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.

Sunday 04/05/2025 - Westerleigh Winter League - Final Round 8 - Shipp's Canal and Taylor's Pool

My turn on Shipp's Canal and with 19 points I would at least need a lake win or maybe a second to frame overall in the league. So the draw would be important. One end or the other would be best with the wind deciding which end. The temperature had dropped considerably with a nasty cold NW wind

I went first in the draw to see if I could make it all four matches on peg 13. Instead was faced with peg 3, very rarely gets in the top 3 on the lake so no expectations. Got to the peg to find John the Jinx next to me for the seventh time on peg 2, we have had a good laugh all through.

The fish had been spawning over the past few days so my thinking was the margins would produce. Decided to go for the silvers for the first half and see what develops. Fed the RH margin with 5 pieces of meat, starting down the left with the short Ronnie rig with Single LR over loose fed LR's first put in had a small F1 then 20 Crucian Carp which all went 5 lb 13oz. In between caught the odd Ronnie which were tiny. Tried the meat margin with and was only getting nibbles from small silvers. So made my mind up to keep after the silvers adding more Ronnie's and three small Skimmers. Last hour tried the meat margin with double LR's over loose fed LR's and foul hooked five Carp landing a decent F1 and a 3 lb Carp.  For some reason the Carp didn't want to follow the feed down which was the cause of the fouling.

Silvers weighed 8 lb 5 oz for the silvers win and the Carp 10 lb 14 oz for 8 points so well short. Only regret didn't try the paste which stayed in the bait bag. Think it was worth a try as usually results in less fouling. I also won the overall highest silvers weight. So happy overall with my league results from indifferent draws. The weather could have been much kinder at times.

The match and Taylors pool was won by Ricky Mills (pictured) with 69 lb 9 oz, beating Bela off the next peg by 7 oz!. Ricky having failed with his favourite meat attacked changed to pellet to catch at full depth at 13 metes and later in his margins. Well done Matey.

The day was all about Johnny Clarke who won Shipp's Canal with 66 lb 4 oz from peg 6. Also winning the league with just 9 penalty points out of a possible 7. Well deserved and popular win he's not put a foot wrong over the eight matches. Whats so amazing Johnny usually arrived worse for wear as he did today straight from a party with no sleep!

Thanks to Bri Shanks for running the league and Mark Taylor for providing a great fishery.

Back to pub for end of term drink and looking forward to the Ron's Summer League.

Overall League Result:

Weigh Sheets:

Tuesday 29/04/2025 - Acorn Cost Cutter - Paddocks

Had a decent egg and bacon bap at H&H burger van and sat outside eating it on a glorious morning. Down to the fishery to discover Eddie had decided to make it a silvers only match based on the Carp spawning. Many of the anglers weren't equipped with silvers top sets, rigs etc... We were also limited to top set plus three - no margin fishing. My plan of waggler fishing scrapped.

Into the draw bag and found myself on bridge peg 34 again. A good Carp peg  I was told. Umm.

Nice to see Fred Welsh out fishing again who was next peg 36. The other side of the bridge was Gary Bedford.

Set up three rigs one for up to the bridge at full length, one for top set  and a long Ronnie rig. The peg was alive with Carp and whilst shotting up foul hooked a Carp losing a hook length!!

Started feeding up to the bridge with some LR's and a tiny bit of chopped worm hoping for some Tench and out in front on top set with some Pinkies in GB for Skimmers. Had a quick look on the Pinkie for a decent Perch. Then went out for a quick look on the bridge with double LR's and first put in hooked and landed a 10 lb Carp. Unfortunately it rolled over on the rig and trashed it. I spent the next 15 minutes setting up a new rig which needed some extra line the peg is quite deep. Whilst doing this Gary was catching a Ide one a bung. So I was well behind. Out again on the bridge and had a run of 10 Ide and a small Tench. The match was planned for 6 hours but after 2 hours the silvers completely switched off for everyone. Afterwards, I had just the one decent Skimmer on the Ronnie rig. It's clear the Ide refuse to come short. Had a walk around and a few had switched to fishing for Carp to stop the boredom. Went back and after catch 11 accidental Carp packed up 15 minutes to go. Waste of a good Carp peg today.

The match was won by John "Turkey" Thompson (pictured) with 28 lb 10 oz from peg 15. John fed 2 pints of casters and a match pack of worm catching on worm. Well done matey.

Tony Whitcombe was a close second with  27 lb 13 oz from peg 5 with a mainly Ide catch on maggot over heavily fed maggot. Well done matey.

Weigh Sheets:

Tuesday 22/04/2025 - Acorn Cost Cutter - Paddocks

On a high today and looking forward to fishing the Paddocks again with my good friend and bank runner Glenn Bailey (BTW he isn't very good at it). Berger van to getting us going.

Had a walk around the tackle shop and must say it's very well stocked and well supported by Zoe and Des Shipp.

