A better use for your
A better use for your
farms muddy holes?
If you avoid the pitfalls,
coarse fisheries can offer
good income. Adam Whittle
reports on the ups and
downs of this watery farm
diversification
THE nineties have seen the birth of the fishing consumer, an angler who wants to catch fish easily – and lots of them. To cater for this demand recreational sport fisheries have arrived. With the alteration in seasonal fishing restrictions, coarse fish (ones that are returned to the water after capture, too "coarse" to eat) can be fished throughout the year on privately owned lakes.
Ever opportunistic, many farmers have dug lakes or flooded valleys, stocked the lakes with fish, and opened their gates to the paying angler. These lakes, dubbed "muddy hole waters" by the angling Press, are typically small in size (between one and two acres) and heavily stocked with fish to produce easy fishing. Once established they require minimal maintenance and can be operated as a sideline to the main business of farming.
Chris Velten owns and operates Churchsettle Farm, just outside Wadhurst in East Sussex. He has been a farmer for 35 years, and has always worked the heavy Wealden clay.
"Back in the beginning I farmed with my brother," remembers Mr Velten. "We had 300 acres which we farmed in a traditional mixed style, a bit of everything". In 1984 the brothers went their separate ways and Chris Velten concentrated on his favoured sheep.
"I now have 300 ewes grazing one hundred acres, also putting down 20 acres or so to wheat. But poor recent prices have kept this firmly on the back burner."
His attention turned to a fishing lake five years ago when he heard about similar ventures, and saw the potential in an overgrown gully on his land.
"Establishing a coarse lake has enabled me to generate income from what was previously useless ground," says Mr Velten. "Equally important, the lakes have added to the value of my property."
Planning permission hurdle
It has been a far-from-easy ride for Mr Velten, who has experienced his share of setbacks. From the beginning he encountered problems obtaining the planning permission required to create the new lake. Stocking of sick fish by a disreputable dealer resulted in major fish mortalities and loss of business. Also similar set-ups in the area have provided competition for business, resulting in slower growth than expected.
"Many take a quick look at fisheries and think, money for old rope. There certainly is money to be made, but like everything else, you have to earn it," warns Mr Velten.
Before you can dig a new lake, the local planning authority must be informed and a formal planning application submitted. The proposed developed must also be advertised in the local Press and notices posted on the site entrance, giving any parties the opportunity to object.
The application must include scaled plans of the earthworks, resulting from site surveys. They must also detail the method of construction, showing access on and off the site to the public highways.
Planning officer Sid Withers from Tunbridge Wells Borough Council explains the main criteria that are examined in an application. "The planning committee will consider the overall environmental impact of a development on the surrounding countryside. Therefore, for example, the visual impact from the public vantage points will be considered. Also how will the public access the site, and do new roads need to be built?
"There needs to be suitable provision for parking and a consideration for local residents. Overall the council needs to be convinced that the development will be carried out professionally, and will not produce a blot on the landscape."
Mr Velten first hiccup was the concern among neighbours that the general public would disrupt and disturb them. This made a long-winded process even longer, proving to be very frustrating for Mr Velten.
"All I wanted to do was get on with it. I had spoken to my contractor and was ready to go. As it turned out I had to re-apply for permission with the backing of some 40 supporters, to prove to the council that there was sufficient justification for the development."
Construction technique
The planning permission hurdle out of the way, Mr Velten moved into the construction phase. This involved the help of a local earthworking contractor, Nigel Froggett. With the use of a JCB and dumper truck, a stream gully was cleared of trees and a dam was built to flood an area of nearly 0.6ha (1.5 acres).
"The whole job took only two weeks at a cost of £3000," remembers Mr Velten. "I was lucky enough to obtain grant funding which came directly from MAFF, contributing some 25% towards the capital investment. To complement the main lake I have also had a series of smaller ponds cleared, which I use as on-growing and breeding ponds for fish."
The design of the lakes must meet a variety of criteria, not just that of providing a nice place to spend a day fishing. They must also offer the angler what he wants: peace, a beautiful setting and of course lots of fish.
They must also attract the maximum numbers of paying customers. To manage the fish stock the lakes should be able to be drained, allowing fish to be easily netted and removed if need be. There is also commercial value in selling on small fish when they breed, so it is useful if the lakes are snag-free to make nettings easier.
