| I can only start by saying what a cracking weekend we had. Initially five of us travelled down to Newquay on the Friday. Wayne Mellings, David James and Richard Noakes from the Fosters Tipton Match Group, Dave Lawley, a local club angler from Pelsall Baitex and yours truly. We were eventually joined on the Saturday evening by Tony Holmes of Slapheads fame. Tony had left at 4am on the morning so that he could arrive at Whiteacres in time for the Saturday open, or so he thought. 6.30am he was back at home fast asleep on his sofa having had problems with his car. Undeterred he awoke at 11.30am jumped into his wife's motor and headed down to us. He then spent two hours stuck in traffic at the A30 roadwork's!
Wayne, Rich, Dave, Tony and Sidewinder
Anyway, as I said, we arrived at Whiteacres on the Friday afternoon and met Clint Elliott, the fisheries manager, in the site tackle shop. He gave us a brief run down as to what had been happening on the pools over the preceding week. Big match weights had been showing on Pollawyn and Trelawney (new match lake) mainly through caster fished shallow. But pleasure anglers were having bigger weights using pellet and paste, these baits being banned in matches, which is something I don't understand, but more of that later. We then had a look for ourselves. Surprisingly not many anglers were fishing those two lakes and even more surprisingly we did not see many fish being caught by those that were there.
On our return to the tackle shop Clint told us that he would be running two separate matches due to the numbers attending. Each match would be on the pools already mentioned and run separately which seemed fair, because the average fish in the new lake were running to 2llb, compared to double figures in Polly! We then adjourned to the site bar (compulsory said Wayne) for a couple of lagers and a discussion on how we were going to approach the match. I must point out that this is where Dave Lawley acquired his new name of 'SIDEWINDER' He told us, whilst walking around Polly, that he had a sidewinder in his armoury and if anyone wanted to borrow it they could. Wayne looking puzzled first thought it was some sort of exocet missile and that Dave was going to cheat in the match, until one was pointed out to him! An angler was using one on the pool, but it was too late Sidewinder had hit a cord and a new nickname born.
Due to the fact that we were only there for the weekend, we were unable to stay on site so off we went to our digs at Treviglos Lodge, Quintrell Downs, which is not far from Whiteacres. Grant, Wayne and I stayed there last year and the proprietors Mel and Wendy Bonfield looked after us a treat, so we were looking forward to meeting them again. Mel has his own photographic studio and he allowed us to store our kit inside for safe keeping, which you must admit is generous of him as he does use it for business purposes. Anyway their standards have not slipped and I can highly recommend them. If any of you would like to stay with them you can contact them on 01637 876923, they are open all year.
After a good nights sleep, (did I mention that there is a pub opposite the digs? ) up bright and early for breakfast, bait prepared and down for the draw. Rules and regs read out by Clint and into the draw bag we go. Wayne pulls out Trelawney 17, Richard pulls out 32 and I, 22. Sidewinder Polly 28 and Dave Polly 37. I then purchase 5 pints of caster after talking myself out of 8 pints (only after I had checked how much cash I had left from the previous evenings session and due to the fact there's no cash point near to the draw bag!) and off I go to my peg. On the far side of the pool each angler had a peg either side to spare. Not in my stretch. Angler on 19, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 and so on. It was then explained that each peg was put in because there were plenty of fish to be had in each one.
Two hours into the match and we are all struggling, Wayne eventually starts to catch but Richard and I can't buy a bite and neither can most of the others in our stretch. The guy on peg 24 is cupping in sillybait at 8 metres and having the odd fish.The guy on 26 is also catching the odd one. I decide to start all over again and come in to four metres and pot in a load of corn and caster. After 20 Mins in goes some more and the float buries. Into a small ghostie about 1llb. That will do for starters. Then my float starts to do 'THE DANCE' dipping and bobbing but nothing positive. It is obvious I now have fish in the swim but what are they up to? I Shallow the rig but it still goes on, deepen, the same thing. Needless to say I start to foul hook the fish. Eleven fish I hooked all together of which I got four out for 5llb 11oz. The guy next to me blanked, as did Richard and about 8 others. The guy on peg 19 had 4llb something.
Wayne finished with 38llb for third, an outstanding weight for where he was pegged. Polly fished just as hard, Sidewinder had 8llb and Dave won his section with 15llb. 22llb was needed to frame.
It now brings me back to the pellet and paste issue. Why can anglers use it in pleasure sessions but not in match situations? If concerns are due to quantity, then limit the amount each angler like the 2kg groundbait rule, if not then what are they. Perhaps someone can enlighten me.
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