Bait Tech Festival 2013

The last year seems to have flown by, even with the awful weather we now seem to endure for much of the year. A uneventful drive down saw me arrive at the Whiteacres complex at the same time as the sleet, then snow and hail, a bit different from last year, when the on site shop sold out of sun tan lotion.  I called in and picked up the caravan keys and they offered an upgrade to a lodge for £100, we did that and were so grateful for the extra room for preparation and trying to get clothing and tackle dry overnight.

The weather did not inspire us to practice on the Saturday and with Glenn (Calvert) being a big egg chasing fan we settled into the lodge and then headed to the bar to watch Wales v England, the Welsh contingent got pretty rowdy as they celebrated their victory and seeing what we assumed was soiled bed linen outside of their lodge the next morning, I guess they celebrated to excess!!

The weather had perked up a bit by Sunday morning and we decided to practice on Pollawyn, we all had a few fish, Paul (Faiers) and me catching skimmers on the groundbait feeder, Glenn had a few on the pole using meat. After, we adjourned to the bar to discuss the next day and our prospects, although as I was on Porth, I wasn't likely to be boosting my weight on the first day.

First morning draw saw me on Porth 40, end peg, but with the cold weather I and most others thought it would be the wrong end. I had stripped down my gear to the bare essentials, but added a platform and waders, which as 40 is stuck out into the water, I didn't need.  Some top quality company on the next few pegs, Rob Wotton on 39, Pemb Wrighting on 38 and Tom Scholey on 37. I'd write an in depth analysis, but it wouldn't be any more instructive than a few brief lines as the fishing was poor, I had 7 bites, one of which was a 2lb skimmer on the waggler.  The most entertaining bit of the day was whilst setting up, somehow Tom Scholey's rear box leg gave way and dumped him straight into the lake, not a good day to be totally immersed in the reservoir.

I managed to weigh in 3.04, Rob Wotton pipped me by 2oz, Pemb had 2oz less than me and Tom barely scraped a pound. The weights were slightly better further down the lake, but 6lb odd was top weight from the 36 anglers. A poor start, not good having your 'dropper' on the first day.

Peg 40 produced the following weights for the five days:  3.04  0.05  2.11  0.05  0.06  so you can see how poorly Porth fished, the best weight of the week was on the last day, from the 70's, Mark Harper had 19.15, I think that was one of two double figure weights all week and there were a few blanks.  Glenn drew 40 on the last day and Paul had 83 with Callum Dicks on the next peg, they managed 3 and 2 ounces respectively, Paul was savouring beating off the next peg, Callum by 50% more weight.......

Clint had a vote, Porth yes or Porth no for the festivals next year and will do so on the next couple of festivals as well, given how hard it fished, it was surprising to see it come up Porth yes by 3:1.

Day two saw me on Bolingey, couldn't be more different than Porth, but there was a chance of struggling for bites, as the carp are still in winter mode and resident in areas. Peg 43 was to be my home for the 5 hours, Paul had a second in section from 44 the previous day with 84lb, with Callum winning the section from 31 with 111.10 .  43 is opposite peg 31, which was drawn by Pemb Wrighting, who had 10 fish before I and most of the others on the lake had a bite.

Meat was the plan, but I did feed some caster down the RH edge, as there was a flat shelf in front of a little gorse bush, although I'd have been happier if it had been more than 4m along the bank. I started at 7m as that is where Paul caught the day before, but with no indication after 30 mins I had a drop in the margin and hooked a carp on meat over the caster feed, I lost that and discovered the curly pig tail of a shoddy hook whipping, bugger.  Out to 13m and at last, my first fish, not a big one and it had me puzzled at first, but it turned out to be a small grass carp, the first one I've ever caught.

The switch to 13m saw the fish come at a reasonably steady rate, 8mm meat over 6mm meat feed doing the trick, a slow 4th hour happened for everyone on the lake, before the fish came late on the 7m line. I did have a couple of looks over the caster and took two fish from there, but there were very few fish caught from the margins.  As expected, Pemb won the section with 145.02, I had clicked 53 and 38 for my two nets, the actually went 51 and 42, I guess the fish I clicked at 10lb was 13lb.  93.04 being the total,which gave me 3rd in section, as Paul Holland had 99lb from peg 41. All those who caught decent weights fed very little.

