(published previously on PurePiscator)
Nearly 18 months have passed since I penned the first report on Marmont Mere and its surrounding woodland. At that time, the trees were quite small, the lake was seemingly immature with semi-naked banks and the fish were relatively newly-introduced. What a difference a year and a half can make.
My first update concerns the trees. Standing beneath them in the summer of 2008, it seems remarkable that they have only been there for five years; some specimens (notably willows, poplars, alders and birches) have rocketed to over twenty feet high. In some areas where the fastest-growing trees have been block-planted, the woodland effect is already evident, with dappled light (on the rare days this summer we have seen any sunshine) shimmering on the burgeoning forest floor. Various patches of bluebells have started to consolidate, and in Spring their striking blue heads rise proudly above the surrounding scrub.
By far the most numerous species planted was the oak, or rather oaks: the English oak (Quercus robur) predominates, but there are also others, including a good number of Holm or Evergreen oaks (Quercus ilex). Some individuals have grown very strongly whilst others lag behind. However, the oak plays a much longer game than the pioneer species and these trees will not even be approaching their prime by the time the willows et al. have prospered, fallen and rotted.
The next most numerous species is the ash (Fraxinus excelsior), with approximately 1500 being planted, some 1100 in a large block and the rest dotted throughout. The ash block is destined to be coppiced for firewood to feed the woodburner, on a rotation of 10-12 years, or whatever proves the most appropriate for this site. With the surge in energy prices I am profoundly glad we decided on this strategy. Some of these trees are already 15+ feet high with a decent girth and, in theory, the first can be cut in approximately five years. On a similar theme, a new addition has been an acre of 350 hazels planted specifically for coppicing for agricultural and horticultural use. These went in during the winter of 2006 and, encouraged by the wet weather which has predominated since, are growing well. We expect the coppicing cycle to be 7-10 years, and hopefully a bonus will materialise in the form of nuts, unless the squirrels get there first.
The specimen trees, planted around and to the east of the lake over the 2005 and 2006 winters have shown a mixed response. Some, like the exotic cherries, birches and willows, have done well. The liquidambars, selected for their spectacular Autumn colour, have proved a little temperamental with two out of five planted dying, probably as a result of the wet-cold and scouring winds. However, their staggering beauty dictates that we shall persevere.
The hedges, more than a mile in total, have blossomed quietly and less noticeably than their woodland cousins and formed substantial barriers to unwanted entry as well as affording safe havens for nesting birds. We are cutting them on a 3 year cycle, which limits disturbance to the wildlife. The last cut, in 2006, was done by hand by walking around the perimeter; when the next cut is due in 2009, this will not be possible due to the increased height, and no doubt some marvellous toy will be bought for the tractor so that trimming can take place.
Which brings me neatly onto part two: the wildlife. This I can describe only as astounding. Within the woodland, a knowledgeable friend counted over 20 bird species during a short walk. We appear to have a resident woodcock, as well as a resident hare or two, and a fox is a frequent visitor. Rabbits have moved in and so have stoats, the one to profit from the other. A muntjac deer was seen walking across the grass late one evening last summer.
On the lake, as the reedbeds have matured, birds have taken up residence – ducks, coots, moorhens and various warblers. Last November, I had a Bill Oddie moment when a small (but significant) flock of starlings whirled in the sky as the light faded before careering into the reeds to roost overnight. The greylag geese have become regular visitors and also bred successfully. This year would have seen the most fledged, but a fox nabbed six from one brood and several others, too. I watched him, in broad daylight one Saturday afternoon, skulking around the far bank, waiting for an opportunity to snatch a gosling. Luckily, he didn't manage it while I was watching, but during the dark he struck several times, leaving bewildered parents searching for lost offspring the following morning.
Perhaps the most spectacular success has been the kingfishers. As luck would have it, the destruction wrought by the winter waves on one of the islands produced an ideal, vertical bank for the kingfishers to excavate. This year a pair nested on this island and the summer air has been punctuated with their calls and flashes of orange and blue as they dart up and down the lake. They seem to have a circuitous route that involves a spot of lake fishing followed by a noisy flight to the river and back round again to favourite perches close to their nest hole.
