Norfolk Fishing Network 2004 - 2024 - Lincolnshire Fisheries

Fishery Name: Woodlands Fishery - Willow Lake

Address: Ashby Road, Spilsby, Lincolnshire, PE23 5DW

Grid Reference: TF 40374 66615 Car Park Grid Ref: TF 40328 66673

Sat Nav: PE23 5DW, PE23 5EX, PE23 5EP

Phone Numbers: 1790 754252 or 07710 631555

Email Address: [email protected]

Description: Willow Lake Willow is the original lake on the Woodlands complex with a history going back well over 30 years. Situated at the head of our beautiful natural valley and surrounded by mature woodlands, the lake is constantly fed by a small stream and numerous springs, thereby ensuring a constant flow of oxygenated and nutrient rich water. The woods hold an abundance of birds and wildlife and if you are very quiet late into the evening, you might just catch a glimpse of one of our resident badgers emerging or maybe a fox seeking out an unguarded rabbit. Listen out and you will hear tawny and barn owls calling to each other. With kingfishers flashing by, overhanging willows, reed beds and water lilies, this calm and peaceful spot might well evoke childhood memories of storybook scenes from "Mr Crabtree Goes Fishing". In early Spring 2009 we embarked upon a major renovation of the lake. Decades of leaf falls and vegetation had rotted down into a black foul-smelling mud, creating eutrophic conditions and shallowing the lake to the delight of the choking reedmace. Desilting the lake proved to be a major challenge as the ground conditions precluded the use of a digger. After much head scratching and some invaluable technical assistance from Andrew Sykes Pumps (Peterborough), we finally settled upon a solution utilising a 150 hp irrigation pump. Over a two week period we repeatedly mixed the mud into suspension using a high pressure fireman's hose and then pumped the resultant slurry into a nearby settlement bund. The stream and springs were vital to the success of the operation as the process was entirely dependent upon a plentiful supply of water. A quite unexpected benefit of using the high pressure hose was that it enabled us to contour the lake bed and this has been left interestingly uneven with depths ranging between 3 - 6 feet. Following the desilting operation, we left the lake to recover for a full year before restocking with tench, crucian carp, bream, roach, rudd and gudgeon. We have specifically excluded carp from this lake in order to allow some of our more traditional native species to thrive. We hope that those anglers who enjoy targeting these species will appreciate our philosophy and practice the "gentle art of angling" using light tackle and small baits. Being a small lake with only 10 pegs, access is restricted to season ticket holders and members of the Willow Club purchasing a day ticket only. Membership of the Willow Club costs £10 per year and in addition to the right to fish Willow Lake, entitles the member to a 5% discount on all shop purchases. Membership is subject to availability and at the discretion of the management.

Fish Species: Barbel Bitterling Bleak Bream Common Bream Silver Bullhead Carp Common Carp Crucian Carp F1 Carp Carp Ghost Carp Grass Carp Leather Carp Koi Carp Mirror Catfish Wels Chub Crayfish Dace Eel Goldfish Goldfish Brown Grayling Gudgeon Minnow Orfe/Ide Blue Orfe/Ide Golden Orfe/Ide Silver Perch Pike Pumpkin seed Roach Rudd Rudd Golden Ruffe Schelly Stickle back Stone Loach Sturgeon Tench Tench Golden Walleye Zander

Fishery Rules: All nets must be dipped on entry. No keepnets on Ash and Hawthorn Lakes (except matches). Carp mesh nets only. No monofil landing nets. No carp allowed in nets. Fish in keepnets maximum of 5 hours (Strictly enforced). Barbless hooks only. Maximum hook size 10. Under 14's must be with Parent/Guardian. Sorry no dogs allowed Bait Bans Bloodworm and Joker Nuts and Boillies Cat and Dog meat Trout Pellets Groundbait and Carp Pellets are allowed.

Facilities: Fishing 6am till dusk Toilets on site Secure car parking On site tackle shop Fresh bait available Drinks and snacks Club match bookings welcome Spilsby town approx. 5 min walk Touring and Camping site nearby Bed and Breakfast facility in Spilsby