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Has the retirement area of UK anglers changed?

Mark Swaby

Mark Swaby

Senior Member
For many many years everyone i knew in the fishing community aspired to retire down to Dorset for the Hampshire Avon and Stour. Recently it seems the Welsh Borders and the Wye have taken over as the place to retire to.As i am looking at retiring i would like some advise on the reasons people chose to settle down in either area.
 
Mark, I retired 2.5 years ago and am considering a move to Herefordshire although I already have a weekend retreat in Shropshire. I think two reasons for the change (if there has been one), property prices are much cheaper and you have more rivers to go at with more fish (Wye, Severn, Avon, Teme).
 
oddly enough we are looking for a 2nd home in dorset, fell in love with it whilst working there a few years ago, not many floods and virtually no snow and definately a bit warmer than ost of the uk is:)
 
Mark,.. do you remember my " moving home for a barbel" thread a few years ago? Well I did it and have absolutely no regrets.
I picked Dorset/ Hampshire borders because I'd been fishing the Avon and Stour since the 70's and my wife and I always loved Purbeck and Chesil area for both holiday breaks and the salt water fishing.
I actually ended up with my own little bit of the Stour, a dream come true,.. but just enjoy having all my favourite old Avon and Stour waters on my doorstep whilst still having the opportunity to change tack and either fish Christchurch harbour or the Purbeck rocks , not forgetting Chesil beach and Portland.
I ought to mention Frome, Itching and Test of course!
The river fishing is harder now than when I first started making the pilgrimage down here, but that has been offset by the amount of time I can now put into finding fish and being able to go for them when conditions are favourable.
Compared to my previous local rivers which have sadly deteriorated during the past 20 years, my catch rate has gone through the roof. One could argue I guess that if I could have put the hours of observation in on my old river's things may have been better, but it was always work and the M25.
I've caught 17 doubles , including a couple of repeat captures plus two 7lb plus chub so far this season,.. that would have amounted to 4 seasons worth on my old rivers and I probably wouldn't have topped a 7ib chub either.
It's not all about the fishing though, ... it's the change of pace and the challenge of a new chapter in one's life I think.
Leaving old friends and fishing buddies behind and making new ones,... missing the Sunday lunchtime pub get together and putting the world to rights etc etc. were all hard,.. not forgetting my beloved Koi as well.
A bonus is being able to get involved in a bit of river management and putting something back, whilst learning something new each week.
The down'er is there's too many shops in Bournemouth which my other half appreciates too much on occasions,... but that's the trade off!!
The traffic is as bad here as the old place as well!
We got a lot more for our money here compared to Surrey property prices, so that was a plus.
I love Herefordshire and all the same points apply I think. Having spent a few fishing holidays there plus a recent stay with our own Mr Elliot, I couldn't argue against settling down close to all those great venues in beautiful surroundings.
For me, it was purely romanticising on my love of clearwater barbel fishing , ... having plenty of options, and importantly resettling where my wife also wanted to live.
I still feel extremely fortunate to have had the chance to go for it, and am eternally grateful for the encouragement I received from guys on bfw.
Wherever you end up Mark, I wish you well.
 
Properly prices in Herefordshire are about half that of Dorset. Not withstanding the fishing the area is very and has always been popular with the tea and scones brigade. That coupled with it being just about commuter range means there's lots of outside money to drive the prices up.
 
Well I retired to the East Yorkshire coast. The coarse fishing is the worst I have ever experienced in 55 years. As for barbel - I`ve actually given up.....
 
I've not retired (still at least 10 years of graft left) but moved from Berkshire to Herefordshire last September. This was a family decision and originally we looked at Devon/Cornwall but couldn't make that work. Herefordshire was another area where we have spent holiday time so it became a natural choice. There is a big commute for me with work which is painful but after almost a year, I can say it's been totally worth it. The Wye Valley is beautiful and it's a fantastic place to bring up a child. The fishing is amazing and the general pace of life is wonderfully slow. It's an amazing antidote to corporate life. We've got considerably more for our money, house wise, and are thoroughly enjoying the outside space. I do miss the challenge of the Kennet and in time I can see I will need to inject some variety in my fishing. But for now, grabbing a few hours here and there and generally catching a few fish in wonderful surroundings is absolutely fine by me.
 
Dave, yes i remember the thread,just putting out feelers at the moment but interested in the recent change in destination and reasons
 
It's an interesting topic Mark, I guess from a fishing angle quite a few anglers migrate to an area where they have enjoyed fishing breaks,family holidays or both ( not sure if the latters possible come to think of it!) . :rolleyes:
It's no coincidence that the wonderfully prolific Wye acts as a magnet to anglers who want to relocate especially coupled with attractive scenery as well as reasonably priced properties.
Since I've lived in Dorset, I've been naively surprised by just how many have moved here over the past years primarily for the fishing. More than a few have remarked that perhaps some who have been born and bred here don't seem to appreciate what they've got on their doorstep,.. possibly a comment that applies to most of us at some stage.
For me, I just love being out in the Avon valley even if the fishing is challenging some days, and to have the Stour as well is magic.
I remember quite a few pike anglers moving house to be near the Norfolk Broads years ago, then buying and fitting out a dinghy to be afloat on their bit of heaven .
Horses for courses and living the dream.
 