Similarly rewarding has been the barn owl experience. One, or even two owls on occasion, visited the field regularly during 2007. I chanced upon an article on the BBC Suffolk website about a farmer, David Wilkin, who had established a barn owl nest box project and which had proved very successful. I got in touch and he kindly gave me advice and box-making plans. I cut up enough wood for 3 boxes but because of time pressure have only completed one, which was erected on the edge of the middle meadow in late April this year. Amazingly, a barn owl moved in a month later. I have been terrified of disturbing him (or her) and so have left the box well alone to date, so I am not sure if successful breeding occurred. However, I can report that the box is still occupied and the owl hunts regularly over the field ands around the lake. I shall erect the remaining boxes during the winter and see what next year brings. Other owls are also in evidence, notably little owls and tawnies. These venture into the garden much more frequently than they used to, no doubt because the wider location is more favourable to them than when it was a bare field. Bats, which were around anyway before the wood was planted, are also much in evidence. I have not yet, as yet, seen Daubenton's bats fly over the lake although I have seen them on the nearby river. The birds, however, are not so reticent – swallows, swifts and martins all hunt and drink over the water.
I also lamented in my previous article about the apparent lack of amphibians and reptiles in the area. The frog deficit was solved one Spring morning in 2007 when I got a call from a friend in the village who mentioned that she was filling in her garden pond, and would I like to collect the now homeless amphibian inhabitants? I sped round and returned an hour or so later with a large bucket groaning under the weight of pond slime and more than 40 adult frogs. These were shared between the lake and garden ponds. Now, it may be coincidence, but in August 2007 I saw our first grass snake – a female nearly four feet long, basking in the late afternoon sun. I haven't seen any grass snakes since, but this summer a slow worm was curled up on the bank and was as surprised as I was when I chanced upon him.
Insect life has also been prominent – despite two poor summers in succession, the number of butterflies and moths, and the number of species visiting or resident, has just about increased, although there have been long spells of cold or damp weather when we despaired of ever seeing any take to the wing. This summer has seen a huge population of dragonflies and damselflies, which as I write are still zooming around the lake and woods in a final flourish before their candle is extinguished. The trees are proving to be wonderful habitats for all manner of beetles, and consequently the birdlife is increasing, too.
The perennial problems of lily planting continue. I have introduced more over the last few years (at the rate of about 20 each summer), but still they thrive only intermittently. I can only assume that it takes a considerable time for them to become established. My latest thrust has been to dig three small propagating ponds, with approximate depths of 8", 24" and 36". My plan is to grow on cuttings and seedlings so that I have a constant supply of new plants to add to the lake over the coming years. I have a nice selection of lilies, water fringe and water hawthorn bulking up in the deeper ponds and several hundred irises, mostly grown from seed, together with other marginals, growing steadily in the shallow pond. Of course, these ponds will also create additional habitats for water-loving animals and insects.
But what, you are all asking, has this got to do with fishing? Well, I believe firmly that the fish and their lake are an integral part of the whole landscape, and, just as the birds, mammals, plants and insects are thriving, so too are the fish. You may recall I stocked the lake with a variety of mixed coarse fish, with no carp except for crucians. I have resisted the temptation to introduce carp, so that remains the status quo. The fish are growing extremely well, with large rudd, roach and crucians making their presence known. The tench have grown more slowly but some are reaching 11/2 to 2lb. I also stocked several small chub and this year I caught one, in splendid condition, weighing almost 3lb. I should add that I have still not really fished the lake properly; every now and then I have a little dabble but even with this limited approach have taken rudd and roach to 2lb+. The fish are breeding well, too; in May I watched, enthralled, as a number of adult roach chased each other through the reed stems, intent on mating. I may be facing a bit of a rudd population explosion, so perhaps a few more predators will be necessary in future years. Striking a balance takes time, so I am in no hurry to introduce other species just yet. From a period of frantic activity, we have now entered a more contemplative phase, when mistakes can be rectified and success consolidated.
