Lynn hit by ‘great loss’ of Wissey
Last updated: 29/10/2009 12:05:00
Question marks hung over the future of a popular winter fishery last night after King's Lynn AA confirmed it would not be renewing its lease on the River Wissey.
Members have been able to fish the last few miles of the fast flowing river, from Hilgay to its confluence with the Ouse near Denver, for 30 years.
But negotiations with the Ryston Estate and Hilgay Parish Council have fallen down over who owns the fishing rights to the most popular stretch.
A statement on the club's website said: "This is a great loss to the association, which has rented this river from the estate for the last 30 or so years.
"The root cause of the issue is the ownership of fishing rights in the village field, which is owned by the Feoffees charity and leased by Hilgay Parish Council.
"Our previous leases had included this stretch of river, which attracts many anglers in the winter months and brought in much of the revenue to pay for the lease.
"With this stretch now effectively managed by the parish council, it was felt the existing river wasn't value for money. We have therefore not renewed our lease with the estate."
Popular with pole and stick float anglers, the Wissey offers prime winter fishing for the silver fish which shoal up around the village and A10 bridge.
The future of the water is unclear after Lynn's current lease expires, at the end of the season. Ryston Estate owns land alongside much of the lower Wissey. Nick Pratt, at Ryston Hall, said fishing was "under review".
Hilgay Parish Council clerk Shan Tedder said residents could fish the village field without needing to have a ticket from KLAA.
Under Lynn AA's tenure, the fishing was effectively public as anyone could access the river for the price of a day ticket. Prime stretches elsewhere are members-only.
As well as superb stick float fishing in the winter, the Wissey is one of few East Anglian rivers to support a run of sea trout.
It was also one of the final strongholds of the otter when it was threatened with extinction in the 1970s.