Yes Dave, my mate Dave plummer did the Norfolk move many years ago.They got the pike and then the start of the Wensum barbel boom.Who knows some might in the future even be tempted towards the Trent with its upturn in fortunes
 
Yes Mark, Dave P. was one that sprung to mind. By coincidence, found an old 80's pike mag yesterday with a very young Mr Plummer pride of place.
 
Dave Taylor said:
Mark,.. do you remember my " moving home for a barbel" thread a few years ago? Well I did it and have absolutely no regrets.
I picked Dorset/ Hampshire borders because I'd been fishing the Avon and Stour since the 70's and my wife and I always loved Purbeck and Chesil area for both holiday breaks and the salt water fishing.
I actually ended up with my own little bit of the Stour, a dream come true,.. but just enjoy having all my favourite old Avon and Stour waters on my doorstep whilst still having the opportunity to change tack and either fish Christchurch harbour or the Purbeck rocks , not forgetting Chesil beach and Portland.
I ought to mention Frome, Itching and Test of course!
The river fishing is harder now than when I first started making the pilgrimage down here, but that has been offset by the amount of time I can now put into finding fish and being able to go for them when conditions are favourable.
Compared to my previous local rivers which have sadly deteriorated during the past 20 years, my catch rate has gone through the roof. One could argue I guess that if I could have put the hours of observation in on my old river's things may have been better, but it was always work and the M25.
I've caught 17 doubles , including a couple of repeat captures plus two 7lb plus chub so far this season,.. that would have amounted to 4 seasons worth on my old rivers and I probably wouldn't have topped a 7ib chub either.
It's not all about the fishing though, ... it's the change of pace and the challenge of a new chapter in one's life I think.
Leaving old friends and fishing buddies behind and making new ones,... missing the Sunday lunchtime pub get together and putting the world to rights etc etc. were all hard,.. not forgetting my beloved Koi as well.
A bonus is being able to get involved in a bit of river management and putting something back, whilst learning something new each week.
The down'er is there's too many shops in Bournemouth which my other half appreciates too much on occasions,... but that's the trade off!!
The traffic is as bad here as the old place as well!
We got a lot more for our money here compared to Surrey property prices, so that was a plus.
I love Herefordshire and all the same points apply I think. Having spent a few fishing holidays there plus a recent stay with our own Mr Elliot, I couldn't argue against settling down close to all those great venues in beautiful surroundings.
For me, it was purely romanticising on my love of clearwater barbel fishing , ... having plenty of options, and importantly resettling where my wife also wanted to live.
I still feel extremely fortunate to have had the chance to go for it, and am eternally grateful for the encouragement I received from guys on bfw.
Wherever you end up Mark, I wish you well.
Click to expand...
What an amazingly honest and heartwarming account. Touched a few heartstrings there Dave
 
Come to North Yorkshire . In terms of river angling opportunities it ticks all the boxes , excellent coarse fishing rivers [ Ouse , Ure , Swale , Nidd , Wharfe etc ] which offer good sport with all the main species + excellent game fishing if that's your bag . The cost of the various tickets is a fraction of 'down sarf' prices plus the rivers are not subject to huge angling pressure . Perhaps the biggest attraction is the glorious scenery and historical sites + of course the wonderful Yorkshire folk ,there not all as daft as Geoffrey Boycott :)
 
Mark - i also moved to Herefordshire about 21 months ago from Oxfordshire. What is interesting is that this is one of the most sparsely populated counties in England (180,000) and is dominated by Hereford (60000). It also has one of the highest 'older' populations with c24% who are 65+ yet it does not have the services to support this age profile; extended families seem to pick up the slack. 94% of the county is rural which is reflected in the road network - there are also only 4 railway stations and a very limited bus service. There is not that much high paid work and rural poverty is evident. For many locals house prices are seen as high - but are not for those of us who lived in the SE, in fact the opposite. The guy we bought from has had to move to France as the house was his pension and there are fewer rural places that are cheaper other than mid-Wales.

I live within a 10 minutes push bike ride of Ross but can, and often do, go for days on end and not see anyone (this can include fishing - i had a mile of the Wye to myself today) - isolated but not remote is typical of many houses in the countryside. But when you do meet people they will pleasantly pass the time of day with you and everyone (so far) seems incredibly friendly and helpful.

As for the environment the Forest of Dean, Wye Valley and Black Mountains are great. The fishing - well we have the Wye (you have to work at it to find variety) plus a few smaller rivers controlled mainly by W&U otherwise it is on the M50 to the Midlands and no where near as much still water as you might have thought - there is not a Redmire in every valley or even a half decent tench pond!!

We had a checklist of key requirements but did not put local pub high enough up the list - they are few are far between outside of the towns.

