How to live the dream?

[carpstar]

How does anyone actually go about purchasing a fishery?

How do you go about funding it? (savings,money from the sale of a business or the banks ect)

Ect.

Ect.

 

I would say that most people who love their fishing want their own lake,river ect. (living the dream) but how many of us would know how to go about it? Are there any fishery owners or ex owners on the forum that could give us an insight into this interesting subject!

[Dick Dastardly]

Depends on what your "dream" is Carp Star!

 

Do you want a water of your own to go fishing on or a water to run as a sucsessfull buisness? A lot of difference.

[Steve Burke]

Answers to this question would take up a book! Indeed I'm considering writing one when my perch book is finished. If I do so it'll cover my own experiences on many waters, including Wingham of course.

 

Budgie makes a very good point. I'd add that it also depends on the sort of fishery you want (day ticket, syndicate, just a few guests etc) and the level of stocking you're after. A further consideration is the size of the water.

 

Buying an existing fishery can be very expensive, and definitely will be if it's already producing a living for the existing owner. The alternative is to start your own, which throws up a different set of problems.

 

Another possibility is to lease a water. This has less up front costs but you don't have so much control.

 

Whatever you do I'd strongly recommend you get professional advice from Bruno Broughton - before you take anything on. Bruno's charges are very modest and you'll save money in the long run. Bruno often posts on this Forum but he has a web site at http://www.bruno-broughton.co.uk/ Bruno can also supply small carp, and another of the very few fish suppliers I'd recommend is Ken Crow who can also provide professional advice. Ken's number is 01732-851544.

 

Two books I can recommend are "The Sparsholt Guide to the Management of Carp Fisheries" edited by Chris Seagrave, and "A Fishery of Your Own: it's Management and Fishing" by Barrie Rickards and Ken Whitehead. Although I'm a fishing book dealer I'm afraid I have neither book in stock at present.

 

Finding the right water can take time - it took me 15 years of close season work to find Wingham! I'd add that as it's a big complex it takes up an inordinate amount of time. Neither with the way I've set it up do I get anything but a tiny income from it.

 

But then it is a dream come true!

[pikergonecarpin]

If anyone is looking for a copy of "The Sparsholt Guide to the management of Carp Fisheries" i bought one from amazon for just over £11. Great book, very informative, just can't wait to try it out one day.

 

Here's the link for the book on amazon : http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0954005...ay&v=glance

[gozzer]

Another possibility is to lease a water. This has less up front costs but you don't have so much control.

 

I used to work for a guy that leased a water, he was pike mad and spent a few years getting the water as he wanted it. Then when the lease was to be renewed the cost had risen so much he couldn't compete, and it was taken over by an association. Strangely, the fish stocks had reduced dramatically. It was rumoured that another larger lake owned by the same person, had received a large restocking from the hard work that had been put into my boss's water.

Edited July 19, 2006 by gozzer

[Steve Burke]

The secret is to negotiate a lease that avoids the problem. Of course in practice it's not always possible.

 

One point I forgot to mention is that if you intend making a living from a fishery you have to look at the competition, especially locally. Indeed, with so many overstocked "puddles" springing up seemingly everywhere, the bubble could soon burst. Put simply there won't be enough anglers to go around.

 

Those who joined the put and take trout boom a few years ago found this to their cost. The same could well happen with commercial coarse fisheries, and a lot are likely to go bust in the years to come.

[carpstar]

Depends on what your "dream" is Carp Star!

 

Do you want a water of your own to go fishing on or a water to run as a sucsessfull buisness? A lot of difference.

 

I'm thinking along the lines of running as a business,possibly do holiday's as well!

 

Thanks Steve, i'll keep an eye out for the books you mentioned!!

Edited July 19, 2006 by carpstar

[Dick Dastardly]

As Steve has said,research and the correct advice are the two main ingrediants for sucsess allthough in reality a sound financial buisness plan is also a must.

 

Take a look at the various replies I gave to the recent thread about setting up a French carp venue.(Win a fishing trip to France?)

 

Even if you get the two points Ive mentioned right you will still come a crooper if your buisness/finnance plan isnt sorted. We were lucky as we were able to raise the money to purchase the required leases without having to go to banks or money lenders! Also to a certain extent there was no great pressure to pay the money back quickly.

 

When you take a loan it is a big drain on any income you will be expecting to get from your venture.Also dont make the mistake many do and forget that you still need enough money to live! The "dream" soon turns into a nightmare if you cant pay your bills or feed your self!

 

The first year or so are often the hardest as getting established in both the fishing and holiday world takes time.Dont forget that we had been in the "fishing/holiday" buisness for many years before buying the lake.During this time we had built up a very good "client/customer base".The lake being fully booked for several years straight from the start! Building up a "reputation" for either your water or yourself takes time.But is all important.

 

A very good point has been made about securing a "good" leasing arrangement.Individuals starting up buisness's who have done all the correct research shouldnt get stung but Ive seen many small clubs etc take on short term leases,invest a lot of time,effort and money into a water only to not get the lease renewed at a later date! A good soliciter will be worth his fee here.

 

If abroad then make sure you really know that you want to live in that country and are prepared to learn the language,ways and laws! Sounds daft but Ive met people who have suddenly decided that their "dream" would be to own/run a French fishing buisness despite never having spent any real time in the country! By real time I mean actually living there and having to fend for yourself and not rely on a guide or tour operator!

 

It is a lot easier to "dream" about than actually do and even harder to do right!

 

As Steve said it would take a book.

[RobStubbs]

To do well at it you need loads of money (and I don't mean in loans). I know a guy who bought his own lake about 12 years ago. He made lots of money from both a fishing tackle shop and a food store. He had to work his socks off to get the money to buy them both originally and both him and his wife had 2 jobs each to do it. The guy had his own house built on the land and is now trying to buy a lake in France. The fishing lake itself wouldn't provide a full wage and most deffinately not if he had to borrow the money to have bought it.

 

I know another guy who bought the lease on a complex of lakes that was missmanaged by a club. That doesn't make much money either but then he runs it to break even and to be a good fishery <which it most deffinately is>. I guess he could run it differently to make more money but again it wouldn't come close to paying you a decent wage.

 

Rob.

Edited July 20, 2006 by RobStubbs