Building a mini fishery

Just day dreaming and wondering...

Is creating your own little fishery of less than one acre all that hard?

With woodland for sale often with small brooks or streams at reasonable prices, can a committed person with medium funds simply buy the land, have a digger come in for a week or two, divert a small stream and -assuming water quality okay- embark on building up a little, idilic personal fishery?

Are permissions and restrictions typically simple or drawn out?
Is water creating enough water retention a big problem?

Not necessarily a commercial project, more of a personal one.

I would love to create a little tench and crucian pool of my own, but just a pipe dream. Totally naive to the science, laws and costs...

Malc

I would have thought that the Environment Agency would be your first port of call on this one.

It’s a nice dream but as a matter of conscience I would want to know what if any impact the disturbed flow of said stream would have both upstream and downstream of your chosen location, and I imagine the EA would too.

Stocking licences etc...

Good luck with it

I would first check with your County Wildlife Trust to find if the woodland has any designations ie; LWS/SINC local wildlife site/site of importance for nature conservation.......or higher omg.

If its not designated, then assess the age of the deciduous trees in the wood, if they are old, or there are old rotted stumps in the wood then it is probable that their roots have gone down a long way and this would make the task of creating a 'pan' in the bottom much more difficult, but not impossible.

Next go to your local council and ask to see their geology maps of the site, if they show underlying rock it could be difficult creating a waterproof seal in the 'pan', if its shows clay, especially 'blue' clay your on a winner

Remember that anything to do with water requires EA consultation and consent, and you will certainly require 'change of use' planning permission from your local council.

If you get beyond this point with an all clear, pm me and I take you through all the stages to filling.

Reckon on two years from start to finish as an absolute minimum.

Good luck.

I see you are listed as being in Bournmouth. Quite an expensive area for land I would imagine. May I suggest you look on Ordnance Survey maps and locate a small farm res. If the farmer was amicable that might be a viable alternative. Farmers are always looking for ways to diversify. Some of us have got together up here ( not saying exactly where) and we have done that and have a fabulous fishery.