So like all places it has its pluses and minuses - if i am honest we did not spend enough time here before moving and only saw the space, stunning landscapes and value for money re housing - it is not until you live somewhere do you really know what it is like. All that said, move back to Oxfordshire - no thanks.
 
Good post Paul.
The draw factor of peace and quite was always significant for me, and my original choice target home down here was indeed remotely tucked away on the edge of the New Forrest but very close to my favourite Avon venue.
After spending a lifetime in noisy factories and living under the Gatwick flight path the appeal was immense.
It was my wife who pointed out that although it was a lovely location would lt still be so for us when we too decrepit to drive to the amenities?
I reluctantly had to concede that she had a point,... 20 years earlier and it would have been perfect.
What happened next,?.. we ended up under the Bournemouth flight path !!
Lots of local shops and pubs, a rural veiw plus the river at the bottom of the garden balanced the trade off,... but when visiting near Ross recently that serene peaceful quite still had a massive appeal for me and I was envious of it.
 
Mike Hodgkiss said:
Come to North Yorkshire . In terms of river angling opportunities it ticks all the boxes , excellent coarse fishing rivers [ Ouse , Ure , Swale , Nidd , Wharfe etc ] which offer good sport with all the main species + excellent game fishing if that's your bag . The cost of the various tickets is a fraction of 'down sarf' prices plus the rivers are not subject to huge angling pressure . Perhaps the biggest attraction is the glorious scenery and historical sites + of course the wonderful Yorkshire folk ,there not all as daft as Geoffrey Boycott :)
Click to expand...

Aye, mid-50's now and too late to start paying into a pension fund, can't see meself ever being in a financial poistion to retire before ill health forces it but could see meself getting out of Leeds when in my sixties to somewhere in N. Yorks with good transport connections, say the likes of Thirsk or N. Allerton way.
 
Dave, the Frome, Itchen and Test,those other 3 tempting teasers you got me hook line and sinker there. And then the last envious line of yours for the Welsh border threw it all back up in the air.The remote cottage was the idea i was thinking of but now realise the issues as you get older.Paul your thoughts on remote areas and amenities have also made me think.Were any of the Herefordshire recent movers thinking about Dorset or Hampshire?.Many good answers and reasoning so far thanks friends for all your replies/cracking posts. In my mind i probably know which way to look, over the last few seasons i have really loved my Chalkstream Roach fishing.
 
Well some really honest answers there.

I love Herefordshire and not forgetting the ease to pop to the Severn and underated Warks Avon. Some stunning sections of river available with 2lb roach and 6lb plus chub and barbel of HA size.

The Wye can get too easy, can I say boring....if you only think barbel. However...good perch, fair chub, good roach toward Hereford and of course fantastic grayling up river.

Also not only are the houses cheap, so are many of the fishing clubs. Oap rates for my WA ...£25. For the Severn £15.
That's a season.

I certainly envy the beauty of the HA and Dorset river areas..but my God. Traffic a nightmare with more speed cameras in a couple of miles than in the whole of Herefordshire.

Yes, coming from the Smoke or busy parts of the country is quite a change, and takes getting used to for some. But.
It's a beautiful county where people chat to you, wave as they pass on some of the tight rural roads.

I love my fishing trips around the Country, with Dorset being the best. But here I live while I do.
 
Ps. And not forgetting huge proper river Pike and Salmon:D

One thing thats important to me is that most people visiting obviously think BARBEL when you live here and have had your fill its amazing the other pretty untapped other species available.

The lakes/ponds around are generally full of carp, but change tactics and 2lb plus roach and rudd and perch (so far best 3.11) are there.

Out of town there are some good eateries and pubs. Town ones are usually a but market town cider rough:rolleyes:
But as Jane and I have totalled 37 different places to eat since we moved here, we have found some gems.

Lots of sightseeing places as well.
 
Mark - cannot say we considered Dorset/Hamps as we wanted some land and have about an acre with a fairly large house which cost more or less the same as a 3 bed terrace in Oxon. Also i think the house prices down towards the Jurassic coast are higher than they are here and add traffic etc plus my better half's obsession with dog agility and it was a no no as far as we were concerned.

We had some friends from South Devon up for lunch today near Monmouth (a very nice town, where people dress up to go shopping al la Henley) and they commented how quiet and beautiful it is around here.

I suppose it also depends on what you really want from your fishing on a regular basis. After years spent on the Thames it is nice to catch on a regular basis. But I am not sure i will ever figure out the Wye as it changes so quickly being a spate river, which is frustrating to a degree but i am already starting to move away from the 'chuck out a feeder' approach with varying degrees of success. Like Graham says it is not just about barbel - I suspect there are some very big chub but finding them is not easy. In time i may even try fishing for salmon...and looking forward to float fishing for grayling this autumn on a tiny river which will require wading more than likely with no one else on the stretch.

We have moved here before we are 60 and so should add this will not be our last move - the village/town bungalow calls in about 15-20 years health willing.
 
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