Apparently 30 fishing today, which is good, more the merrier.

Into the draw bag and drawing peg 24 and being one of the first to draw was quick getting to the peg and unloading the van and is a peg I've not draw since the concrete bridge was installed, so was looking forward to having a go at it. Then Dom Sullivan came running around announcing a redraw. It don't happen often, but mistakes are easy to make running matches - I know from experience, usually with collecting the pools. Apparently all to do with having two number 11's. Back in to the draw bag and pulled number 11! Told my draw had gone bad to worse. It doesn't matter happy to fish any peg.

For company on peg 12 was Pinkie Paul Faiers and Chris Gay on 10 who was to DNW. Paul thought the area would be no good for silvers and he would be fishing for Carp.

Set up far too many rigs. Didn't expect to catch many Carp until  later in the match so targeted silvers with 4x14 Winters - one on top set for LR's over GB and loose fed LR's over the top and the other out at three barrels with worm over a smidgen of chopped worm and larger amounts of caster, for hopefully some Tench. Had a few Ronnie and a decent Perch short and a few Ide long on worm, but it was slow. Paul wasn't catching Carp and had switched to silvers. I noticed what I thought was silvers topping over to the island which was well out of reach for my 13 metres. So set the waggler up for double LR's over loose fed same. The first four cast resulted in three foul hooked Carp landing one and getting one in the mouth. Clearly not silvers topping then- Lol. Stayed on this adding another 9 Carp before the wind got so bad I couldn't see where the fed was going or the float too well. So went down the LH margin with a 0.3 gram RJ on the top set and had 10 more Carp with double LR over loose fed same plus a Tench and a decent Skimmer.

Silvers weighed 12 lb 15 oz and the 20 Carp for 61 lb totalling 73 lb 15 oz (weigh sheet error). Happy enough with that but more so if the wind wasn't for bad and freezing cold. If the wind stay's as it is peg 10, 11 and 12 will fish very well indeed.

The match was won by Shaun Fillingham with 147 lb 9 oz from peg 9. Shaun caught long over to the island mugging on banded pellet. No loose fed was injured during the match. Well done matey.

Paul Faiers won the silvers with 31 lb 2 oz from peg 12. Paul having given up on the Carp switched to silvers catching either down his RH edge with Pinkie over Pinkie or short in front with maggot over loose fed maggot. Tench and Skimmers making up most of his weight. He did have Carp trouble near the end. Well done matey nice to watch and thanks for letting some overcasting of the waggler in your peg.😘

Back to the Waterloo for a pint with Glenn, runner up Tony W and Haydn W. Great end of the day even with bad wind burn.

Result:

1. Shaun Fillingham 147-09 p9

2. Tony Whitcombe 118-09 p1

3. Gary Bedford 117-01 p7

4. Mervyn Sivell 106-05 p5

5. Antony Piekielniak              91-07 p2

6. Simon Stacey                      84-11 p33

Silvers:

1. Paul Faiers 31-02 p12

2. Steve Howell 29-09 p15

Section Weigh Sheet:

Sunday 06-04-2025 - Westerleigh Winter League - Round 7 - Taylor's Pool and Shipp's Canal

My turn on Taylor's Pool. The plan was to fish for silvers as too far behind in the league, but second in the pairs but not sure how far behind first place, likely to be too much. Bri Shanks was away so Steve Rogers stepped in to run the match, which was bit worrying😅

Mark Taylor thought the fish had started to spread out from their winter haunt's and with the wind blowing down the opposite end thought middle to far end would be good for silvers and a few Carp. 

Into the draw bag and found myself on peg 26. Pegs 14, 26 and 22 have been the pegs to draw all winter for Carp. Not really a silvers peg. Lee my pairs partner had drawn flyer peg 2 on Shipp's so silvers plan out of the window, Carp it would be and perhaps pull some weight back and give us chance on the last match.

Two rigs - 4x14 to fish top set plus either three or four barrels which took the end section to just touching the fence. A 0.3 gram RJ slim to fish either three barrel down to the reeds or with a slight depth adjustment down the RH side on the top set.

Pinched some corn off Johnny W started with a piece on the hook over some kindered micro at three barrels and straight away getting indications, thought it was silvers. Switched to 4 mm semi hard pellet and had 20 F1's for 5 lb 6 oz 😆. The line died so tried down to the reeds with LR's on the hook over kindered LR's and a bit of micro and had a small Carp which had a plummet and hook in it mouth (later established to be Ricky Mills rig he lost three weeks ago). Had a few Ronnie's so went back out on the 4 mm pellet and had a small Carp and a decent F1. After trying various other lines and baits everything seem to be dead. So tried the margin on the top set with LR's over LR's and micro and hooked a biggish Carp which fought really hard testing my patients too much causing the hook to pull - bad angling another - careful couple of minutes would have made the difference. The upshot was had four decent Carp, but with 15 minutes to go hooked a branch on the bottom which unsettled the line so no more bites.

