From run-ins with drug dealers to removing endless rubbish and invasive plants, there can’t be many challenges that Sam Vickers and his team haven’t encountered in the process of saving their local Essex lakes. Not that you’d guess so looking at today’s scene as anglers and public alike enjoy the tranquil, wildlife-rich settings around Basildon.
“Until you take on something like this, you’ve no idea what’s in store,” laughs Sam, who leads the small team who have turned around various urban waters. Their ambitious plans began with a simple desire for change, along with 754 pages of documentation submitted just hours before council deadlines.
“The first day we sold tickets, I took away 27 full bags of rubbish!” Sam recalls. “I’ve been threatened, punched and even had the police escort people off site, but just look at the lakes now! They’re a totally different place and I love coming to work every day,” says the electrician turned fishery boss. In spite of taking a pay cut to switch jobs, he’s never looked back and takes huge pride in restored sites including Northlands Park, Gloucester Park, Wick County and Lake Meadows.
“I wanted to put something back”
For fisheries once plagued by fly tipping and vandalism, today’s lakes are a miraculous transformation. The drug dealers have been replaced by nature photographers, thanks to hard graft and a firm yet friendly community approach. So where did it start?
“I’d been coming to these lakes since I was a kid,” says Sam. “I hated seeing them as a shadow of what they were and what they could be. I saw a lot of folks moaning or just taking, so I wanted to put something back.”
If the story sounds like a fairy-tale, however, the reality has been very different in an area surrounded by council estates. Coming from a working-class background, Sam was only too aware of the challenge.
“We’re not a rich area. Life is tough, but you meet some of the nicest and most genuine people here. Just because folks have their problems, we don’t judge and we try and get everyone on board,” he says.
Sam believes passionately in urban lakes and the power of angling to change lives for the better. “We’ve helped people with major problems. Those who were totally lost, addicted or even suicidal,” he adds. “I’d always rather talk to someone and give them a chance than yell at them.”
Saints and sinners
If managing five lakes wasn’t enough, dealing with the local characters has been key. “We’ve had some real madness and it’s been an emotional rollercoaster!” Sam admits. He’s given a lot of people second chances, but also cracked down hard on law-breakers.
“You quickly get to know everyone, good and bad. In our first season, we had to ban over 20 people!” he says, including poachers and those dealing drugs. That said, he’s bent over backwards to help those most in need.
“The cost of living is brutal right now, but we do our best to help,” he says. Kids fish for free with an adult, while they’ve even offered fishing in exchange for volunteer hours to help those right on the brink.
“People will make incredible efforts to fish and you can see what it means to the area,” he says. “We’ve had guys barrow their tackle from 90 minutes away!” Park lakes are a “massive asset” he believes, not just for recreation but mental health and that priceless sense of community.
From naked swimmers to invasive threats
To say that every day is different would be an understatement to the lads who now run Basildon’s lakes. “Your role can switch from park ranger to social worker and everything in between!” laughs Sam.
Floating Pennywort has been one issue, which staff have removed by hand! Oxygen depletion has been another risk this year. “We had reports of gasping fish at 4am!” Sam reveals. “By 4:30 I was on site and by 7am the EA were here setting up pumps. It’s really emotional when you run a fishery,
and I camped out for the next two weeks while we stayed on high alert”.
Other incidents range from near tragedy to pure comedy, with both suicide attempts and naked swimmers. We’re pleased to report that in both cases, a safe conclusion was reached! Needless to say, there’s scarcely a dull day on these lakes, which have a brighter future than ever thanks to our caring and intrepid angling fanatics.
FIND OUT MORE AND FISH THE LAKES!
Check out the “S and A Watercraft” page on Facebook for current catches and further information on the current form of Essex’s urban lakes, which hold superb mixed coarse fishing and specimen carp to over 30lb.
BIG LESSONS FROM THE ESSEX ANGLING REVIVAL
Do it yourself! If you want something to happen, don’t wait for someone else. Roll your sleeves up and be the change you want to see.
Build connections: Relationships are key to any fishery. Essex Council and police have been key partners, while Environment Agency and Angling Trust staff have also been a huge help.
Be firm but fair: This sums up Sam’s ethos. “You have to get on top of rule breaking and any wrong ’uns right away” he says. “If you respect people, generally they’ll respect you – but you have to be really clear.”
Be prepared for everything! From buying oxygen meters and pumps, to retrieving lost rigs, good fishery management is about being on the ball and using regulars as your eyes and ears.
