Buying a Fishery

[mout]

Hi all, I was looking to gain your thoughts on something. I have been approached about purchasing a well established fishery based in the Midlands.

What i am trying to guage is puting aside personal interest, is it a good business?

The venue has four lakes all heavily stocked within 41 acres with planning permission for another 200 peg pool. Its very accesible about 5 minutes form m6 and has on site cafe etc

With the correct promotion and running of the venue etc what kind of money do people think could be made in revenue etc?

Please let me know your thoughts

[danny1234]

i dont realy no 2 be fair but i would love to own myown fishery

[Oneabung]

Mount, a good valuation for fishery purposes is - take the number of fishable pegs and multiply by £5000 then add £10,000 per acre.

Bear in mind 70% of your revenue is going to be in the summer months.

Havent they shown you a set of accounts? Also I would be down there every day for a month checking numbers.

[mout]

It is still very early stages. I have fished the venue since it opened but only just returned after 3 years, the problem is the owner hasnt really bothered with it the last few years as he and his wife have been unwell.

I will be asking for a set of accounts this week but what the figures say and what passed in cash is a different mater i think

What im thinking is how much can be made from matches and what other sources of revenue do people think can contribute? ie cafe?

the initial amount is 600k for 150 odd peg venue with 30 acres with planning pemission for another 200 peg pool

[dam]

i will tell you something that the owner of a well known north west venue told me,i wont reveal his name or fishery, there are weekly open matches and and always seem to be plenty club matches,he says he clears 30k per year on the fishery but it nothing but hassle,he has caravan storage on another part of his land and does 25k per year out of that with no problem whatsover,he went into the fishery business for the same reasons as we all as fishermen would dream of doing,but says for the work he has done it was much harder than just standard arable farming has he had done before and the returns are less if anything for the work involved.

[lakeman]

Hi Mout. The wife and me have run Haverholmepark lake for the last 15 years, and tobe honst it has been hard work from the word go ,,for very littill reward . But the best 15 years of my live,so if you like chatting to anglers in the pouring rain and picking up rubbish cleaning toilets i say go for it you want reggret it .

[Oneabung]

If you are going to make a living out of it you have to have a clubhouse, bait shop and those will make you more than your pegging fees.

[mout]

thanks for the response guys, i would buy it but pay someone to maintain the place. I would make more use of the cafe and as you say turn it into a tackle shop. It would be a long term investment as i am only 24 and have a decent job that pays well so wouldnt want to ditch it all at this stage. Aslong as i can be sure to atleast break even with my costs that would make me happy

[Ian.B]

the initial amount is 600k

£600k Will you be paying cash ? & if so, if you're looking for 'a bitch' I'm available..........

[mout]

£600k Will you be paying cash ? & if so, if you're looking for 'a bitch' I'm available..........

does that seem a reasonable valuation to you?

[Ian.B]

If I thought I could offer you some useful advice I would mout, but a business venture like that is way out of my scope ....
Best of luck if you go for it though, at 24 you're young enough to bounce back if it fails, & you will probably always wonder 'what if ' if you don't have a go.

[Mickangler]

Walk away fella,for 600 grand you could get a damn site more for your money than a couple or three fishing ponds i'm sure...if it's that good a buisness why is he selling it.

[nick123]

i think you should man it out i no a owner of a fishery he payed 400 000 but its not that amazing its good fishing but snags on bottom etc lots of weed

if you maintain it well and a good idea if thers 3 pools to have

carp lake
silver lake
mixed corse

[jason elwell]

i think i know the venue your on about i am a regular there its a great place we get 20-25 anglers for sat opens and 6-7 on wed these numbers have dropped from 30-40 on sat and 20-25 on a wed theres plenty of club matches there and used to fill every spare peg with pleasure anglers so i would say when this credit crunch lifts with the 200 peg pool up and running you should make money there was 64 anglers in winter league two years ago now down to about 20 anglers, also sell out spring and september festivals good luck

[The Corn King]

As a decent rule of thumb, if you cannot recoup your investment over 6 years, leave it well alone.

You could buy a plot and build your own fishery for half od what you are being asked.

Good Luck