20 minute read
WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE
Stamford, Rutland and Leicestershire are landlocked; we all know that, but there’s plenty of water available for us all to be able to indulge our love for watersports
WE MIGHT NOT be able to paddle in the sea where we live but that doesn’t mean we can’t indulge a love of watersports. o, we won’t be able to live life on the ocean waves but we have enough inland reservoirs, la es and rivers to en oy a vast range of watersports to the full or even ust wile away a sunny afternoon dipping our toes in the water.
WALKING ON WATER
Tyro Lisa has a go at water skiing
allington la es ust outside Stamford covers acres of what used to be gravel pits but you’d never now that now. here are spring fed la es that are interlin ed and beautifully landscaped. s well as offering ust about every watersport you can thin of ranging from the fast and furious water s iing and wa e boarding to the calm of S , you can even raft build, the la es have lu ury la eside lodges and lifestyle homes that are available to buy or rent. nd don’t forget the swimming pool, bar and restaurant. nd that’s ust the summer sports.
But we’re not moving in this wee we are going to water ski. Tallington has been renowned for its waterskiing for many years and many top class s iers train and s i here. here is a tournament standard la e and even a ump. But for us, let’s learn to s i first.
Lisa has always fancied a go at water s iing so umped at the chance when allington invited us. ’ve never done it before and it’s something I always thought I’d try one day when on holiday. Seeing as a holiday is probably uite a long way off, and would never go and do it on my own, thought ’ve been given the chance so ’ll ta e it. t was also a good challenge and out of my comfort zone. It’s time to fight the fear.’
We might not be able to go on holiday but the weather Lisa had for her skiing lesson was as good as any sunny Mediterranean day. Flaming June at its best! Charlotte was to be Lisa’s instructor. She is a ualified water s i, wa e board and wa e surf instructor. She had set the speed boat up with a bar for Lisa to use as this ma es it a lot easier for a novice because the bar is solid and it’s much easier to eep your arms straight. beginner’s session on the bar allows you si goes. o be able to s i you need good upper and lower body strength, balance and endurance it’s a tiring sport. t loo s easy and being towed behind a boat you imagine the boat does all the work for you; well let’s find out. harlotte initially fitted Lisa with some s is and recommended she dip them into the water to ma e them easier to get on and off. She then did a dry run with Lisa on the dec passing her a handle to practice with. t sounds very simple nees to the chest, heels to bottom, arms straight and allow yourself to pop out of the water. nd eep those arms straight all of the time. f you fall, let go.’ But of course, however easy some people ma e it loo , actually doing it yourself can be uite different. nd now it was time to get in the water. Lisa has never snow s ied either so wearing s is was completely alien and they felt very unwieldy. She would not describe herself as a natural water baby either. But she gamely slid in to the water from the deck as instructed by Charlotte and swam out to the end of the bar.
Lisa’s first attempt was a total wipe out, as was to be e pected really. nd then it was the rigmarole of retrieving s is, putting them on again and all whilst recovering from uite a dumping. er second attempt she almost did it and by her third she was up and away and s ied the full length of the la e before tiring so falling. er e cited shrie and big grin said it all; Lisa was skiing and she’d made it look remarkably easy! hen pic ing her up this time, because she hadn’t totally wiped out but had fallen uite elegantly, she had managed to be near her s is so could retrieve them herself and put them bac on. t’s nice to see the scenery,’ was not a comment you e pected to hear from someone learning to s i but it obviously showed she was uite rela ed and had time to loo around her. Lisa then s ied up the la e and then bac again, getting up both times without mishap and loo ing very comfortable. So it loo ed li e it was time to abandon the bar and try a rope pull. But that’s a story for another day…
Once Lisa was safely back on dry land she was asked how she felt hen first got in the water did wonder what on earth ’d got myself into as was struggling to even get near the boat with the s is on. fter the first pull, which went completely wrong and hadn’t really nown what to e pect, it made more sense what harlotte had said so decided that had to ust go for it. he second pull it was starting to come together and then once I realised the importance of eeping my arms straight was away and it felt really comfortable. loved it when was up. didn’t love falling in the water so much though nd it’s absolutely e hausting. t’s most tiring fa ng around with the s is and then being pulled out of the water. But the feeling of being towed on skis was fabulous, whilst saying to myself can do this ’
www.tallington.com
GONE FISHING
Mary tries her hand at fly fishing at Eyebrook reservoir
