THE crisis in agriculture has led one farming family to turn its attentions to fishing.

Tom Seymour's family has farmed in the Stokesley area for more than 50 years but, with BSE, foot-and-mouth and the strength of the pound he, like many other farmers, realised the need to diversify.

With angling the country's most popular participation sport, Mr Seymour, 32, came up with the idea seven years ago of creating fishing lakes on land at Dromonby Farm, at Kirby, near Stokesley.

Planning delays and the time needed to allow the lakes to get established have meant the scheme has only just come to fruition.

A grant from the Countryside Stewardship Scheme helped pay for digging and landscaping the three lakes, two of which are conservation lakes and one is for coarse fishing.

But he is not only attracting anglers; a pair of oyster catchers have already made themselves at home on one of the lakes, which is a breed the Seymours have never seen there before, as well as a variety of duck and geese.

Five hundred trees and shrubs, a hawthorn hedge and five acres of wild flower meadow have also been planted to ensure the lakes are not intruding on the landscape.

Two-thousand rudd, several hundred carp - some weighing up to 12lb - and 50 tench are available for anglers to catch, although they have to be released back into the water.

Luncheon meat and sweetcorn are the most popular baits, with the rudd also going for maggots.

So far the venture has been a success. "We've had some very happy fishermen so far," said Mr Seymour. "Half of them have been back again and we have been open only ten days, so that must be a good sign."

Having finally got the lakes open and functioning, Mr Seymour's father, John, explained why diversification could be a minefield for farmers, particularly in the planning stages.

"Planning is an issue for farming generally, but especially when farmers are looking to diversify either their land or buildings," he said. "Because of the change in production and rural economy, it does have huge implications for planners.

"They have been instructed by central government to look sympathetically, and more to the point, positively, to rural developments, creating a diverse, vibrant rural economy and yet, across the country at a local level, it is not translating into action.

"It is a real issue that farming is changing so quickly, and that inevitably means changes to the countryside and they don't have to be bad changes, it's just different."

The Seymours' farm used to be predominantly dairy, but now it has 500 beef finishing cattle and more than 500 sheep, with plans to diversify on the arable side of their business.

John Seymour said: "We think the future will be less based on food production, so we are looking at non-food uses for some crops as a diversification. We are particularly interested in the use of oilseed rape for producing bio-diesel."

The irony of new research being published this week, which suggests fish can feel pain, is not lost on Mr Seymour.

"Just this week, these scientists have been creating a panic in angling saying fish can feel pain - after BSE and everything else, it's ironic that we have just created something like this."

Nevertheless, Tom Seymour remains confident that the beauty of the surrounding Cleveland Hills and the quality of the fish will attract anglers and make the scheme a success.

"It's a lovely place to come and fish; it's near Stokesley and not too far from Middlesbrough, and reaction so far from the anglers seems to have been good," he said.

Anyone interested in fishing at Dromonby Farm Fishery should note that barbless hooks must be used and keepnets are not allowed. Day tickets are £6, from Carp Crazy tackle shop in Stokesley. For more information contact Tom Seymour on 07778 022619.