After recently commenting about knocking on doors as a great way to gain access to private, posted, or remote stretches of river I have received a lot of questions. Here is what I have learned.
#1: Knocking on doors is absolutely a game of numbers and rejection. Get used to doors slammed in your face but don't get discouraged. Just like Baseball, a .300 batting average will land you in the hall of fame, and fatten your wallet as a guide!
#2: Consider the time and day of the week you choose to approach a new homeowner. Try to approach your "target" on the weekend or sometime when he/she is otherwise unoccupied. Nobody wants to come home from a long days work to find a begging angler on their doorstep.
#3: All humans are creatures of habit. With this in mind, give the homeowner some kind of incentive to let you fish. Offer to do some yard work once or twice a month, or to wash their car before you fish. Always have something to offer, otherwise the homeowner will feel as if they are on the wrong end of the deal.
#4: Lastly, make sure to establish good consistent relationships with the homeowners who do allow you to fish. Remember, they are doing you the favor not the other way around. If you blow one relationship, there is a good chance that the homeowner will tell his/her neighbors (also river dwellers) about the bad experience, creating a potential domino effect.
Tight Lines!
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