Now, it must be said, I tried three different fishing clubs, and only one was influential enough to help me out. So, don't give up. [note the links at the bottom of the entry.]
5) You might think you're in the clear once you have a fishing license. But, you'd only be fooling yourself. Not only do you need a license, but you also need an Erlaubnis (a permission form) for each area you'd like to fish within the state. For example, I can get an Erlaubnis for the Rhine River (about a block from my apartment) but the form/license doesn't extend to other regions, specifically, those regions where I want to do some trout fishing.
And from what I've been told, the Germans a quite particular about making sure people have permission to fish in respective bodies of water.
With all that said, I now have a license, and I made a deal with the youtube guy that we'd go fishing together--he'd provide the location and I'd provide the beer and fly fishing lessons.
Here is a link for the fishing regulations in each state -Regulation Link-, and here is an example of a fishing club/association website -Club Link-.
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