Innovative designs that maximise the bank space have proved popular, catering for match fishing. This competitive form of fishing puts anglers close together on pegs that are drawn from a hat to give everybody a chance of the best places to catch.
Mr Veltens lake is less specialised than some designs and is shaped to the topography of the flooded gulley, providing enough spaces for a dozen anglers.
Once the lake was finished, the next stage was to stock the fish. The chosen species was the carp, which has come to dominate many lakes. This fish is now the number one target species for the angler in the UK according to Angling Times. Fishing tackle retailer Andy Lush, from the Friendly Fisherman, Tunbridge Wells, explains their appeal.
"These fish are really gregarious feeders, making them easy to catch. They also grow quickly and can become prized specimens within a few years. Owning a tackle shop I have seen a great number of my customers move over to this form of fishing."
The initial stocking of the lake cost Mr Velten roughly £2000. "I aimed to stock the lake at roughly 400lb of fish to the acre, initially buying carp in the 1-3lb bracket. The price/lb ranges from £2.50-£3.75 for fish under 10lb," he says.
"The fish breed readily and this year the lake was netted and small fish removed. 10,000 carp fry at 1-2in were moved on to the other ponds already cleared for on-growing. These can then be sold to commercial fish farming companies. Its important to do this as the fish can become stunted, plus it brings in an additional income."
Buyers beware
The fish in Mr Veltens lake received a nasty setback when he was let down by a disreputable fish dealer.
"To try to keep pace with a growing trend towards bigger fish being stocked in nearby lakes I brought a 20lb specimen. As it turned out, the fish had a virulent disease which wiped out many of my bigger fish."
Only now, three years on, is the stock recovering from this disaster. In fact legislation exists to control fish introductions and minimise this spread of disease. Before introducing any fish to inland waters you must obtain written consent from the Environment Agency.
The particular legislation is section 30 of the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act 1975. Full details of this requirement (and lots of other helpful advice) can be gleaned from the aptly named EA leaflet Buyer Beware. If you ignore the rules you run the risk of dealing with others that are cutting corners.
Andrew Lintott from the Carp Company is a reputable dealer and is well respected around the country for his top quality fish.
"My advice to any purchaser is to insist on an independent health check. Any reluctance on behalf of the vendor should be taken as a flashing warning light. Ask around, and obtain references from satisfied fishery managers."
So once a lake has been stocked, how is the income generated? Fisheries can either be opened to the public as day ticket waters or fished privately by limited syndicate members. The latter is usually restricted to established waters where there is demand among local anglers to fish there. Normally, newly constructed lakes are open to day ticket, whereby fishermen pay between £5 and £20 for the privilege of catching fish and returning them. Mr Velten, like the majority of small commercial fisheries, sells his fishing on a day ticket basis.
"We operate a dawn-until-dusk fishing policy, and charge £8 if the angler is using one rod and £10 if they use two rods. Losing all our fish really slashed our income as you can imagine: Its now only starting to recover. This year I should imagine we had a couple of hundred anglers fishing, the busiest months being between April and October."
Marketing strategy
There is great demand for good places to go fishing, but its not enough just to dig a hole in the ground. To succeed, marketing strategies must be used. Promotion-al material need only amount to calling cards, stimulating the initial contact. This can be as simple as a brightly coloured A5 sheet promoting the fish stocked and your location.
Anglers always go to tackle shops, either to buy new gear or bait before fishing. If you spend the time talking to local tackle shop owners and direct mailing those within your region, income can be greatly improved.
"This year I shall find the time to get my message out to tackle shops," enthuses Chris Velten. "Now that I have established my fishery I plan to spend any spare time promoting the place."
Left: An angler shows off a 0.9kg (2lb) common carp. These fish
are the mainstay of many small fisheries. They are cheap to buy, grow fast and are easy to catch.
Above: Chris Velten at his lake at Churchsettle Farm, Wadhurst.
Below: The best time of year to dig a lake is spring or autumn when the ground is neither too hard nor too soft.
Left: When the fishing is good anglers are prepared to sit very close together, thus heavily-stocked small waters can cater for many fisherman. Below: Andrew Lintott of the Carp Co is a fish farmer who sells large quantities of carp to a growing number of small fisheries in the UK.
Top:Canal-proportioned lakes suit many anglers. Middle: Chris Velten beside his lake. Bottom: Anglers go to tackle shops to buy new gear and bait so these are good places to target with your marketing.