Weighed 32 lb 15 oz for third in section 10 oz out of a pick up - note to self must be more patient with the bigger Carp.

The match and Shipp's Canal was won by Ron Hardiman (pictured) from peg 11. Ron caught on meat. Well done matey.

Taylor's Pool was won by Johnny Clarke (pictured) with 43 lb from peg 20. Johnny caught down both margins on meat. Well done matey.

Silver on Taylor's was by default Dave with a lowly 2 lb 3 oz from peg 22 and Taylors it was Martin McMahon with 5 lb 11 oz from peg 1.

Back to the pub and glad I didn't pick up today as a good few more were in attendance, Probably due to the sunny warm weather we're having.

Weigh Sheets:

Thursday 03/04/2025 - Windmill Cost Cutter - Match Lake

Breakfast in the Beefeater, Ok but not the best for the money. Didn't want to walk too far around the lake today as left knee has been playing up also took my chances on not having a short walk. Should have done as ended up on peg 11 the longest walk!! Luckily the slope was dry and not too steep.

The wind was coming in from the NNE so the car park end would have been my choice. But down under the bank on peg 11 was warm being out of the cold wind. The fish are all balled up in the reeds at the moment so having some down to my right and reachable with the margin pole was my preferred line. So set up a 03. gram RJ Slim with 0.2 GLine straight through to a Guru 20 super spade. Also set up the waggler to give me some choice with LR's.

As a reed wobbled decided to started down to the reed with pinched corn over kinder micro and had a fish take it on the drop but missed it. Back out and a proper bite and a hard fighting 1 lb 3 oz Tench in the net. No more indications on corn so switched to kindered LR's and triple reds on the hook and had two quick Carp before it dried, decided to rest it in favour of the waggler fished out in front at 20 metres with double reds over loose fed LR's in the meantime started to loose feed down to the reeds to see if I could entice some more Carp out. Second cast had another Carp. Things were looking good as Glenn Bailey came down at 11 o clock and said he was blanking and I was probably winning the match. Thinking have I got enough nets!! As it turned out I could have gone Home after Glenn left as couldn't get another bite!!

Weighed 15 lb 14 oz for nowhere. On hindsight after catching the Tench should have fished for silvers on the Ronnie rig.

The match was won by Steve  Mundy (pictured with the Silvers winner) with 39 lb 2 oz from peg 8. Steve caught 6 Carp on the straight lead with bread hook bait over to the reeds and 2 Carp on the pole on maggot. Well done matey.

Pete Greenslade picked up the silvers from peg 20 with 5 lb 13 oz. Pete caught on my Ronnie rig set up with maggot and GB. Well done matey got that sorted.

The best part of the day is usually the breakfast or a pick up or the after match curry. However, the best part today was seeing my good friend Glenn Bailey out fishing again and winning his section. Welcome back matey, forget the sections you broke 😉

Weigh Sheets:

Sunday 23/03/2025 - Westerleigh Knock Up - Shipp's Canal

We had an impromptu knock up on Shipp's Canal. Ten of us fishing, so all pegging, pools etc.. as winter league.

Great to see the access road now prepared for tarmacking. 

I couldn't draw peg 13 today as Mike Etheridge just beat me to it. However, only one peg away on peg 1. Bri Shanks struggled for Carp on it last Sunday. This decided me from the start to fish for Silvers and if the Carp were there I could easily change to expander over micro or what ever.

Three rigs - Long and Short Ronnie rigs and a 4x14 Winter to fish three barrels for Skimmers and four barrels towards the aerator in case the Carp showed late on. Didn't bother with the margin bush as Vince Shipp would be fishing there from his regular haunt peg 2!

The up shot was caught a couple of small Hybrids, an 8 oz Skimmer and lots of Ronnie's from 1/2 oz to 4 oz on single LR on the short Ronnie rig. Had a look for a Carp on expander now and again to rest the Ronnie line without a sign. However, did catch two accidental F1's and got beat up by two lumps. GB don't seem to be working at the mo.

Silvers weighed 11 lb 12 oz for the silvers win. The two F1's weighed 4 lb 13 oz so they have really grown on, the fishery seems to be exceptional in this respect.

The match was a close run thing for the top two placings with three 70 lb plus weights. It was Paul Elms (picture with his catch and with the silvers winner) coming out top with 76 lb 14 oz from peg 10. Paul caught long into the bay using meat or pellet. Well done matey.

Runner up was  Vince Shipp (pictured) with 74 lb 8 oz from peg 2. To see how he catches see the other 100 times he's drawn peg 2.

Wish I hadn't left off one layer of clothing as it the wind was bloody freezing. What a dower 8 months its been. 

Weigh Book: