Entrepreneur reels in opportunity with acquisition of fly fishing destination

One of the Black Country’s most popular and best stocked fly-fishing destinations has been acquired.

Darren Norris, owner of estate management firm STB Lettings and expert metal polishers STB Polishing, has added Foxhills Fishery in Walsall to his portfolio, with the support of a seven-figure term loan from Lloyds Bank.

The acquisition opportunity arose after its previous owners took the decision to retire following more than 30 years in charge of the business.

The loan will also support investment in existing facilities at the 22-acre site on Pinfold Lane. This includes making the lakes more accessible to visitors by installing new disabled-friendly and child-friendly pegs and improving the pathways that lead to the lakes.

Foxhills Fishery comprises three fishing lakes, which have been completely restocked with new fish, including ten carp weighing more than 19 pounds.

Norris is also looking to install new match-fishing lakes as the fishery looks to host tournaments for professional anglers.

Looking ahead, the business has additional growth ambitions, with plans to maximise the potential of the site by constructing new cabins to accommodate overnight visitors, increasing appeal to recreational and competitive visitors.

As part of this growth, Foxhills Fishery is looking to take on more staff in the months ahead as fishing enthusiasts make the most of the easing of restrictions on outdoor sport.

Norris said: “Fishing has always been a passion of mine, and when the opportunity to purchase Foxhills Fishery presented itself it was too good to pass up. There’s huge potential for the site to become a leading fishing destination for angling enthusiasts from all over the UK, and we have an exciting vision for how we can make this happen.

“The deal wouldn’t have been possible without the support from Lloyds Bank. They have provided assistance for both of my other business ventures and their help was invaluable, so it was an easy decision to reach out to them again for this project. Their expertise and guidance made a big difference in completing the transaction and helped to ensure everything went smoothly.”

Noshad Khowaja, relationship manager at Lloyds Bank, said: “Foxhills Fishery is a well-established and popular fishing destination in the area and its clear Darren’s enthusiasm and ambition will help to make it an even more of a ‘go to’  attraction as the summer approaches.

“We have a long-term relationship with Darren and we will remain by his side as he embarks on this new venture. We are committed to supporting entrepreneurs across the West Midlands in the future as part of our ongoing commitment to helping Britain prosper.”