Peg 43 produced these weights for the week.  56.00  93.04  18.06  42.10  46.02

Day 3 saw me headed for Pollawyn peg 16, Andy Neil had won the section from here the day before with 117lb of carp on the waggler, shallow, but that was overshadowed by Pete Wilde's 261.14 from peg 27.  I am reasonably happy with my waggler fishing so was looking forward to catching a few over, I also set up a straight lead and a pole, that had a rig for meat at 11m.  I gave the waggler and bomb 55 mins with one skimmer on popped up bread, before feeling that it wouldn't work. First drop in on the 11m line I had a 4lb carp, then a couple of skimmers, before another carp about 6lb. I then had two barbel which weren't far off 3lb each, then a few skimmers up to 2lb.  The carp didn't show in any numbers after their battering the day before, the guys either side of me had persevered for them and didn't get enough to beat my mixed bag, that weighed 33.14 for second in section , being beaten by peg 22, where Ricky Salmon weighed 45.03.

The weights I have for peg 16 are:  ??:??  117.15  33.14  55.14  50.09

Day 4 saw me needing a good draw, the weather this day was horrendous, strong and gusting winds and torrential rain, it stayed all day.  I drew 25 on Trewaters, deep joy, totally exposed and with the cold wind blowing straight down the lake into the peg, to cap it off it managed last in section the day before. As an omen for the day, when I got to the peg, on the footpath was a 3lb carp with its gills eaten out, I assume otter or mink.

The wind lashing down the lake ensured the first thing I set up was a straight lead, I also set up a waggler as I wasn't convinced I wanted to risk the pole, but I did set up two topkits and 3 sections.  Starting on the lead, the tip remained motionless, I had clipped up tight to the island and tried that, as well as dropping short, all to no avail. Finally the tip did go round and a small carp saved the blank. Two more followed in quick succession after a swop to worm on the hook and I thought I had worked it out, but no that was the end of the straight lead action. I had searched up and down the island, the open water and along the end bank, all without any indication.

Switching to the pole saw a couple of micro perch, before I foul hooked a big carp that gave me the run round and then straightened out the hook - landing that would have given me 2 or 3 more points. I managed to get 3 or 4 decent skimmers on the pole and weighed in a paltry 14.10 for 5th in the section, which was won with 28.15 from peg 35 which was the only peg with the wind from behind.  A miserable day and any chance of sneaking into the top 20 gone.

Weights from peg 25:  ??.??  ??.??  9.16  14.10  2.06

Day 5 Trelawny and Twin Oaks, I came out of the draw bag with 25 on Trelawny, it had produced a section win on the first day and peg 26 had won the section for the previous 2 days, so a decent draw.  The information was that carp right across to the island on the lead  and meat. I duly set up the lead rod and clipped up tight to the island. I also set up 3 rigs, but only got 9m of pole out as the wind was gusting again and the forecasters were promising 4" of rain!!  One rig to fish just touching bottom and a diamond shape float with 5" of line on the bottom to try and achieve some sort of presentation in the windy conditions. I also set up a margin rig, but no more to said about that.

On the all in a volley of leads with meat went out and for the most part they were non productive, I fed a line at 9m with 6mm meat, as the lead once again looked to be a non starter, I did have a very small F1 on the lead and then bumped one, that was the last bite on it and it went up the bank where it belongs.

I had a couple of small F1's on the meat at 9m, but it was slow going, so I chopped up some worm, that and some caster went in on a new line in a tangerine sized ball of sieved lake and gimps gold. A whole dendra with the tail nipped off brought a decent run of F1's and skimmers up to 2lb, it was essential to keep a nugget of groundbait going in at least every other fish.  A lovely days fishing, not a vermin in sight and the weather forecasters got it wrong, the wind dropped and the rain mainly stayed away.  My net of fish went 35.02 to win the section by 5lb, a decent result to end on, sadly it was the lowest weight section of the 4 that make up the lake (even though its 2 lakes!), so only a section payout.

Peg 25 weights: 54.01  ??.??  ??.??  30.02 35.02

It would be good if Whiteacres put some money into creating decent paths round the lakes, I guess 80% are using shuttles and the wheels sink into the mud or the thin layer of chippings they have put down. My one other gripe was the restaurant, I felt the service and food quality was poor.

It was a good  festival, shame Porth was poor, but Trewaters also fished hard, but didn't get so much stick, it was cold, the wind and rain didn't help and there were some good weights, but often not two days running from the same pegs.  Last year I felt like a fish out of water, this year I fed sparingly and didn't get sidetracked by the bait limits, a couple of decent draws helped, but you'll never compete from bad draws.

Paul took the £5 side bet off Glenn and myself, but it was close, our final positions were:

Paul Faiers 29th  30 points  177.06
Chris Fox  46th   29 points  176.06
Glenn Calvert 59th  27 points 156.00