Winter 2017 Newsletter

Posted on October 20th, 2017

Sorry that it has been so long since my last Newsletter!

In the following paragraphs I will try and fill you in on the past, present and future issues at my delightful home in glorious Devon.

Update about The Trout n Tipple.

I decided last year to lease my pub instead of continuing to run it, the fishery and my holiday cottages.  Matt and Hayleigh took over the running of The Trout n Tipple on the 29th September 2016 and they are doing a fantastic job!  They are very experienced at running pubs and I am confident that it will go from strength to strength!

My favourite shift working in my pub during the time I was there was Sunday lunch with Michele Brooks and I behind the bar and our team.  Michele’s daughters Ruby and Tavy would be waitressing and Will and Carl in the kitchen. Pete was a great friend while I was running the pub and I am very grateful! Bernie and Nancy stepped in during the last few weeks and kept me sane before it was leased. If it was a busy Sunday shift I would treat the staff to a tipple at the end of service, whilst I had a Merlot and my roast lunch with my family.  It was always such fun and I do miss that shift! I wish all my staff all the best for the future.

I now support Matt and Hayleigh with fillets of trout for the pub and in any other way I can including drinking the odd brandy, Prosecco or Merlot!  Yummy!  I look forward to meeting many of you in the pub in the future!

The new opening times for The Trout n Tipple are all day Friday, Saturday and Sunday but please do ring 01822 618886 for further information.

Update about the fishery

The fishery goes from strength to strength with the introduction of Tiger and golden trout during April 2017! At the time of producing this Newsletter lots have been caught!  All Tiger trout caught from April 17 until 23rd December 2017 will be entered in a draw for a free weekend here for four people in Clearbrook Barn with our stunning seven seater hot tub!  All golden trout caught will win the angler a prize too!  That’s some great reasons to fish with us soon!

Largest six trout caught in the last 10 months are as follows:

1st Place 18lbs – 6oz Kevin Keast from Plymouth

2nd Place 16lbs – 7oz Russ Symons from Plymouth

3rd Place 15lbs – 9oz Russ Symons from Plymouth

4th Place 15lbs – 5oz Kevin Keast from Plymouth

5th Place 13lbs – 14oz John Masey from Basingstoke

6th Place 13lbs – 11oz Colin Lester from Ringwood

More ‘big’ fish!

Now the water temperature has cooled down I hope to award more of our big fish badges. All you have to do to be in with a chance of winning one of these badges is to come fly fishing at the fishery and catch a double figure trout!

We also have a regular competition running all the time whereby any angler can enter and the angler that catches the largest fish in the three months from Oct-Dec, Jan-Mar, Apr-Jun and Jul-Sep will receive a prize!  Enter your largest fish on your next visit and see what you can add to your bag!

How Autumn affects the fish on the fishery

Every autumn I put this sign up under the viranda at the tackle shop and it explains what happens to fish in the the winter.

Poorly Donkey on the fishery

Sadly one of our pet donkeys ‘Domino’ has developed a form of skin cancer called a sarcoid.  I don’t have insurance for my donkeys but I am doing my very best for him and the local vet has been treating him and fingers crossed all will go well!  My vet bill at the moment stands at £1000. I will keep you updated.

 Puss and boots

The shy stray cat that turned up on the fishery last year is doing extremely well and is now part of the fishery and he is so very friendly!  Everyday we feed it and I even know of some anglers that bring him treats! Thanks so much!

Update about our holiday cottages

All seven of our lovely stone barn conversions here on the fishery are doing extremely well now and at the time of writing this newsletter they are all fully booked this week!

The Old Stable has undergone a huge refurbishment project this year and it is now fully booked for a few months.  It is a delightful barn conversion all on one level with parking right outside the front door and a walk in shower.

Clearbrook Barn was converted 15 years ago, and this year I am spending £15,000 on some improvements for it!  Already in June it had a lovely seven seater hot tub installed in the garden.  It has also had a new s/s fridge freezer and smart tv installed. This November will see a new shower cubicle fitted upstairs, new bed linen and a larger patio with new coal bbq outside etc.

The launch of the first of our new log cabins beside the lakes has been an amazing success! The first one is called The Cabin and It is so popular with both anglers and non-anglers!  The second one will be completed shortly after New Year and it will be called The Lodge.  Both are delightful and are beside the lakes, level access, kitchen, tv, sofa, eating area, shower and wc, radio/cd/alarm and a stunning king size bed!  The Cabin also has a dressing room and The Lodge has its own outside seating area.

If you would like more details or to book, please don’t hesitate in getting in touch with me.

New rabbits for my girls and our young guests to enjoy!

Well here they are, three fluffy new bunnies which everyone is falling in love with!   These lovely rabbits will be outside in our petting area next spring.

Well done to excellent MK teacher Miss Pole for shaving her head for charity!

When Amelia’s favourite Mount Kelly teacher arrived at the fishery on Friday night it was like a visit from the Queen! Amelia was so pleased when I told her Miss Pole was coming here to have her head shaved!  Kerry Murdoch even had a go at cutting Michelle’s hair and we all could see that she truly relished the experience!

Update about ‘me’ and the future for ‘me’.

Well, it’s certainly been a busy last 4 years for me.  Firstly with the renovation of my pub, then running it for 2.5 years and then having a new hip this year.  I’m not planning a holiday because if I am honest I am very busy here and i’m enjoying my fishery so much that it is like being on holiday every day!

Autumn and winter are my favourite times of the year and I really do love it here very much when the wind is blowing and it is raining hard but I will be taking a few days off here and there to do some Christmas shopping and to take my three children out. I took this photo of Kingfisher lake yesterday and it shows autumn is now here.

I have no plans to take on any other huge projects other than completing Clearbrook Barn and The Lodge over the next few months.  I intend on spending more time enjoying the fishery with my family and fly fishing here on my own lakes next year, as well as watching my three children take part in sport matches at school, which I thoroughly enjoy.  Both my daughters like to sea fish a bit now too and Charlotte caught this lovely Couch bream earlier in the year from Plymouth.

Also I bought myself a lovely new Nikon camera with two lenses last week so that I can take superb photos around my fishery grounds and write more regular newsletters for you guys!

I would like to take this opportunity to say a big thanks to all my customers, friends and family and wish them all the best for the future!

With kind regards,
Abigail Underhill

Holiday cottage and Trout Fishery Owner

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