Kid’s Fishing Day with Post 1982

Kid’s Fishing Day with Post 1982

Going fishing with our young children is one of the most natural things in the world. Many parents start when the youngsters are old enough to show some interest in trying to catch a fish.

For soldiers stationed in Germany, things are a little different. The kids cannot legally fish, i.e. get a fishing license, until the age of 16. There are provisions for younger kids, ages 10 to 16, to fish under the direct supervision of a parent with a fishing license. The problem is, how do the military parents get their fishing license? This process is more difficult in Germany than in the United States.

American Legion Post 1982 in Ansbach, Germany, wanted to give this opportunity to fish with younger children to local soldiers and their families. The military controls a lake, appropriately named Soldier’s Lake, on our installation near the Urlas Shopping Center in Katterbach. The Legionnaires coordinated with the local MWR Outdoor Recreation to allow children to fish with their parents. This initial coordination started about five years ago.

Now Kid’s Fishing Day is a tradition at U.S. Army Garrison Ansbach. We conducted our first Kid’s Fishing Day of this year on June 3. Approximately 80 kids and 70 parents came out and fished. To keep it all legal, Fred Lane, hunting and fishing coordinator with Outdoor Recreation, coordinated to have several licensed fishermen present on the lake to assist the young fishers. Outdoor Rec provided the fishing tackle, as well as bait. They also stocked the lake with trout before the event. Lane and his assistants were very supportive.

The lakehouse, situated directly on the lake with its grill and tables, was used for preparing and serving the food and also to sit and eat in the shade. The shade was appreciated, as the day was very warm by German standards.

Post 1982 supports two days of kid’s fishing on the lake each summer, usually on the first Saturday in June and August. In addition to donuts, water and soft drinks during the morning, veterans provided a free lunch of hamburgers, chips, soft drinks and fresh fruit pieces to the kids and parents.

For this event, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10708 assisted with providing water, charcoal and soft drinks and helping with the grill and serving lines at lunch. Fishing medals were provided to each child who participated, whether they had nabbed a fish or not. This year, the local Service Credit Union also provided insulated lunch bags as gifts for each child.

As can be seen in the photos, the kids loved it. Parents also enjoyed the opportunity to spend a morning in the fresh air with the kids, without the television, computer games or cellphones as a distraction. There were also valuable lessons learned by the kids. Worms and maggots must be put on the hooks. Not every fisherman catches a fish. Once caught, the fish must be killed and then cleaned. Parents got to answer lots of questions from the little ones.

Susan Houston, Post 1982 commander, said “Overall, the Kid’s Fishing Day was a great success! The weather was warm and sunny, the fish were biting, and the kids had a great time. Parents were happy to spend a Saturday morning with their kids in a different atmosphere. Veterans from the Legion and VFW, as well as MWR reps, were happy to work together and provide a successful event for the local community. It was a win-win situation for everyone involved!”

https://www.legion.org/fodpal/photos/237790/kid%E2%80%99s-fishing-day-po...