Standing waist high in freezing cold water for hours on end to try and catch a fish does not appeal, have to admit. But sitting on a boat on a warm une day, casting my y in the hope of catching my supper that sounds much more li e it. So when the opportunity arose to go out with fishing guide ic unn at yebroo who would try and teach me to cast well that was too good a chance to miss. ic who owns anatical ly ishing has competed for ngland si times and captained the team once, so his e pert guidance was ust what needed. yebroo reservoir in utland is a very pretty spot. t was completed in built to supply water to the steel wor s in orby it covers about acres and is not far from ppingham. t is a renowned spot as the ambusters in their Lancasters led by uy ibson, used the reservoir to practice for their bombing raids on ermany. t must have been uite a sight for the local residents, and rather noisy. he day arrived at yebroo was perfect for fishing warm, overcast with a slight bree e causing some ripples and the water not too warm yet. pparently trout li e cold water so the warmer the weather gets the further into the middle of the la e they go, where the water is deeper and colder. nd if it’s very bright sunlight they won’t ta e ies on the surface as they don’t li e the glare. ic had spo en to the staff at the fishing lodge before arrived, something you should always do,’ as ing them where the fish were they are always the ones in the now. hey pointed us in the right direction so off we headed in the boat. ic then let the boat drift and started my lesson. ic used a daddy longlegs y which he had tied himself and showed me how to cast. e made it loo very easy and effortless. t’s all about techni ue, nothing to do with power,’ he told me. he heavy green line was used as the weight to cast the y out which is on the end of the line. nd it’s all about the line speed. f you get speed into the line you can then propel it forwards out in front of you about yards or so, or much further if you are an e pert. etting the bac cast right is the ey to successful casting,’ says ic . ell he’s obviously right, but easier said than done in my e perience. ou need to feed the line through your left hand whilst eeping your right elbow close to your body and your wrist sturdy. t’s the forearm and shoulder that do the wor . nce you get your y out in the water you can then s ate it along, the fish love that apparently. nd if nothing happens in about seconds you start all over again. t all sounds very simple, and ic made it loo so, but can assure you it isn’t. But it is very satisfying when you get it right and frustrating when you don’t. e could see the fish were nearby uic ly learnt to recognise the signs of a fish surfacing, but they weren’t ta ing the y. So we moved to another spot which had been recommended. his time we were nearer the ban , upwind and slightly sheltered where it was less bree y, so used the anchor. e’ll definitely catch something here,’ said ic with great
confi dence. t’s wise, particularly for a beginner li e me to cast with the wind behind you, so that is what we were doing. e both carried on using the daddy longlegs y with no luc so ic changed tactics. e changed his y because he realised the fi sh were feeding in a diff erent way, swishing underneath the surface of the water rather than coming up for the y. So he changed to his pin fry y which he had invented. nd on the second cast he caught one ic played the fi sh, again ma ing it loo easy before bringing it close enough to catch it in his net. e were using barbless hoo s as we would be catching and releasing the fi sh. his means that ic could very easily unhoo the trout without causing any harm. was very impressed with the good si ed rainbow trout it was a beautiful fi sh which we then released so it swam away to be caught another day or not. e carried on fi shing with ic convinced we would now catch plenty me being told too uic , eep your arm in, more force bac casting,’ but thoroughly en oying it. ventually got to well it wasn’t awful,’ praise indeed here is nothing better than being out on a boat with no one around you listening to the odd cuc oo, watching the red ites and hearing the fi sh splashing around you. ell that was frustrating to be honest as they were all around us but were not ta ing the bait so to spea . ish are capricious have decided. couple of times they came right up near my y but would then change their mind and not ta e it. Maybe they are cleverer than you thin . onditions were perfect for fi shing but today was not to be our day. ic lost another one, didn’t even get a nibble. But did not mind at all. thoroughly en oyed my three hours on the water trying my best to perfect the art of casting. nd hope did improve did actually get a that was a nice cast,’ from ic , praise indeed and what a way to fi nish. t’s called fi shing not catching for a reason,’ said ic . nd he’s right, there’s no guarantees with fi shing. Sometimes it’s down to s ill, other times it’s ust down to the way the fi sh feel on the day. s we returned to the lodge we could see that the other boats out weren’t catching fi sh either. So today it was ish Mary and was happy with that.
