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Great Fishing |
The
lakes at White Acres are a paradise for Fishermen, they also
provide a haven for a wide variety of wildlife. So whilst enjoying
the delights of a good day’s fishing take time to look around
you – you might be surprised at what you see.
Wildlife expert Dave Thomas gives a few pointers: Along with the
resident swans, mallard and Canada geese we also get lots of flying
visitors to our lakes. Take a leisurely stroll around the lakes and
you will be rewarded with sightings of a wide variety of wild ducks
and geese who fly from as far a field as Northern Europe.
Watch out
also for grebes, dabchicks, coots, herons stalking the margins, reed
and sedge warblers nesting along the bank sides and even the occasional
blue flash of a kingfisher.
The Barn owl and Tawny owl have also been sighted here. You cannot
miss barn owls when they are out hunting; they are pure white with
light brown wings.
In the winter months they can be seen flying around
the bottom fields looking for mice and other rodents. Barn owls do
not have a call so if you hear an owl calling it will more than likely
be a tawny owl hooting from the woods.
Watch out also for evidence of badgers and foxes by their footprints
and trails. If you are into a bit of night time fishing you might
even spot one!
White Acres provides lots of opportunities for youngsters to find
out more about nature. There are clubs, youth gardening schemes,
pond dipping, collage making and paint & photo competitions.
We also have a Nature Trail - designed for all ages to enjoy and
developed in conjunction with the Cornwall Wildlife Trust, RSPB,
English Nature and DEFRA.
When the lakes were first created they looked like barren moonscapes.
But before long the replaced topsoil is lush with grasses and wild
flowers such as hemp agrimony, cranesbill, cow parsley, docks and
the striking purple loosestrife, teasel … and are quickly
alive with dragon and damsel flies, butterflies and other insects.
Nature is given a helping hand as thousands of pounds are spent
every year on planting. The right vegetation is not just lovely
to look at, it is also crucial for the health of the fish and their
willingness to feed. Submerged plants are introduced: species of
starwort, pondweed, and water lilies which oxygenate the water
through the day and offer cover for tiny invertebrate animals – the
natural food of most fish.
In the margins the planting includes flag irises, water mint, Carex
species of sedges, and Juncas rushes. It’s a carefully selected
palette of plants that help prevent erosion of the banks, provide
spawning sites for the fish and good screening between the pegs.
White Acres has planted a large number of additional
trees - Alder,
Hazel, Beech and English Oak as well as improving the hedgerows with
Hawthorn, Beech, Holly and Elder to encourage wildlife habitation.
Creating a beautiful nature reserve is a by product of creating
a fine fishery. All in all, it is a wonderful example of how
good fishery management and environmental concern work for
the benefit of both at White Acres. We have a wildlife
log book at White Acres reception so please feel free to record your
sightings here.
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