Lindholm Festival

I racked up the miles last week with a trip to Yorkshire and a festival at the fishtastic Garbolino Lindholme complex, it was a brilliant weeks fishing with some great company. I was treated to some good northern hospitality, the like I have never experienced before from venue owners Neil and Beverley Grantham, their motto seems to be ‘Nothing, is too much trouble’ As I write I still find it hard to believe how much these two do for their anglers. My experience started shortly after my arrival with a quick tour of the complex accompanied by Neil. Later I was about to explore the lakes on my own, I was called back to my rented home for the week to be told that Bev had prepared dinner for me as I had a long journey and must be hungry, This was in addition to the free beer that was in the fridge to help it down, their generosity did not stop there!

Can you believe that Neil and Bev assisted by Polly and Amy provided dinner for all the festival anglers after each days fishing free of charge! And they were good meals as well, comprising of meat and vegetables and trimmings. This was topped off with a superb Seafood platter comprising of half a lobster and crab on Friday night. The great thing about this was it kept all the anglers together and made for a great atmosphere for the whole week.

Day 1 – Bonsai

It was soon Monday morning and the start of the festival, we were all rotating around the complex on a daily basis with a random draw every day to decide which 9 peg section you were in. I was just hoping that I could avoid some of the cream of British match fishing that were in attendance which included two former world champions! My first dip into the bag of dreams gave me 89 on Bonsai and when I got to my peg I wished that I had a couple of hours to set up as there was so much that could be done! For a start I had the point of two islands along with a good looking edge and some nice open water! I had taken some advice and that was pick a couple of methods and stick to them trying to make them work. This seemed solid advice to me as I could have disappeared somewhere very dark if I tried to cover everything on this peg!

Simple seems best

I decided on the method to the island points and pole lines at 5m and 13m my rigs for the week comprised mainly of 4 x 8 to 4 x 14 J8T floats as they have a nice hollow tip and a good wire stem as the venue suffers from the wind, these floats were going to give me some stability if it got choppy. I also had some J13 dibbers for up in the water and fishing tight to any islands that I drew next to. They were all made up on the brilliant new Cralusso line to the same hook length in .12 diameter to size 16’s T213 hooks and PR36 with micro bands. Bait was meat, and as a back up I had more meat! I did have a good supply of fishery pellets and some corn if I felt I needed anything else.

The peg had a nice uniform depth which was great as it cut down the number of rigs that I needed. I just finished my edge rig when a double blast from a shotgun heralded the start of the festival. I picked up my method and cast to the corner of the island, disappointingly there were no immediate bites. I noticed Steve Rothery opposite me catching on the straight lead. That was immediately stored in the memory banks as it soon dawned on me that the fish were not responding properly to the method.  There is nothing like local knowledge, I had no illusions that this week was going to be easy but I was intent on learning and more to the point enjoying my weeks fishing. I gave it around 30 minutes for one very small carp and I was then out on the 5m line that I had primed with a few dampened micros and some 6mm meat.

That’s better

This was where my match started as I was soon into F1’s, skimmers the odd tench and some small carp it was really enjoyable fishing, just topping the swim up with meat through the toss pot. I had been pinging pellets out onto my longer line and there was the odd vortex and I had the impression it was solid on the shallow line. Before long I couldn’t resist the urge to get amongst them. A 2lb F1 first go shallow gave me the wrong impression as I stayed on that line for around 30 minutes with only a chub to show for my efforts so I was back on the 5m line. A few more fish before a lull in action made me feed another line at an angle and a go down the edge. I had some nice fish from that line including barbel which went around  5lb, a fish that I am not used to catching but wish there were more in our local waters as they are terrific to catch.  I just alternated my new line with the edge until the end of the match. Neil soon arrived to weigh in and I was pleased to learn that I had broken the ton with my first visit to Bonsai recording 101lb but I was not so pleased to learn that I had come 6^th in section! Can you believe there were 5 other ton plus weights in my section including three around 102lb a 104lb and Tim Moran with 130lb lake winner. Oh man that spell on the method and too long chasing dreams up in the water had cost me but mustn’t grumble, it had been a cracking match!

