WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM MAY 18 - 24, 2022 UCW 19
Locals who want to learn how to cast a line only
have to venture down to the Pechmann Fishing
Education Center on Raeford Road. e center
offers programs to people of all ages who want to
learn the ins and outs of fishing. It is the only edu-
cation center of its kind in the state, and all classes
and programs are free to the public.
e land the center currently sits on has been a
hatchery for nearly a century, according to Fishing
and Aquatic Education Manager omas Carpenter
from the Wildlife Education Division, NC Wildlife
Resources Commission. Private hatcheries were
the norm before the wildlife commission came into
existence in 1947. ese private hatcheries helped
to stock the local ponds and lakes with fish.
e commission took over that job, and the
hatchery on Raeford Road began focusing on
striped bass production, which it did from 1964
until the late 1980s. At that point, the hatchery was
turned into a depot.
In 1994, Cumberland County Ducks Unlimited
held a Greenwing event for kids at a local lake.
ey had over 100 children show up to the event
but only managed to catch one fish. e head of
the Greenwing program at the time, Lee Warren,
reached out to the NC Wildlife Resources Commis-
sion and asked if they could hold their next event
at the hatchery in Fayetteville. John Pechmann, a
Fayetteville lawyer on the commission and a friend
of Warren's, helped bring the Greenwing event to
the hatchery.
It was a wild success, and the commission began
to think of how they could use the hatchery as an
education center. Plans and programs began to
form, and in 2004, plans for the actual education
center came into fruition. e center was named
for John Pechmann in 2005 and was officially
opened to the public in 2008.
Currently, the center hatcheries house catfish,
bass and bluegill fish. In the winter, when the
water is colder, and they can support the popula-
tion, trout are brought in from the Bobby N. Setzer
State Hatchery in Pisgah National Forest. Trout is
a popular fish for fly fishing, and the center holds
classes concentrated on the sport.
"I love all types of fishing, but I've really migrated
toward our fly fishing programs," said Carpenter.
"It's growing pretty rapidly, and it really appeals to
younger kids, younger people."
"We have a young woman on staff who has cre-
ated a group called Reel Women Fishing Adven-
tures. We are trying to get more women to do these
things, and fly fishing seems to be one of those
things that they want to try."
Carpenter has been working with the center
since 2009 when he started as a temporary educa-
tor. In 2015, he became the director.
"We are completely focused on getting people
into fishing, and we are following some principles
that are being developed by a national movement
called R3," Carpenter said.
R3 stands for recruitment, retention and reacti-
vation. e purpose of the conservation campaign
is to help people rediscover hunting and fishing.
"(We are ) trying to increase the number of
licensed anglers because those anglers are what
provide us the economic backbone for our conser-
vation activities," said Carpenter.
An excise tax is exacted on fishing tackle and
equipment, a tax that is then paid into the fish and
wildlife service. is money is allocated to each
state based on population density and the number
of licenses within the population.
"We are able to use the money for habitat resto-
ration, management activities like stockings and
species research and management, and boating
and fishing accesses," said Carpenter. "Another
portion of it is available for education. It's kind of a
big circle which equates to better fishing and facili-
ties for people."
e Pechmann Fishing Education Center holds
numerous classes throughout the month. On May
19 and 20, the staff will be holding an Introductory
Fishing for Adults class.
"We missed generations of people who may want
to try fishing, and now they are a bit older and
thinking about it, so we are breaking down the ba-
sics of everything to hopefully get them more into
fishing," said Carpenter.
On May 21, a fishing and cooking class will be
held, teaching attendees how to catch fish and
how to clean and store them for the best flavor. e
day will conclude with a cooking class, showing
students how to cook fish in various ways.
Camps will be held throughout the summer,
starting May 26, for kids ages 12 to 15; the camps
will focus on catching bass with natural baits.
In June, the center will hold a virtual class en-
titled "Hook, Line and Picture." e purpose of the
course is to teach people how to take great fishing
photos.
"We are trying to help people create some really
great memories," said Carpenter.
Classes are free to attend, and those interested
in going to classes at the center should register at
www.ncwildlife.org/Learning/e-John-E-Pech-
mann-Fishing-Education-Center/EventRegistra-
tion. Interested individuals can also see a calendar
of events on the website.
Fishing licenses are not needed to attend the
center's events; however, would-be-anglers can
get a fishing license at https://deq.nc.gov/about/
divisions/marine-fisheries/licenses-permits-and-
leases/recreational-fishing-licenses.
Fishing Education Center offers Fayetteville area
free, fun experiences for all ages, skill levels
by ALYSON HANSEN
EVENT
e Pechmann Fishing Education Center on Raeford Road hosts
a variety of classes on fishing for all ages and skill levels. (Photos
by Tom Carpenter)
ALYSON HANSEN, Staff Writer.
COMMENTS? Editor@upandcom-
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