By Joe | No Comments
Last updated: Monday, April 28, 2008

I’ve just returned from my second trip to White Acres and what an eventful one it has been! I was really looking forward to fishing the Dynamite Baits Festival as last year I felt I learnt an awful lot.

I was travelling down with Ben Fisk and also had the company of Lee Kerry in our caravan, both brilliant anglers and I was sure we’d do well between us. Also my good mate Andy Geldart was down with Wayne Nolan and Tony Biggins along with Dean Smith, Budgie and Stevo. Fishing4fun’s Tom Scholey was down as well, along with Adam Richards and his dad so there was a good tribe of us.

The 6 hour trek meant an early start so I was picking Fisky up at 4.45 to set off- Much to my surprise he was ready!!!!! This is a first!!!!! And we set off on the long haul, we met up with Lee for a breakfast at Bristol and we were all buzzing and couldn’t wait to get there.

Once we got onto the A30 Lee rang Ben up and said we should go to Morrisons for some food before going fishing and I duly shouted ‘balls to that im off fishing’ such was my excitement! A trip to Twin Oaks was in order for a spot of waggler fishing. Two hours and many carp later we could ‘then’ go to Morrisons!

After a pizza cooked perfectly by Lee we decided to go for a few beers and meet up with everyone and say hello to a few people we had met the year before. And after umpteen beers Fisky and Adam along with Tom decided to go to Newquay but I decided to stop in the pub and have an ‘early’ night. Managed to find some caravan with some beer in, and didn’t get to bed till about 3 so I probably would have been better going up town afterall!

Anyway we had decided to spend the Sunday at Bolingey to get our elastics right ready for some bagging! We absolutely emptied the place on everything we did and really enjoyed it. Another night of beers was in order, I was to be on Porth for the first day and didn’t know what to expect at all.

DAY 1

On the Monday morning of the first draw, Clint explained all the rules, and there was a real buzz as always about the place. I couldn’t wait as on paper Porth really should be my strongest venue but with it being on the first day everyone expected it to be hard. I drew peg 36, the same peg as I drew last year!!!! I was really pleased with this as I think it’s a very consistent area but I thought either 39 or 40 would beat me.

I felt it was going to be hard so took squatts pinkies maggots and casters along with a kilo of worms for the day. I mixed two mixes up aswell, for the pole I went for 1 ½ bags of lake to ½ a bag of secret and for the feeder I went for a 50/50 mix of Dynamite’s green Swim Stim and Cornish Bagging Mix.

I like the bagging mix as it has a few more particles than swim stim and as I knew id only spend an hour or so on the tip I like to leave a few particles in the swim incase I need to return to it.

I decided on a pole swim at 13m and one at 6m and set up an array of rigs just incase it turned into a scratching match. I set up rigs from 4×12 to 2gram but felt a 2grammer and a .8 would be my mostly used rigs on the day. I kicked off by feeding 6 balls on the pole line with very little feed in them and also cupped a full pot of worms and casters over the top, my plan was to feed small amounts of worms regularly and also loose feed to draw some fish in.

I then kicked off my match on the feeder, using a small Drennan feeder I decided to ease my way into the match instead of casting 10 ‘big uns’ out, and I was delighted to have a 3oz skimmer first chuck. I had 20 feeder fish in the first hour and felt it was going well, I could see Karl Webster two pegs away getting plenty of bites on the pole so I felt it was my turn.

First drop produced a small roach followed by another. With what I could see nobody was bagging and my target was 6lb so I felt I could catch this with these stamp of fish. And by regularly loose feeding casters and fishing a maggot on the hook I was catching really well.

I ended up fishing about 6 inch off the deck with the 2 gram float and was flying in the last hour, id heard on the grapevine peg 39 had a bream with plenty of small fish and the lad two to my right had caught a big perch so felt 3rd was a possibility. I ended up weighing 10lb 4oz and was really pleased with that as I felt id fished a really good match, unfortunately peg 39 had a 5lb bream to beat me into second, he weighed 12lb and took the lake win.

Driving back to white acres I was really pleased and it was to be my first White Acres pick up too!!!!! On arrival back to the caravan Lee had won his section on peg 12 on Match Lake, with Fisky taking a default section with 98lb from peg 28 on match lake.

Also, Adam Richards was second on his lake with 130lb from Twin Oaks peg 35 and even better news was Andy Geldart had won the lake at bollingey with 177lb, so the northern raiders had a right evening of pick ups. Also my good mate Matt Pillay had won the match on Match Lake so we had plenty of beer money for the night ahead!

Because I had done so much prep I didn’t need to do anything and I was really pleased I did because I was so relaxed down there and could just enjoy it!!!!

DAY 2

On day two I was to be at Cornish bagging mecca Bolingey!!!! Me and Tom were stood in the draw cue and promptly drew pegs 3 and 4- D’OH!!!!! I thought here we go back to the bad draws!!!!! Wayne Nolan had, had 30lb off it the day before and as I was sitting on my box thinking about what I was going to do Steve Ringer came past and said ‘oh im glad I haven’t drawn here, I once blanked here!!!!’ NICE.

