Bad Start. Great Finish!

White Acres Garbolino Winter Fest 2024

Day 1
Twin Oaks, peg 30
13lb
Section 5th

All I could catch for four and a half hours were tiny roach, plus a bonus perch and a single carassio. With 25 minutes to go I’ve finally hooked something decent on corn. Sadly it was a non-counting 3lb carp. I’ve then had two very late F1s before the whistle to weigh 13lb for 5th in the eight-peg section. The two poor souls to my left never saw an F1 all day. Steve Sanders to my right had two big perch and three very late F1s for 16lb. It then got steadily better that way, with a 31lb and a 40lb, then Martin Holmes winning with a well fished 56lb off peg 24. Corn dominated the lake as you couldn’t get through the roach with anything else. Could’ve gained one more point but don’t think any higher was possible on the day, so not the best of starts…

Day 2
Trelawney, peg 8
45lb 6oz
Section 2nd, Lake 3rd

Strangely couldn’t get a bite on corn, yet Stephane Baulin and Scott Puddy either side were catching on it early doors. I had to swap to maggots and finally caught a few F1s and carassio at 16m. One nice blondie and more roach at 13m, then snared three useful fish down the side on maggot and caster over a bit of groundbait. Spent way too long trying to catch another while watching Scott emptying it on his short line in the last 90 minutes. My short line was just roach after roach, but I eventually replumbed a new swim and managed five nice F1s short in the last 40 minutes. Once they arrived it was proper old school short-pole maggot clunking. Scott fished a very tidy match and won the section with 52lb and I got 2nd in section and 3rd on the lake with 45lb. Nice day’s fishing.

Day 3
Acorn, peg 9
79lb 12oz
Section 1st, Lake 1st

My favourite lake, but a weird start as five minutes before the all-in I was feeding sweetcorn to a friendly squirrel. When the match started he still hadn’t left me alone and was now on my sidetray! I tried to shoo him away but he was having none of it. I was starting to get concerned before finally realising he was fixated on my apple. I threw it behind me and he scurried off with it, never to be seen again!

Must’ve been a lucky squirrel as I’ve had a really simple and enjoyable match, just tapping in maggots at 14.5m and catching lots of chunky F1s for a lake-winning 79lb. Could’ve been more but had 12 big carp on too and they mess the swim up a bit. Still a fabulous day, even without an apple to eat.

Day 4
Jennys, peg 42
23lb 8oz
Section 1st, Lake 3rd

I was disappointed to be on the lodge bank of Jennys as it had been unusually grim down this channel all week. I’d got 3.5ft at 6m and no more than 3ft anywhere else so a very simple couple of rigs did the lot. I fed maggots at 6m, worm, caster and dead mags in groundbait at 13m and prayed I could hold a pole at 16m, but the wind totally ruled that out after 10 minutes. I had a beautiful non-counting ghost carp in that time.

Even fishing 13m was a massive struggle, but I’d made myself a special front pole support and would not have been able to fish without it. A few roach were all I could muster but the wind was so bad I could only fish 6m for the next hour and it was towing like the clappers. Eventually caught five hand-sized skimmers plus some roach. Jennys is infested with tiny roach and they’re hard work if the F1s aren’t feeding.

Things just weren’t happening so I potted in a ball of chopped worm at 13m and managed two carassio on maggot over the top, then a bonus 2lb F1 on worm. I fired up a second worm swim and battled away on these for the remainder of the match. Hard work in the wind but managed a few more F1s and a 1lb perch.

I felt I’d done all I could in the conditions and was over the moon to win the section with 23lb 8oz, which was also 3rd on the lake. Not a huge weight but awful weather and my best performance of the week.

Day 5
Pollawyn, peg 28
75lb 10oz
Section 1st, Lake 1st

Peg 28 on Pollawyn on the High Bank. This area had been low weights and patchy all week, but I had a feeling the strong winds might stir them up and that’s definitely happened. After an hour or two of roach and little skimmers the big old F1s and blondies have rucked up and I’ve won the lake with 75lb. Caught on maggots and corn short. I must say a huge thanks to my lodge mate Russ Grimes as his advice in the morning was invaluable. It bucketed down the last two hours, but what a match to end the festival with!

Result

The best four from five results count on this festival and four of us were all tied on 31 points. I ended up 4th overall and got a nice £600 envelope for my efforts. Very pleased with that, especially after such a tough first day.

A very big well done to Craig Edmunds winning, Andy Power 2nd and Cam Hughes 3rd. Also thanks to Clint Elliott and his fishery team for looking after us all and Garbolino for sponsoring the event. Once again thanks to Russ for being such a great lodge mate, chauffeur and snack supplier.

The weather was all over the place all week, starting with cold clear water and flat calm conditions, but ending with strong winds and rainstorms the last two days. It’s unusual to see it fish better on the final day, but the wind really spurred the fish into having a chew and there were big weights on all of the lakes.

Bait has been mostly maggots, but casters, worm and corn also played a part. Groundbait was Sonubaits F1, Supercrush Expander and Thatchers. Tacklewise I’ve used my MTX5 pole all week with standard long kits and elastic from a No6 to 10-12 Slik on the last day, but 8-10 Slik seeing the most use. Floats were mostly Matrix F1 Slims in 0.15g to 0.4g on the calm days, Finesse Carbons on deeper pegs and an extra stable 0.5g F1 Slim Wire on the last day.

Nice to be back home safe and sound with the family today.