Thank you to Nick from Fanatical Fly Fishing for introducing me to the fi ne art of fl y fi shing and to Eyebrook for lending us the boat and supplying me with a permit.
www.fanatical-fl yfi shing.uk www.fl yfi sheyebrook.co.uk
SWIMMING WITH THE FISHES
Which one of us was going to go open water swimming? Mary reveals all
Open water swimming is exactly what it says; swimming outside usually in a large expanse of water such as a lake or reservoir or even the sea. he benefits are obvious, being outside and at one with nature and it is mentally challenging as well as physically. he disadvantages, you are in open, cold water and there is an element of ris involved. You also need to be a competent swimmer as you are obviously out of your depth.
So which one of us was going to have a go at it? Lisa had offered but unfortunately an in ury meant she couldn’t do it. So it was between me and Kate; well I pulled rank (age and incompetence) so it was down to Kate; although she wasn’t particularly een having swum rather too close to a snake the last time she went wild swimming.
Nene Outdoors at Ferry Meadows in Nene Park in eterborough had indly invited us to oin them for one of their evening open water swimming sessions which they hold every hursday starting in May through until, usually, early October. Up to 40 swimmers can swim in the session which runs between 5.30 and 7pm. It costs £5.50.
Ferry Meadows was created in the 1960s when Peterborough was being extensively developed. Someone had the foresight to suggest creating a country park including lakes from the gravel pits that had been dug to build the parkways that criss-cross the city. Now well established with beautiful landscaping this amenity is very popular in the area.
The swim is very well organised and popular with many regulars coming every week. The course is a 400m circuit that is patrolled by a safety boat and a kayak based spotter. Swimmers are required to all swim in the same direction and can complete the course as many times as they like. There is a shorter course of 200m as well. Every swimmer must use a tow oat provided that is bright orange and everyone must wear a brightly coloured swim hat. Swimmers are advised to wear a wetsuit and this is compulsory for those under 16. Swimmers must be able to swim 1000m unaided in a pool. e arrived at the la e on an overcast, muggy, evening with thunderstorms forecast. This meant there was a likelihood that the swimmers would have to be evacuated from the water as lightning on open water is very dangerous ust to up the pressure on poor ate a bit more. We were told that the water temperature was a balmy 19 degrees. ate duly donned her wetsuit, goggles and tow oat and headed to the la e. was way out of my comfort one and uite nervous. ’m a confident swimmer but it’s a big la e. ’ve only swum in rivers before so this was going to be very different.’ nd off she went.
We imagined there was going to be a throng of swimmers all diving in at the same time churning up the water li e a triathlon, which ate was dreading, but it was nothing like that. Swimmers arrived individually or in pairs and quietly got in the water to swim. There was plenty of space and it all looked very relaxed and comfortable. hey were a friendly bunch of all genders, ages and abilities. Whilst Kate was in the water there must have been 20 others in as well but as the course is so large there were no bottlenecks. fter completing the m course ate emerged out of the water beaming she’d loved it. really en oyed it. t felt very relaxed with no pressure to swim fast or anything like that and I loved being in the open water. I did struggle at first as found my wetsuit made me uite buoyant so found it hard to get my breathing right. But once ’d sorted that out really started to en oy myself. he water was the perfect temperature. feel that ’ve had some e ercise and ne t time would happily go round twice, that would really challenge me. ’m really glad did it as was completely out of my comfort one but it’s good to push yourself. felt completely safe and than fully there was no lightning, but it did add that e tra frisson of e citement.’ he hardest part utting my hat on ’
Nene Outdoors Watersports and Activity Centre offers many different watersports including sailing, SUP, kayaking, canoeing, windsurfing, rowing boats and pedalo hire and, of course, open water swimming. On land there is climbing and archery. They also offer group activities and a holiday club. To find out more email neneoutdoors@neneparktrust.org.uk
www.nenepark.org.uk
STAND AND DELIVER
Noticing that more and more people are taking up SUP, Kate Maxim wanted to have a go herself
I’ve just been touring the east coast of Scotland and glimpsed numerous people in little coves and harbours gliding along on their stand up paddleboards (SUP). And our designer Gary often waxes lyrical about how much fun it is, so I decided to have a go.