Day two Laurels

Tuesday saw the sections move on to 18 pegs on Laurels and nine pegs on Willows and I was hoping for a peg on Willows as it was all about catching around a ton of stockies, I figured it would be similar to my fishing back home and would be easier for me to work out. Well I drew 33 on Laurels instead and what a fantastic looking peg this was. I was on a point of an island with two idyllic looking edge pegs I was just hoping the unseasonal frost we had experienced wasn’t going to effect sport. I assembled pole rigs to fish at 5m and 14.5m to fish on the deck and up in the water. Plus two edge rigs as unfortunately each side of the point was different depths.

There were fish topping everywhere so after feeding some meat by pole cup I was up in the water looking for some early action. I didn’t have to wait too long as a nice F1 opened my daily account but after that fish there was no more bites for 30 minutes or so. It seemed like the fish were backing away from the pole. The deck rigs were also very slow and it seemed all the bites were from liners as I lost several. This actually caused me to set another rig up and fish 12 inches of bottom, I was convinced in my mind that it would work but it wasn’t the answer. I had been feeding the edges for 2 ½ hours and it was now time to give them a go. A couple of missed bites signalled some more attention and the next drop resulted in a barbel of 4oz! There was nothing else happening for me so I decided to fish for them for awhile.

In again with meat resulted in a positive bite and yards of black J range elastic shooting out of the pole as a large fish decided on doing an ‘Harpic’ As it went clean around the bend! All I could do was hang on and hope my line didn’t break. It was .14 Cralusso and was up to the task as the fish turned and was soon in he net and at around 10lb it was very welcome. Another ten of those would make me more than happy! I had been feeding whilst playing the carp and hoped for another straight away, nothing for 5 minutes so I tried the left side edge. An immediate bite saw me with another ‘top two challenge’ as the angle I was holding the pole at just didn’t let me get anymore sections on, it was s a large common that was trying to beat me up! A few minutes later number two was in the net, another eight required!

Alternating between both edges and my 5m line saw me get the other eight but three of them were much smaller samples and I finished the match with around 78lb for third in section. The winner was my boyhood angling hero John Allerton with over a ton. I must say it was a pleasure to meet John this week, he is without doubt one of the sports true gentlemen and an absolutely brilliant angler. Second in section was Della with 87lb.  I felt with a little more knowledge; I could have like the previous day nicked another point or two.

Day 3 Beeches

Wednesday saw us split between Beeches and Strip I was dreading a couple of pegs on Beeches as I just didn’t have the tackle with me to take on some of the swims that had ‘stick ups’ I pulled out peg 16 on Beeches and my first question to Bev was as she recorded my draw was ‘any reeds’? I was pleased when she told me it was a good peg under a willow tree in a bay. I drove around the lake and found my peg. It did look the part, this is a natural lake that is very mature and really looked the part I couldn’t wait to get started. I had a phone call from Paul Cannon and he confirmed what Matt Pillay had told me. Straight lead, waggler and edge swim to my right at 4m. The swim actually told you what to do, so I did what I was told! I did set up a long pole line as I felt I wanted to ‘dump some bait’ somewhere out of the way just in case.

Starting on the straight lead at about 25m I had a bite first cast on an 8mm pellet it was a small carp of just over a pound. It was followed by another next put in which annoyingly came of at the net just as I was about to scoop it. I think I had around 6 or 7 from the nursery in that first hour and as I could see most of my section I knew I was there or there abouts. It actually kept me on the tip and I let some of the others try the pole and waggler, if they caught, I should also so I just kept topping the lines up. I also fed the margin but I had no intention of trying it until the last two hours when I hoped it would be solid!

Margin time

I kept nicking the odd small carp and also losing a few which unfortunately happens sometimes with those smaller fish and for me they always seem to come off at the net. There were however a lot of blank spells, I think that the cold nights and frosts were having an effect on the lakes. At 3pm I put a bit of meat on and tried the margin I was expecting a bite and wasn’t disappointed but I was a tad miffed when a 10oz perch immediately surfaced! Ten more minutes were spent on the pole before I topped up a bit more and went back on the tip for another 30 minute spell which produced a couple more small samples. Back on the pole and I had a result with a four pounder but I only managed one more plus a small Tench which was not what the doctor ordered.

