Chew Valley Lake wins 2011 Alan Faulkner Memorial Award

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Chew Valley Lake wins 2011 Alan Faulkner Memorial Award

On behalf of The Wheelyboat Trust, veteran actor and passionate angler Bernard Cribbins presented Steve Taylor from Bristol Water’s Chew Valley Lake with this year’s Alan Faulkner Memorial Award. The presentation took place on Friday, 22nd July at the CLA Game Fair. The main prize was a 4hp outboard motor provided by the award’s sponsors, Suzuki GB. Created in memory of the Trust’s Founder President, the award is presented annually to the game fishery that provides disabled anglers with the most outstanding service, facilities, opportunities and access. Previous winners include Eyebrook Trout Fishery, Grafham Water, Lake of Menteith and Toft Newton. Chew Valley Lake is Bristol Water’s largest reservoir at over 1,000 acres and was built in the 1950s. It is one of the country’s finest trout fisheries and is renowned for its ‘top of the water’ sport owing to its relatively shallow depth, fertile water and abundant fly life. It is a fly only water and is stocked annually with 50,000 brown and rainbow trout. It also has a healthy population of pike that are of increasing interest to game anglers, many of whom are turning their attention to this large predator – fly fishing for pike is now a well-established and popular activity on the lake. Chew was the first UK water to acquire the then new Mk III Wheelyboat model in 2006 to help it celebrate the 50th anniversary of its opening by HM Queen Elizabeth II.

Photo caption (left to right): Steven Foy (Sales Manager Suzuki GB), Steve Taylor (Assistant Fishery Manager, Chew Valley Lake), Bernard Cribbins, Andy Beadsley (Director, The Wheelyboat Trust)

The award’s judges were very impressed with Chew’s commitment to disabled anglers: the facilities there are first class, all are wheelchair accessible and the staff are helpful and courteous – essential requirements for a hassle-free day’s fishing in the Wheelyboat. As well as being a fitting memorial to The Wheelyboat Trust’s Founder President who conceived the idea of the wheelchair accessible boat, the ‘Wheelyboat’, the award is intended to highlight the needs of disabled anglers and encourage fisheries to ensure those needs are accommodated. The Trust is delighted that Suzuki GB sponsored the award again this year with the main prize of a 4hp 4-stroke outboard. Without their support and appreciation of the award’s aims, it would not be the sought after title it has now become. The Suzuki small outboard range, from 4 to 15 horsepower, has attracted a strong following amongst anglers, due to the quiet running, low emissions and 4-stroke fuel economy. In common with the rest of the 2hp to 300hp range, they offer excellent value for money. Background The Wheelyboat Trust is a registered charity that promotes and provides the wheelchair accessible Wheelyboat to fisheries and other waters open to the public all over the UK. It has now supplied 147 Wheelyboats since the Trust began work in 1985. It offers four different types of Wheelyboat to suit different activities - two of these have been designed specifically for fishing. This is the eighth year that Suzuki GB have sponsored the Alan Faulkner Memorial Award. The Wheelyboat Trust (reg charity no 292216) - Andy Beadsley, Director North Lodge, Burton Park, Petworth, West Sussex, GU28 0JT Telephone 01798 342222, 07860 650023 [email protected], www.wheelyboats.org