About us
The Team
Where we are now, and how we got here is a long story, so cutting it short, Ian and Shelley Riddell, the owners of Bessy Beck Trout Fishery, originally come from very different backgrounds, Ian was born in the North, Haltwhistle and Shelley was born in the South, Essex.
Ian was born into a family of fishermen and has been fishing all his life, mainly in the North on the river Tyne, the Eden and the Border Esk. Ian is now qualified to instruct fly fishing, putting into practice all his years (well over 40) of fishing. Josh their son who is now 18 and attending Rodbaston college at Stafford doing a Fisheries Management course, has been a keen fisherman since the age of 5 when he caught his first trout on a fly.
Shelley, who has a background of sales and marketing in the shipping industry, shares the love of fishing and is currently training to become an instructor. Much of her time is spent preparing fish to go to the farmers markets and the farm shop. David Davies joined the team at Bessy Beck in July 2005 bringing with him a lifetime of angling knowledge and building expertise, he has recently qualified as a Level one coaching assistant.
For Ian, Shelley, Josh and David, the secret of their happiness and success – whether its passing on their years of fishing experience to other anglers or cooking up new recipes for their trout- its simple - the love of fish and fishing.
Bessy Beck was featured in Cumbria Life in September 2007 - download article (pdf).
About Bessy Beck
The lakes and fish farm are fed by water from the Bessy Beck, a small stream that rises on the nearby Howgills, and is the source of the River Lune.
The site of the lakes and fish farm is next to the village of Newbiggin-on-Lune and was originally a boggy field which was excavated and formed by Simon Norman–Ballantyne over a period of 20 years. Bessy Beck was taken over in 2003 by Ian and Shelley who have developed the site to include a fisherman’s lodge, a tackle shop, a farm shop and made the fishery one of the best in the North West.
According to local legend, the stream takes its name from Elizabeth Gaunt, a local woman who was burnt at the stake on October 23, 1685 after giving shelter to a man on the run. Elizabeth, who lived at Newbiggin-on-Lune used the stream for washing and drinking water, was found guilty of treason for harbouring James Burton who was wanted by the Government for his part in an abandoned plot to assassinate King Charles 11. In a cruel twist of fate, James Burton, although found guilty of the crime, gave evidence against Elizabeth so that he would be granted immunity against prosecution. He received a pardon and Elizabeth was burned alive for her charity. Directly after her death, it was said a huge storm erupted over England, believed to be a sign of Gods anger at the burning of an innocent woman. For Shelley, the tale is especially poignant as the man who tried Elizabeth, the infamous Judge Jefferies, is a distant relative.
