19/05/2025 to 22/05/2025 - Whiteacres Club Angler Festival 2025

Before going to this festival I had decided to stop blogging. The reason being  I felt it was becoming repetitive with regards to rigs and baits etc...Since a number of friends and family have said they have missed it, looking forward to reading especially Mondays. Had many request to start again. So here goes with a catch up which will be lacking the some of the usual detail.

Starting with the above festival which was attended by 12 anglers from my circle of angling friends, mainly from from the over 55's. Great company to help swell the attendance to 96 anglers fishing over 4 lakes with 4 sections of 6 on each lake.

There was a time I could have kept up with their drinking - not now Green Tea for me during the day rather than 10 pints of Rattler, which didn't go without it's consequences did it Lester 💩.

Nice steady drive down on a Saturday morning after a breakfast in Wetherspoons in Staple Hill. Shared a two bed Lodge on the side of Jenny's Lake with Geoff Francis, who did breakfast roll every morning, very nice, just enough. It was to be a beautiful week weather wise, reward for the last two years which had been bloody awful. Picture from our Lodge early morning. Geoff has only see such views in pictures - he was still snoring which is a Cat like. Which reminds me Geoff wouldn't go to bed until his wife had sent him a picture of his Cat, cant remember it's bloody name.

Super pools paid and shop Copen's pellets purchased. Quite like the 2 mm but the 4 mm doesn't soak up well becoming very sticky.

Off for a Indian in Newquay with Geoff and Phil Morgan the draft Cobra went down well. The Chicken Chat starter well worth a try.

Sunday was a practice day. First match day I had drawn Twin Oaks and Geoff Pollawyn. We were going pleasure fish Jenny's but took Geoff to Pollawyn on the high bank to fish the deeper water. Think this was a good choice as it gave Geoff confidence even though he didn't fish the same on his shallow peg he was later to draw.

Back early for a Sunday roast at the Halfway House. They sale Cold River Cider which is about the only cider I can now drink without getting stomach acid.

Monday match day and I was on Twin Oaks peg 15. Bit different from last year flat calm on a lake that is very much wind effected. The margin on this peg is awful extremely shallow and although I kept feeding it didn't fish it as no sign of a Carp. So one rig a 0.5 gram paste float to fish three barrels at full depth and a conventional maggot feeder. The upshot was caught steady on the pole and rested it once for a drink catching a F1 and a decent Carp on the feeder with a bunch of maggots. However, was soon back on the pole.

Weighed 68 lb 6 oz for second section. The fish were on pegs 9 to 12. Felt I couldn't have done any better.

Off to the Halfway house again for a great meal plus a couple of ciders.

Tuesday it was Trelawney peg 2 which on day one had 8 lb! Found myself next to John Smith who was on peg 1 which had won the section the day before. I have always wanted to fish a conventional waggler and caster up and down here and with the wind favourable for once set it up but packed it away as couldn't navigate a cast through the Parrot cage. Might have been a blessing in disguise, but feel it would produce well. Set up a paste rig which didn't get used. Thought I could beat 8 lb with just silvers so set up the Ronnie rig and a 0.3 gram slim to fish the LH margin both rigs with caster over caster. Caught well on the Ronnie rig with single caster whilst keeping an eye of John who  with everyone else was having a slow start. Was hooking some quality Perch loosing half of them - bloody things they knew where the snags were in the bank. Switch from the Ronnie rig to the Slim fishing double caster over kindered caster and had a instant response from big F1's and again a few lost Perch. Fished the match out switching between the two rigs. Near the end hooked a Tench of about 2 lb which slipped the hook and me thinking I had just scooped it, but alas not.

Weighed 36 lb 14 oz which was second section by two ounces. As it was to prove those two ounces would cost me top joint individual in the festival.

Off to the Indian again. Geoff should have married an Indian girl.

Wednesday and drew peg 18 on Python which is an absolute flyer, end peg with loads of room. So now taking the festival a bit more serious. It was very hot and flat calm and no signs of fish. Same for the whole section. I was told the angler the day before fished the method over to the post near the end bank. Not for me, and caught some along his margin end bank on worm (this was incorrect found out later it was corn). Anyway got carried away setting things up only using the paste at three barrels and a 0.3 gram RF Slim down by the pipe with caster feed and various hook baits.

Had a steady run of small Carp and F1's. Kept trying the margin and could only catch really small fish. Wasted too much time on this. With an hour to go our end of the lake completely shut down, which I think was due to low oxygen. Set up the Ronnie rig to add a few silvers to see the match out.

First and second on the lake were pegged down in the opposite end. Wind again me thinks.

Weighed 31 lb 2 oz for the section win and promoted to 12th overall.

We went into Newquay to see what restaurants were there. All looked run down with hardly anything open. Ended up in the Great Western Hotel for some poor peoples food - not recommended.

Thursday and the last match drew peg 32 on Pollawyn and taking things a even more serious. The peg wasn't far from where I drew two years ago when I missed the section by 8 oz but was a bit more enlightened this time.

Surprised to see Geoff had drawn the peg I had the day before and did catch some Carp down his edge on corn!!

There was F1's all over the section up in the water not looking interested in feeding.

Paste at three barrels and the reliable 0.3 gram RJ Slim for the margin and the Ronnie rig, both for caster over caster. Once again had a steady run of small Carp and big F1's, plus two big Carp on paste. Was concerned that the F1's might respond to the Slappers, but it didn't look like they were as each side were struggling. The margins are perfect for me - some depth close to the bank, so went in the margin with the Slim with double caster and had a run of decent Perch a couple of F1's and another decent Carp. I hook the biggest Perch I've seen in the flesh, estimated at 4 lb plus. Played it for a while until it did me in the margin roots. Very disappointed as it would have been a PB. Now back on the paste and during the rig retrieve thought I had foul hooked a F1, netted it to find it had taken the bare hook - lucky or what.

Weighed 59 lb 12 oz for a section win.

So up to the Club House for the result and announced that I had come 5th overall and that 2 ounces and one point had indeed cost me joint first - second on weight count back. However, a nice pick up which more than paid for my holiday.

Geoff did really well impressing me on his approach on some difficult pegs.

Back to the Halfway house for another great meal and treated Geoff for being the organiser and Chef all week.

Booked in for next year hoping to get similar amount of luck.

Overall Result:

Unfortunately I had to get home on Friday. The rest of the lads went to Morgan Porth for a knock up and had a great time with top three have over 100 lbs and joining the 100 club. Great memories of fishing here over the years and the £10 bounty put on the on the Terrapin by Janet. Lovely place.