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A Fishery is Born
(UK Carp 2008)

Many of us have dreamt about it, but just what is involved in the creation of a specimen carp venue? Dominic Garnett finds out at Furzebray Fishery, North Devon, where an amazing transformation has occurred...

As anglers we really do have it easy sometimes. Let’s face it, we just turn up and do our fishing. Despite high expectations we often have little idea about the groundwork behind our favourite fisheries and whilst some of us may daydream about making our own scenic lake, the reality is less romantic than we might imagine.
When I meet Tony Kingdon on the bankside of the brand new Furzebray Carp Fishery the view alone is a pleasant surprise. Half expecting a very “green” looking place I cannot believe just how mature the lake looks, given its age. So exactly what are the ingredients required to transform a boggy field into a new fishery?

Stocked for Success
A fishery manager might not be able to guarantee a result for visitors, but a healthy stock certainly helps. Some 140 carp have gone into his three acre lake, mostly mirrors, with a hundred already into double figures. The cost? A cool £10 000. The carp here are British thoroughbreds crossed with fast-growing continental carp strains, stocked from suppliers who also provide the likes of Wraysbury with fish.
“There are original English Leeneys crossed with German Dink, as well as carp with Horseshoe and Orchid lineage” Tony explains, “with these strains you get the beautiful, heavy-scaling pattern of the English fish with the fast growth rates of the continental fish.”
Awesome in appearance, the size increases of these hand-picked carp have been outstanding. Tony has been supplementing the lakes natural larder with pellets, boilies and maize. Some of the fish are now over the twenty pound mark, whilst one sample recorded went from eight to fifteen pounds in just one year! Four twenty-five pounders are also on the way for an additional £23 per pound of fish. The aim is to provide decent catches but also leave room for these fish to grow quickly. “I’d like to think that even if you only catch one or two fish at Furzebray, they’ll be cracking quality” says Tony.

Starting Points
Naturally, the carp are nowhere near the first stage in creating a fishery. How exactly did the idea start? Tony’s family have been farming for years, but like many farming folk, diversification has been the only way to survive tough times. “As soon as we began discussing a fishery my eyes lit up!” Tony recalls. An avid carp fisherman and tackle shop veteran himself, he knew exactly what he wanted in a fishery; a natural looking lake with plenty of features and ample space for each angler.
A quick walk around reveals several novel features. Rather than a “pack ‘em in” mentality it is evident that Tony has limited the number of swims and divided up the bankside carefully so that every angler has privacy. “Swim politics” should be virtually non existent here. Thought has also gone into improving the whole fishing experience elsewhere; for example along an extensive dam wall bank, Tony has created a peaceful, “no go” area. “Anglers as well as carp appreciate quiet areas” he believes and this undisturbed stretch has all the makings of a great fish holding zone. Elsewhere, the footpaths have been thoughtfully laid well back from the water to keep noise to a minimum- a smart step that will avoid the nightmare scenario of one noisy intruder cocking up hours of patient preparation in a margin swim.
The margins look especially lush and inviting, and are already populated by snails and aquatic bugs. Many yards of rushes fringe the lake, making everything look like it has been there for years. Contrary to appearances, Tony laid most of the £2000 worth of water plants here personally, by hand!

Can you dig it?
The crucial first step was to get planning permission, and for Furzebray this meant coming up with a blue print that was absolutely watertight (quite literally), to the last detail. EA consultation was followed to the letter, whilst a helpful rural development grant also had to be won. Just looking at the paperwork makes my head spin.
The actual digging operation was a mammoth job in itself, which had to be overseen by a qualified engineer. In thirty spots, ground samples were professionally analysed before a digger got near the site. Luckily in Devon we are blessed with perhaps the ideal lake bed medium- our famous clay may be a bitch to get off your footwear, but it also makes perfect lining material. The diggers finally arrived and Tony explains that from the outset, he wanted to have natural features rather than just a hole in the ground. “The contractors thought I was a bit crazy at times, asking them to leave bars and other features in place” Tony says, “but the idea was to have a selection of the sort of areas carp and carp anglers love to explore” and he adds “we also put extra bars and plateaus around the lake for people to fish to.” Also included are deeper areas that should make winter hot spots.

Trouble in Paradise
With the best planning in the world set backs are inevitable and perhaps the biggest problem was rain. Or a lack of it, to be more precise. “It rained constantly whilst the digging was carried out,” explains Tony, “but once they’d finished it didn’t rain properly for four or five months. So whilst the machines were bogged down in the mud, we were then left with an empty hole all summer because there was no rain.” To everyone’s frustration the delivery of carp was delayed a whole year. Thankfully several months on, the national treasure that is the British weather filled the lake up in no time.
Other hazards were quite unexpected. When the subject of missing fish is raised, pictures of shifty thieves come to mind. The true culprit however was a different breed of poacher, “our friend the otter” as Martin Kingdon describes him. Luckily, he decided to raid Furzebray’s already existing half-acre bottom pond well before the main lake was stocked. “We knew he was there. We’d seen him sitting on the island” recalls Martin, “my wife spotted him one day with a bloody great fish in his mouth!” What to many is a rare treat however, is a fishery owner’s worst nightmare. Otters often take the biggest fish, perhaps because they are slower and easier to catch; another fishery boss they know lost a thirty pounder. Several hundred metres of electrified, thoroughly otter-proof fencing later and this costly headache was solved. Less tolerant folk may well have been more ruthless you suspect.

Looking Forward…
The more you look into the development of Furzebray, the more rapidly it becomes apparent that the making of a fishery involves a great deal more than a loose plan, some digging equipment and a supply of big carp. Above all, I’m impressed with the balance achieved between comfortable fishing spaces and a natural look. Furzebray is already developing a natural beauty of its own and it’s strange to think that not so long ago this was nothing more than mud and grass. After a long slog the future looks bright at Furzebray, being one of only a small number of day ticket big carp fisheries in this beautiful part of the country. All the fishery needs now is carp anglers to enjoy it.

Fact File:

Furzebray Carp Lakes
(www.furzebraylakes.co.uk)

Prices:
(fishing must be pre-booked)
Day ticket 6am – 10pm £11.00
Under 16 & concessions £8.00
24hr ticket £18.00 Under 16 & concessions £14.00
Day ticket on “Pads Pool” £8

Rules: barbless hooks only, fresh boilies only, no nuts, 42” net and large unhooking mat required (please check website for more details).

Facilities/Accommodation:
The complex has a shower, toilet, plus fresh bait available. There is a converted Barn to rent with all mod cons. Space for caravans also available (please enquire). More planned for the future.

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