Beanhill News.

SEPTEMBER 2011 saw the start of some big changes at Beanhill. After more than 10 years of looking after the lake and the fishing single handed, Stuart decided to call on the fishery management services on offer from Mark. After Marks initial visit and the submission of his report a new management strategy was drawn up and the two guys set about the task of rejuvenating Beanhill lake.

The biggest issue for Stuart and the anglers visiting the fishery was the amount of Canadian pond weed in the lake. This was the first job for the new team to tackle and it was going to take a serious effort! For more than a month the guys worked day in, day out to clear the weed. Special, extra large weed rakes were constructed that could be dropped from a boat and pulled ashore by a quad bike or Land Rover. These were used in conjunction with hand rakes and weed nets to remove the evil green menace! After weeks of hard graft and almost 30 trailer loads of weed being removed, the lake was looking very different. This is only the first stage in the management of the aquatic weed and to complement the on going manual control Mark wanted a biological control measure. So, on a wet and cold November evening a number of carp were introduced to the lake as the next part in the master plan. By using the way these fish feed to their advantage the guys hope to be able to keep areas of the lake totally weed free. As we move through the winter and into the spring other measures of environmental control will be employed, so keep your eyes on the website for updates of our latest efforts.