Wellingborough and District Nene Angling Club offers 12 still waters, lengthy sections of the river’s Nene & Ouse and several sections of canal for their members to fish on an annual membership basis.
Ringstead Island Fishery is one of the club’s flagship venues set within some of Northamptonshire’s most stunning countryside and a popular destination for anglers of all ages and abilities.
Stocked with various species including chub, bream and carp, this popular destination for anglers was fast becoming otter heaven for these cunning predators. Working closely with Ashley Hubbard, Peter Laughton and the club’s teams of dedicated volunteers, UK Manufacturer, Hampton Steel recommended Hampton NET™ otter fencing. With fence heights up to 2.6 metres, small apertures and the inclusion of a hinged upper section allowing the fence to be angled out to prevent climbing, otter access is all but eliminated. Hampton NET™ also features a low profile knotted joint with no protruding ends so, whilst helping to exclude the otters, they are kept from harm. Unlike other more traditional fencing options this incredibly strong joint locks line and stay wires tightly together so preventing predators from forcing the wires apart to increase the size of the aperture to gain entry.
With 2500 metres of fencing needed to surround the venue, selecting a fence that could help protect the prize stock was essential but not at the expense of the landscape. Designated as a ‘Site of Specific Scientific Interest‘ (SSSI) by Natural England, a boundary that could be aesthetically sympathetic was also very important.
Hampton’s Metal Box Strainer Systems and Staplelok intermediate metal posts were used in areas prone to flooding; the superior durability of the new metal strainer system with StapleloK provides further reassurance of extended longevity over traditional wooden posts in constantly wet areas of heavy clay soil with poor drainage.
'Within the club, we were very aware of meeting the Natural England fencing specification whilst trying to be as sympathetic to the beautiful countryside surrounding our Ringstead site. The quality of the fence and metal posts is superb and the hinged top & skirting sections are a great deterrent to otters. Any burrowing will be met by the lower part of the mesh which has been laid and pinned 3ft along the ground on the outer side of the fence' said Ashley. ‘It is one of the club’s largest projects to date and one we will work to maintain with our team of volunteers for many years to come. We can now safely deter otters from predating our waters without harming them or their river habitats in any way’.
It was imperative that the boundary fence passed the Natural England’s strict specifications to ensure that, if at a later date an otter is on the site, the angling club can apply for the otter to be live trapped and released just outside the fencing with no harm to the animal. Without this specification being met it may not have been possible for this permission to be granted.
Visitors will also benefit from the unobtrusive nature of the fence, aesthetically sympathetic to the environment. I would definitely recommend Hampton NET™ Fencing to other fisheries’ said Ashley.
More information on Wellingborough and District Angling Club can be found at www.wdnac.org.uk
You can find more of our products that have been supplied for projects in these case studies.