Anglers travel miles for trout

Keen anglers from as far away as Mid Wales are flocking to a lake in Staffordshire to see how it has been transformed by a syndicate of fishermen.

Gailey Trout, off Gailey Lea Lane, near Cannock, was taken over by the 12-strong group at the start of January and set itself a deadline of March 31 to get the majority of the planned work completed.

A total of 3,500 trout will have been put in the lake by the end of this month and 140 anglers from places like Coventry, Crewe and Welshpool were fishing there last weekend.

Peter Davies, a spokesman for the committee, said the fishery had been just weeks from closing when the syndicate formed to secure its future and devised plans to transform the site. It boasts 35 acres of trout fishing and one-and-a-quarter miles of bank with wading and platforms.

Mr Davies went on to say: "Things are going really well and the way it has been received has been fantastic."

Members of the syndicate have been busy re-stocking the lake, creating a new building for fishermen to take a break in, complete with kitchen, and have added more boats, a decking area and better facilities.

Areas of reeds have been cut back and a new walkway is being considered through the woods for wading on the gravel banks.

The fishery said it was run by anglers for anglers and money made would be ploughed back into the club.

To obtain further information about the fishery telephone 01785 715848.

By Michelle Pearson