Border Counties Advertizer - Fishermen dare to tread on 'Dead Man's Island'

Fishermen dare to tread on 'Dead Man's Island'

Published date: 07 February 2012 |

Published by: Robert Doman

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THE chairman of the Ellesmere Angling Society has said that efforts to restore the mysterious and colloquially named Dead Man’s Island to its original state, could help revive opportunities for local fishermen.

Situated near to the mere’s north west shore, its proper name is that of Neddy Jebb’s Island after the man who created it with earth removed, mostly at night, from the clean up of the cemetery and construction of a new entrance to the vicarage more than 100 years ago.

Legend has it that skulls and skeletons are therefore embedded in the island’s soil, but Angling Society Chairman, Alan Bellingham, maintains that the work currently being undertaken to renew the mere’s fishing piers will also include efforts to re-dig the trench that separated it from the mereside after part of it fell away to create a silt bank which has since joined the two.

“We have had to replace the original fishing pegs in the Cremorne Gardens area which have been in place for around 10 years or so,” Alan said.
“Due to the dropping water level and their age they have slowly become unsuitable, so we are working with the Mere Management Programme and Shropshire Council to restore both them and Dead Man’s Island.
“Hopefully the new fishing pegs will make life better for anglers and we are also hoping to make one of them suitable for use by people with disabilities,” he added.

Alan also said that a new fishing peg could also be constructed on the island itself after contractors move in to dig away the co-joining bank and return it to isolation.

That work is set to take place later this month, and Alan said the angling club is funding the project, totalling £5,000, which it says will also benefit the annual Heronwatch initiative as well as the efforts to maintain the much-visited beauty spot by Friends of the Mere.

via bordercountiesadvertizer.co.uk

THE DAILY CATCH http://fishingnews.posterous.com/border-counties-advertizer-fishermen-dare-to Fishermen dare to tread on 'Dead Man's Island' Published date: 07 February 2012 | Published by: Robert Doman   THE chairman of the Ellesmere Angling Society has said that efforts to restore the mysterious and colloquially named Dead Man’s Island to its original state, could help revive opportunities ...