Does anyone here own a fishery?

[maxaldo]

Hi all, jus wondered if anyone here ran a fishery or has had past experiences with them. I'm not a budding entrepreuner but i was thinking it would be an ideal business for a very keen fisherman. I know you obviously have to take into account the size and location of your fishery, but i was just wondering, on the whole, do you think they are worth while enterprises to get involved with and what would the ratio of expenditure to profitt margin probably be for the everage fishery? Iv'e thought about this and can't realy see how it would be an ideal way to earn a living. After you've stocked, maintained and advertised e.t.c, how much money are you actually making from your pride and joy? Also, are most fisheries nowadays owned by a consortium of people rather than one person? I'm sick of being someones commodity and making other people lots of money while i graft mi ****** off for a measely wage, so it's time to think these things through and maybe take some risks lol

 

So whats everyones thinking?

[terry t shirt]

I'm not certain you could make a profit from a fishery. Theres so much competion out there to puts rods on the bank that the outlay for a new fishery "especially at todays prices" would mean making a profit could take years. I think the people doing it now do it more for the love of the sport than the profit. I think Steve Burke would be the best person here to speak to though.

[maxaldo]

I'm not certain you could make a profit from a fishery. Theres so much competion out there to puts rods on the bank that the outlay for a new fishery "especially at todays prices" would mean making a profit could take years. I think the people doing it now do it more for the love of the sport than the profit. I think Steve Burke would be the best person here to speak to though.

 

aye, thats my thinking, if you do it for the love youv'e got costs like digging the lakes (if not already present), waiting for the habitat to improve and all the advertising crap and then you've got huge competition from the other fisheries, it's one of them ones it? strange!

[casts_by_fly]

I don't own one or run one. I do know business numbers pretty well.

 

You'd have the initial costs of land, digging, filling and stocking. You'll have ongoing costs of maintenance, insurance, repeat stocking, paying off the loans on the land, and labor. I'm sure there is paperwork and administration costs as well. As mentioned above, the only income you get is putting anglers on pegs.

 

If you already owned the land that had good ponds ready to fish it would be easier, but still not easy. At the end of the day though it is a business. To have a successful business you need income and cash flow while minimizing expenditure. I think it could be a good business if (1) you're in a good area that has enough angler traffic flow, (2) if you can get a decent deal on the land/water with relatively low interest rates on any borrowing, and (3) you are able to organize regular matches to have a steady income. It could be done, but I don't think it would be easy.

 

Thanks

Rick

[maxaldo]

 

If you already owned the land that had good ponds ready to fish it would be easier, but still not easy.

Thanks

Rick

 

Yeh i know what you mean. What really got my goat the other week was when i went to my local fishery and the owner (a farmer who has dugg out these little ponds and stocked them) came round for the money, i said, so are you into your fishing? he said "no", and looked at me as if i was daft for even askng, like fishing was a sad past time. He still didn't mind taking mi cash though. He doesn't even look after the waters, lillies and reeds everywhere, pegs destroyed by overgrowth, on 3 ponds there are only about 5 fishable pegs now. I t just makes me think to myslef that these people dont seem to realise what they've got, i would love a place like this. When i asked him why he'd decided to digg the ponds up if he wasn't a keen angler, he just said" well it wer all **** wet through down here and completely boggy, so it was just the obvious thing to do." i mean, fair enough, make the most of a **** situation, but you've got to keep things intacked if you're expecting folks to pay for the privelege of fishing. It's o.k tho, because he hasn't been round to check much in the last 2 weeks so i must have got away with about 30 quids fishing for free.......but tbh, what does he expect? I'm not dropping money in a box for him, he can come down and get it, i clear the swims i fish, i fish for free...ha ha

[Guest Rabbit]

I think the only way you could make money from a fishery is either put some 40lb French carp in your pool or perhaps some hand reared big rainbow trout.however the initial outlay would be daunting, but I guess you could figure on a £20 per rod ticket price. Another thought, a 'pastie' match lake, if you have a strong match fishing scene where you live that could work!!

Plenty of fishery management courses available if you want a qualification, always wished I had done it...go for it.

 

There, talked myself around already

Edited July 18, 2008 by Rabbit