Fishing

Leisure Activites in Boldon

Fishing

Boldon Lake

Boldon Lake Nature Reserve lies opposite the West Boldon Sub Station, it is open to the public and is managed by the Durham Wildlife Trust for English Estates, The English Partnership and One North East. There is a great variety of wildlife to be seen with resident swans and ducks with regular sightings of kingfishers, herons and cormorant. Unfortunately this week (18^th August 2003) the swans lost their signet during the night. This could have been due to the fact that some well-meaning visitors had been in the habit of feeding them on the land instead of in the water so that it may have been taken by a fox.

There is no fishing permitted on the north side of the lake but the south side has been sub let to The Lakeside Angling Club. The lake was dug in 1984 as part of the upgrading of the local road system and later stocked with fish by local enthusiasts. I am told by a well know local character, "The Boldon Gnome", that in 1991 some of the fish came from the compressor coolant pond of Westoe Colliery when it had to be filled in as a safety measure as the pit was due to be closed in 1993. The fish thrived well in what was then virgin water so the lake is now well stocked with a variety of fish, including tench, golden tench, roach, flounder, bream dace, perch and four types of carp, Common, Crussian, Coy and Mirror.

Although this picture was taken on a gloomy day you can see that the site is a pleasant nature reserve and is a very popular spot with the local fishing enthusiasts and also with those keen to study wild life. There are other pictures of the lake in the pictures section.

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