Silverfox Match Angling: Monday 08/05/2023 - 12/05/2023 - Whiteacres - Club Angler Festival - Twin Oaks, Python, Pollawyn and Trewaters

Primary reason for fishing this festival it to clear one more off my bucket list to fish a festival at Whiteacres, plus I had been invited by a very nice person. Shared a Lodged on Nelsons Field with Kev Winstone, Geoff Francis and Tony Ponting. Acceptable for our needs.

Arrived on Saturday morning at 07:30 for a 08:00 breakfast and a subsequent walk around the lakes with Geoff Francis, reliving past visits many moons ago. Sorted our kit for a practice session on Sunday then off to Newquay for a few beers and a Indian. Great view form the windows. Geoff checking his shares performance - not to be left out of showing food.

To be honest I knew little about the whole festival, fishing times, payout's etc...did read the many rules though. Understood the "method" was very popular. Looked at some of the FB posts from previous festivals but not much detail.

First lake for me Twin Oaks. Fished it previously before F1's were introduced, which was chosen for my practice. Sat on peg 33. Bait wise I had venue pellet Micro and fours, maggot, paste, one pint of casters borrowed from Kev, corn, hooker worms, expander and GB. Embarrassed now to say also Pinkies. I don't fish the method and never will as I'm a very busy angler and cant wait a minute for something to happen. Set up four rigs two Ronnie's, 4x14 winter and 0.3 gram paste. I didn't relised there were Motherless Minnows in the lake but soon found out abandoning Pinkie and maggot!! The upshot caught only on the short Ronnie rig with single caster, which was to prove for me the most successful rig and bait for the week. Got fed up catching Ronnie's and the odd carp so pack early and had a chat with a Methodist on peg 27 who hadn't caught much fishing tight over. Decided then and there to fish caster all week a with some GB.

What goes on at a festival at stays on the festival, a few Saturday night casualties I think.

Placed on Twin Oakes end peg 19. Was told it is sometimes good, but since the end bank collapsed it hasn't fished too well. Called an end peg, more like half-peg. Fished for 750 Ronnie's and second put-in hooked and played a 8 poundish carp for ages only for the hook to pull - bugger. Ended up with 41 lb 8 oz comprising 50/50 Ronnie's and carp for 3 points with 2 more left in the peg. This weight was to be the best highest in the festival from the peg.

Placed on Pollawyn peg 36. Proper end peg loads of what was to unusable space and empty platform due to the horrendous weather /gales. Although still had half pint of casters left borrowed another pint off Kev. Again short Ronnie rig throughout the match with single caster

over some GB and loose feed. I was swinging a decent Ronnie (why?) when the elastic broke, losing the lot. New rig and next put in a 5 lb carp was land - lucky, well not really that Ronnie would have gotten me some pools money! Weighed 40 lb 8 oz for 4 points which should have been five - hooked a decent carp for the line to snag a lump of petrified wood - pictured - snapping my rig line but landed it on a snagged shot! Umbrella blew into the lake, luckily the wind suddenly changed blowing it in to next doors peg - sorry Steve. Bin was full of dead brolly's after this match.

Placed on Python peg 29. Again my empty peg was up wind and it was blowing gale force but dry. Tightest pegging I've ever seen. Put my roost up and my top sets were almost touching Barry next door! Luckily he was understanding. John Smith told me it was a small fish affair - wrong, should have practiced this lake on the Saturday. Fished the same rig today again down wind with the added rig of a 03. gram Ryan Jordan Slim for the margin which would have been more suited for paste but didn't bring any. Catching some Skimmers and Ronnie's on caster when it went iffy missing bites galore. The penny didn't sink in until hooking a decent carp which bust me - bugger - times I have read the Ronnie's behaviour correctly and should have relised earlier and gone in with a bunch of DR's on the RJ which did sort a couple of carp. Finished with 25 lb 2 oz with another 15 oz wanted for a section win and a pick up. Wind burnt sore face even though facing down wind!

Last day and placed on Trewaters peg 22. Never seen the place before and was to learn a lot! Plenty of space which was good, but the weed was horrendous on both sides of the lake. Had to fish the long Ronnie rig due to the weed and a 0.4 gram RJ Slim at top set plus two. Caught a few silvers before the struggled started. Tim next door on peg 21 was emptying it on worm over caster at top set plus a barrel and half. I tried it, adding one Carassini. Decided a change was required so pulted 12 casters out to see if I could reach the far bank, and could so set up the waggler with a 7 " bodied Drake. Set the depth against a rig cast out with double DR's and went to pick up the catty and just managed to catch hold of the rod from being dragged in by a decent carp, obviously lost in the weed. But blimey

what an instant response.Had a great run of Carassini losing just two in the weed. Could pull them through the surface weed but not the stuff anchored to the bottom. However, lost loads of the bigger carp either opposite in weed or on the inside mainly due to playing them to the surface down the middle and pulling out. - they were hard fish fish. The horrid skimming wind was naughty at times determined to keep the reel line on the surface. Wish I set up the waggler at the start. Not one of my best matches weighing 33 lb 8 oz for 4 points. A practice would have helped.

Tim Whitchurch (pictured) won the lake with a big weight of 99 lb 8 oz great to watch matey. Kev Winstone over opposite bank (another corner peg) lost his top 5 with Lester Grant going in over to the far bank to retrieve it alas couldn't find it as it was probably dragged off by a carp. Not sure this venue is suitable for the age of the angler fishing.

Really enjoyed the week and learnt lots - why didn't I get the waggler out on Pollawyn and Twin Oakes - next year. Used three borrowed pints of casters, hand full of DR's and 2 KG of GB all week. Binned loads of unused bait though!!

Finished 38th which was OK but worth more, but we all could say that. I've have two near misses on pick ups by ounces. However, there were some decent anglers in my lake draw. Thanks to Kev Winston for the organisation and loan of two pints of casters and Lester Grant for 1 pint.