I finished the match with around 20 carp which went 46lb for third in section beaten by Tim Moran and Tommy Pickering who won the section with a dozen carp and a couple of F1’s which went 71lb. It was his birthday so it was fitting! Later after dinner Neil and Bev presented him and the other birthday boy Sean Cameron with birthday cake and cards, again another nice gesture by our more than generous hosts.

Day 4 Oasis

Thursday saw the whole section on Oasis a match I was looking forward to but one I was worried about as I do not have that much experience of snake lakes. I also drew 41 which was the next peg to Tim Moran who is a regular at Sessay and very used to snakes. I have actually fished this lake once previously a couple of years ago in the Fishing4Fun festival, on that day Rob Hitchin joined me and showed me how a paste attack worked so that was in my armoury with Yellow Toffee ground bait made into a paste.

I fed a few micros and a bit of meat on a short line of top two plus two sections at an angle and then went to the far bank with meat on the hook feeding by toss pot. I had a good start getting a couple of carp and some F1’s some with old fashioned bites as well, ripping the elastic out of the pole! Unfortunately the bites seemed to dry up for me after 40 minutes or so and I must admit to persevering a little too long on that line. Moving onto the short line with meat produced a couple of small barbel; they give a good account for themselves but its a little disappointing when a 4oz fish appears at the net! I then had a reasonable F1 on the meat and as I unhooked it, I noticed a piece of corn in its mouth. I had been feeding the odd grain so tried it on the hook; I had a nice run on the yellow pellet before it again slowed. Trying the paste next resulted in a few better fish but not the real lumps  I expected.

I was having doubts about my performance and was thinking that I was getting really well beaten both sides and by everyone else for that matter and I think this made me stay with the paste rather than trying something else. I eventually went back on the long line tight over and it was solid again and I finished the match on a high but all too soon it was over. I actually weighed 54lb and was beaten either side by weights just under 60lb, I finished sixth and know I could have finished much higher. Oh man I must try harder!

Day 5 Bonsai

The week had zoomed by and it was the last day and we were all back on Bonsai I was really keen to have another go at this lake. My peg number has gone completely out of my head but it was directly behind where I was on Monday! Asking for advice after I drew resulted in a few shrugs and I was told it was not one of the better ones. I had an island opposite me but it was just out of reach of the strict 16m pole limit and that with a very strong wind blowing right to left made me not really want to struggle there. I have a philosophy which I try to follow and that is it is better to be able to present bait well in the wrong area rather than poorly in the right area. So that is what I did mainly fishing at 5m with meat. I did start on the straight lead but Craig Elkin to my left was catching on the pole and as I didn’t get an immediate response I was out on the pole. To be honest I had a nice match catching for most of the day on and off. I did have to start a couple of more lines as each faded, feeding each as I needed to. I finished with around 80lb for another 6^th in section. I beat Oliver Scotthorne ‘son of Five times’ to my right but Craig had a ton to my left, it got better to his left and on those pegs behind us.

I finished the festival with 18 points which left me in the middle of the field but I was not at all disappointed on my first festival at this fantastic venue. Tim Moran finished the week as he started with a match win with around 130lb and this also sealed victory for him with 8 points. The other results were: 2^nd Steve Rothery 9 points (378lb 12oz) 3^rd John Kenning (378lb 7oz) 4^th Sean Cameron 10 points 393lb 5^th Chris Kendal 10 points (378lb)

Sshh Secret bait!

I would just like to thank my two house mates (who I met for the first time last week) for their fantastic company and help during the week, they were John ‘Magnum PI’ Clarke and Chris ‘The Hatman’ Kendal. I will never forget the Hatmans drive in trying to find the perfect secret bait, in fact he clocked up around a 150 miles in the week in his pursuit. All I can say Chris is don’t let anybody Muscle you from your quest, keep your ears cockled to the ground and don’t become a prawn in the match fishing world, your persistence paid off but I am sure my seafood platter was missing a few items on Friday night!

Finally thanks must go to Garbolino for sponsoring the event with some great prizes but the main thanks must go to our hosts for the week Neil and Bev, you provided the anglers with a week to remember, what a fantastic fishery you have. I thoroughly enjoyed my visit and enjoyed your company and enthusiasm. I wish you all the success for July festival as it will be absolutely brilliant, I wish I could be there but unfortunately cannot make it. Please, please put me down for next May though, I cannot wait!