At least I had Tom for company and thought we would have some good banter so all was not lost. I decided to fish at 15m with pellets and set up 6 rigs for this line all at different depths ranging from light 4×12s strung out rigs to fish through the water to mega shallow rigs and rigs with long lines for swinging out past the pole tip. I also fed a 5m meat swim and a edge swim.

I kicked off at 15m with a banded pellet in the deck and caught a carp while everyone else was still cupping in! Get ready I thought! Wrong- Me and Tom sat almost biteless till about 3.30 when all hell broke loose!

More or less everyone had given up on the long pole swim but I kept plodding on as I couldn’t see any other line really working at all and I had 3 carp at this point for about 12lb. Then I went out and had one a good 12lb, followed by one nearly 15lb!

Game on. I had 7 in 7 chucks and then the spell had finished, Tom followed but left it too late and only caught 2 before the spell ended. I knew karl Webster had bagged on the corner peg that won the section all week and I felt at least 2 others on the opposite side had beaten me.

Peg 1 weighed 20lb and I duly put 73lb on the scales with tom weighing 26lb. I ended up 2nd in section again and was dead chuffed off that peg. Lee managed 3rd in his section from Trelawney, with Fisky struggling also on Trelawney.

We decided a meal at the Port and Starboard fish and chip shop was in order, followed by a game of pool and a good chat to all the other anglers.

DAY 3

Day 3 I was to be at Pollawyn (match lake) and the conditions were perfect, I drew peg 36 up one of the arms and felt a day of skimmer fishing was in order. Now last year I drew peg 41 and there was plenty of small skimmers around so knew this was an option, last year I didn’t get my head down for them, but this year with a serious chance of a top ten finish, I felt the skimmers could hold the key to a much needed section win.

Bait for the day was to be three and a half units of 6mm hard pellets half a unit of 4 and 6mm expanders and 4 units of meat. I decided to fish to the island at 16m, at an angle at 13m with skimmers in mind and either side of me down the margins. At the all in I threw 12 pieces of meat to my left and right margins and cupped half a cup of softened 6mm pellets to the 13m line, then slipped a 6mm hard pellet on and went to the island with no feed I simply slapped the rig about 15 times and caught a carp immediately, I knew my target for carp for the match was 6-7 as that’s all that seem to live down these arms so the last thing I wanted to do was give them too many loose offerings,

I caught 3 across after an hour and everything went really quiet, all the time id been feeding 8 pellets onto my skimmer swim and felt I needed to get my head down for the middle hours of the match. I’d set up a 4×14 carpa chimp and a 4×18 carpa chimp up for the 6ft swim both with bulks and two droppers but in the end I fished a simple double bulk arrangement. I was into a skimmer first chuck, at about 3oz they weren’t massive but I was sure I’d catch a few better ones and maybe an odd carp as well. I literally had 2 hours of bagging on the skimmers and was really happy with my match, the bloke to my left had caught some carp early and I felt he was in front but wasn’t getting many bites and the lad to my right had about 8lb so I was doing ok.

With 90 minutes to go I finally hooked a carp on the skimmer swim and played it like a wuss on the light 0.10 hook length and white hydro elastic at 8lb it was a massive bonus and with an hour to go it really was game on. The carp definitely unsettled the skimmers and I had a really quiet spell and with 20 mins to go went down the left margin and instantly had a 6lb carp followed by a 4lber and then a 8lber.

They then shouted time and I felt id done as well as I could. I thought the lad to my left had pipped me as he too had a couple down the edge, luckily my 53lb won the section and I went back to the caravan a very pleased lad. Lee and Fisky had, had real gruellers at Gwinear so it looked as tho beers where on me!!!! Another night out till 2am ensued and a good night was had by all!!!! Although the offer from Kieron Rich to go to a Chas and Dave night was promptly turned down! People came from that changed people! Wayne Nolan fished the wrong peg the next day after a heavy night with them all!

DAY 4

After Wednesdays section win I was lying 4th and had a really good chance of a top ten if the draw bag was to be my friend for the next two days. I was to be on Trelawney and twin oaks and really fancied a day on twin oaks as its quickly establishing itself as a serious bag up water!!! I drew Trelawney peg 18 which is an out and out flyer GAME ON!!!!!!

My only concern was that Karl Webster was on peg 2 and carping legend Steve Ringer was on peg 8, and the stiff cross wind was sure to do my head in. I decided to fish pellets across and meat at 4m and the margins, I kicked off across in 2 foot of water and had a decent start but was foul hooking too many and after an hour the wind was horrendous, because I was cattying bait across I could see the carp following the bait across tight to the far bank and got a rig out set at 10 inches deep and went across and the laggy was soon pouring out of the pole!

