Charles Jardine introduces Danni and Phil Axell at Brick Farm Lakes, East Sussex
I am thrilled …and that is not me just typing something…I truly mean…DELIGHTED… to welcome our newest Ambassadors to Fishing for Schools…a couple who not only make a considerable difference to the angling community, run one of the finest trout fisheries in the southeast – if not further – but whose kindness and sheer humanity makes them both very special indeed.
Visit them, and you will see what I mean.
We have some inspirational ambassadors on our team and Danni and Phil are absolutely perfect to be part of what we are all trying to achieve.
Thank you both for joining us.
In their words……
For Phil, having grown up running a coarse fishery with his parents angling has always been a passion. Along with his course fishing he had regular overnight fishing trips and annual visits to France, so fishing really shaped him as a youngster and led to even his stag do being based solely around catfish in Spain!
I on the other hand didn’t so much get into angling, but it got into me. It became an inevitable part of my life when I met Phil and was a fantastic escape from the stresses of a career in a legal office. Weekends as a young couple were not spent out drinking but instead, we often pitched a bivvy and enjoyed the peace, or spent weekends watching and helping families at the coarse fishery. After having two children ourselves Brick Farm Lakes came at the perfect time – I was looking at going back to work and Phil’s health as a ceramic tiler was deteriorating due to a degenerative arthritis. Having seen the fishery lease was becoming available it was a no brainer, and thanks to support from Phil’s parents our new dream became a reality. With the ongoing support from both sets of parents angling sits at the core of our lives.
For me, this is the perfect place to bring up our children and I love seeing people getting into the sport and displaying the passion for it that we have. Phil has thrown himself into fly fishing and all running a fly fishery brings with it - from joining a local team and partaking in small competitions to gaining his level 2 Angling Trust Coaching Qualification. Fly fishing can be tricky to do if you’re new to it but by having Phil able to advise people we hope to really get them hooked.
We have plans for junior fishing areas at with ongoing family sessions too. The coarse fishery has always been a fantastic place for youngsters in particular and we have both always encouraged fishing from a young age – it gets kids away from the computer and into the outdoors, which has no disadvantages in our eyes. It also encourages respect for the environment and for fish – we have seen children with low concentration levels become immersed in watching a float and waiting for the nibble of a fish, and the pure joy when they catch one is something every child should be able to experience. We were thrilled to be asked to be F4S ambassadors because getting youngsters fishing and enjoying the great outdoors is something we are both passionate about – fishing is a hobby that will stay with them forever.
All the best,
Danni & Phil, Brick Farm Lakes