Dave Loseby from Nene Extreme Adventures has been operating from Oundle Wharf for the last six years and has seen SUP gradually grow in popularity. Primarily a company that specialises in boat hire (canoes and kayaks), he now hires out paddleboards too. People of all ages and abilities take them out either in groups of friends, as a family or to oat off on their own for a slice of peace and quiet.
I picked the perfect morning; I’m sure sunny weather helps, but imagine even on a cloudy day the eff ect is still the same. Standing up on the board you are higher than in a boat so you can see further, right over the hedgerows. The day I went it was baking hot with barely a breeze. We saw loads of water lilies, beautiful dragon ies, duc s, a multitude of fi sh, gorgeous cows in the meadows ne t to the Nene and we startled a prehistoric heron.
I’m sure some people would enjoy the challenge of seeing how far and how fast they could go on a board within the allotted time but, for me, the beauty of SUP is how serene you feel. Once you’ve mastered the technique, of course! I wouldn’t say I mastered it, as such; in fact the logic of it slightly escaped me. Apparently you are supposed to only use the paddle on one side and, using a ic turn techni ue while the paddle is still in the water, you keep the board going straight.
Once I’d stopped overthinking it and decided it was acceptable to swap hands every once in a while to get myself back on track, then I was much better. And I found it easier to stand up than to kneel down. After quite a long while I lost slight feeling in my feet, having not dared to move them around on the board, so I knelt down again for the last stretch and realised how much more confi dent felt than on the way out.
I’d worn a swimming costume and quick drying clothes and had even taken a hairbrush, so convinced I was I’d fall in. But no, not on this occasion. Dave’s instruction was clear, calm and friendly and felt confi dent was in good hands.
Nene Extreme run holiday clubs with river-based activities in the morning and activities such as climbing, bushcraft and archery in the afternoons. Birthday parties are also very popular and, of course, it’s ideal for family excursions. There’s a craft to suit every age and ability from single manned kayaks, to the larger canoes that seat 3-4 people and then the paddleboards, so no-one needs to feel left out. Generally people hire the boards for 1-2 hours at a time and it’s 35 minutes either way from Oundle Wharf to the locks at Cotterstock or Ashton. All day hire is also popular so you can take your time, enjoy a picnic on the banks of the river then drop in to the Tap and Kitchen at the wharf when you fi nish. ou can also arrange to be pic ed up at certain points along the river if you didn’t want to retrace your steps.
Having hankered after having a go for a while, I’m so glad I did; it more than measured up to my expectations. Although paddleboarding on the sea must be a totally diff erent story. nd at per hour to hire, you don’t need to wait for an excuse, or friends to do some watersports, you can ust fi t it into your lunch brea
For full details visit www.neneextreme.co.uk
CEO of charity takes to her paddle board
Someone else who has been taking to the water is Dr Emma Egging CEO of Lincolnshire based youth charity the Jon Egging’s Trust (JET). She completed a half marathon along the River Witham from Newark to Lincoln on a SUP as part of JET’s 10 year anniversary JET10 fundraising campaign.
The paddle board challenge came shortly after it was announced that Emma had been awarded an OBE for services to young people.
www.joneggingtrust.org.uk
THERE ARE PLENTY OF OTHER WATERSPORTS IN THE AREA TO TRY
For a more peaceful activity there’s the Rutland Belle which cruises round the lake taking in the sights and sounds of life on the la e. ou can also ta e a guided dawn or evening cruise for the best chance of spotting an osprey.
www.rutlandwatercruises.com/osprey-cruises/
In the centre of the county we have Rutland Water of course where you can have a go at canoeing, kayaking, stand up paddleboarding, windsurfing or dinghy sailing.
For equipment hire and junior and adult courses you can choose between Rutland Watersports and the Rutland Sailing lub.
www.rutlandsailingclub.co.uk www.anglianwaterparks.co.uk/rutland-water-park/ watersports
Aquapark Rutland is back again this year for adults and children over years old. re boo ing online is essential to avoid disappointment.
www.aquaparkgroup.co.uk/rutland/
nd a little further afield there is anoe based at ushden La es offering canoe and aya hire along the iver ene. hey offer hour, half day and one day hire up to four day adventures. ou can stay overnight in local B Bs and hotels; take your own tent or even experience ‘champing’ overnight in an ancient church. our baggage is transferred along the way and you’re picked up at the end of your trip so you’re only paddling downstream!