I was getting a fish a cast but I was fishing into a gap in the sedges and for every fish I caught I spent even longer getting caught in the sedges!!!! I was so stupid and after an hour of swearing and being generally p***ed off!!!! I created a new swim further down the bank to a bare bank and within 5minutes the carp where there. Now the hour I wasted cost me a top 3 in the festival because I absolutely emptied it for the last 90 minutes, I knew id had a ton with my 50 fish but Steve Ringer also had 50 carp and I was very concerned, Steve fished a truly awesome match fishing 18m and flicking a rig across on a peg where the best weight all week was 50lb!!!! He weighed 145lb and I knew it would be close but I knew deep down I didn’t have enough, I weighed 135lb for another 2nd and was pleased and annoyed at the same time as I was on a definite section winning peg and id blown it!!!!

At the results id come 3rd in the match so picked up £110 for my troubles with Kerry Kirkwood having an awesome 200lb from Twin Oaks. I was a bit down that night and my frustrations where taken out on the bowling alley!!!!! I really wasn’t looking forward to Gwinear as even though I was now lying 3rd I knew I could quite easily end up outside of the top 10.

DAY 5

I was up at 6.30 on the final day, mainly because Jubby rang me at that time to wish me luck followed by Wanger and someone else also!!!! I was a bit nervous really as Gwinear is a bit feast or famine, and I was really hoping for a flier. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I drew peg 28, I nearly jumped out of my skin!!!! I decided to take 2 units of maggots and 3 units of casters along with 3 units of pellets.

A quick chat to Stewart Lister put me bang in the frame of mind as to what to do, a quick stop at McDonalds for a breakfast and I was there. Peg 28 is on the bridge and I’d heard andy may had 10 carp for 128lb the day before and was getting snapped on 0.28mm line!!! I decided to fish at 6m to the bridge, down the edge and also shallow at 11m to the bridge, rigs with Carpa Shelfs on 0.20 with red hydro and a Tubertini 175 hook. I fished a Garbolino DC5 down the edge and a carpa 1 in 4×14 for the 6m pellet swim.

I decided to fish casters shallow pellets at 6m and the edge with maggots. At the all in I simply threw 3 pellets at 6m, a handfull of maggots down the side and a few casters at 11m, and kicked off at 6m and within 10 seconds had landed my first fish!!!!

I had about 10 carp at 6m for 20lb in the first hour before it died. I decided to look shallow and with a bit of work slapping my rig and feeding had my first one shallow, for the next hour I caught steady it wasn’t easy but with perseverance caught fish eventually.

With 2 hours to go it went mental and I lost a few to the stantions on the bridge but was getting a carp within 20 second of putting the rig in and caught nice right to the end of the match. At the all out my phone didn’t stop ringing and I was sure I had a ton and after a chat with a few people nobody had anything like that. Fingers crossed time.

Steve ringer did awesome again with 80lb from peg 7, but the best weight up to me was on peg 25 with 98lb. I put 174lb on the scales and a few pats on the back later had won the match!!!! Id done all I could do and it was left up to the other anglers close to me to see what they could do.

Back at the caravan the rumour mill was working overtime, all the anglers around me had won there sections and I thought id be 8th or 9th, Adam Richards had told someone I had 3 wins and 2 seconds and Andy May caught wind and was a worried man lol even though I had 3 2nd’s and 2 1st’s!

Anyway another meal at the fish and chip restaurant was just what the doctor ordered and me and Adam couldn’t wait for a session on the Magners and were up in the bar for 8 with the results to be announced at 9. We had a good laugh with Matt Pillay and Tom, and I think we worked out id be 7th, I also had the match win to look forward to. So it proved and I was 7th in my second festival, I was really pleased and the only thing left to do was get wasted!!!

A few games of darts and night in the club was brilliant and as I was driving back didn’t want to be too late. Ah well, Matt and Nick Speed invited us all back for a few beers and some grub. Now any normal person has a burger, kebab or the usual rubbish you eat on a night out, not Speedy he was putting his chef status to good use and was cooking a pan full of mussels, I wasn’t so keen so stuck with the toast matt was doing. Anyway at 3.30 we thought it would be a good idea to go to bed, at least we weren’t in a rush in the morning and when we got up I was like a spring chicken, but Ben was definitely looking ropey and Matt and Nick where really rough, they just cant hack it these old ‘uns.

Instead of rushing we decided a full English at the café was in store and as we went down James Shoulder was just popping onto Pollawyn for a few hours and we couldn’t resist one last cast!!!!

Anyway a long but safe journy home and we landed back at about 5.30. After a brilliant week enjoyed by all we cant wait for next time! Lee also loved Friday basically because I filled his wallet up!!! We share at White Acres and last year I didn’t win a penny, but made up for it this year!!!! finally a big thanks to White Acres and Dynamite Baits for running a fantastic festival, it never ceases to amaze me how well these festivals are run and it really is a joy to be part of one!

Still ive got the Drennan All Winners final to look forward to next Saturday and we will be going all out to win it. Thanks for reading and tightlines!!!