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VDE/Whiteacres
Spring Festival
2004
By
Brian Gay
(Pictures courtesy of
www.angling-images.com)
NORMAL SERVICE RESUMED.
PARKDEAN Masters Champion Steve Ringer began the Spring Festival season at White
Acres Country Park in the same way he ended last season by winning - this time
in the 180-entry Van Den Eynde backed event.
Northampton tackle consultant Steve (Shimano Van Den Eynde) who won the big
money Parkdean Masters last October added another £3000 to his bank account by
recording a maximum four section wins a feat also achieved by Mark Pleavin and
Adam Westmacott. However with four out of five scores to count it was Steve's
superior dropped result, a 7 pt. score that secured the win as Pleavin and
Westmacott both posted 6 pt. fifth results. Steve hit big weights with two lake
wins along the way including a new record for Trelawney thanks to a 195-0-0 4th
day effort and 145-13-0 from Pollawyn the previous day but it was a modest 16 lb
section win on the final day at a subdued Gwinear that secured the victory. That
little lot added another £600 to his big cheque added to the £25,000 Parkdean
Masters win last autumn.
STEVE'S TRIUMPHANT TRAIL.
Steve started with a section win at Porth reservoir thanks to a feedered bag of
skimmers on single dead maggot at peg 18 in the meadow. However third in section
at Bolingey on day two wasn't what big Steve wanted and he points to the fact
that it was the only carp venue where he used corn instead of meat: 'I had over
80 lb but was beaten twice by a couple of pounds or so'. The third day recovery
was significant as he struck back in deadly style alternating crumb feeder with
pole and meat hook baits for a lake winning 145-13-0 from Pollawyn on the High
Bank. The mood was repeated the next day on Trelawney's end peg 21 where he long
poled meat at 16 metres to empty the swim and set the new lake standard with a
level 195-0-0. That left him lying top going into the last day but with Des
Shipp, Simon Willsmore and Steve Cooke all tying on points. With another four
anglers just a point down the battle could have gone either way but Steve pulled
off another section win by switching between heavily baited and frugally fed
margin swims at Gwinear 57. Five of his six modest carp coming form the negative
line to give him the required win. 'Cornwall has been very good to me and I've
drawn better this week than I did in the Parkdean Masters,' said Steve modestly.
However he revealed that despite the tough response on the last day he still
fished heavy" 'I haven't dropped below 0.16 mm diameter there's really no need,'
he added. 'It was nice to win this event with one of my sponsors Pete Clapperton
of Van Den Eynde backing the event,' he smiled.
Steve in action at Gwinear and his
final day bag of 16lb to give
him another section win and festival victory.
(click on images to enlarge)
SO CLOSE FOR FIRST TIMER MARK.
RUNNER-UP Mark Pleavin (Deggy's Tackle) clutched his envelope containing the
£1500 second place prize and reflected on just how close he'd come to winning a
White Acres Festival at his very first attempt. The unknown who describes
himself as 'just an angler from back home in Wrexham' nearly upset the form book
with a stunning performance to record four section wins only losing out on first
place thanks to an inferior fifth dropped result. 'I have fished here on holiday
but my mate Charlie Mayers booked us in for this week,' he revealed. The cheque
will come in very handy for Mark as he lost his job a year ago but the five
matches a week he fishes has stood him in good stead. The 43-year-old who spends
most of his time on the Browning Cudmore circuit reckons the harder fishing
experienced in some sections during this festival was good for him: it was like
his fishing back home'. 'I've really enjoyed this week its been brilliant but
any other week and I'd have won - I was beaten off the next peg at Porth by an
83 lb bream bag, can you believe it? I had 21 lb of skimmers and that happens
next to you and it was April fools day,' he cried. 'Still me and Charlie will be
back for the Keenets,' he declared.
COMING OF AGE FOR ADAM.
THIRD placed Adam Westmacott (Daiwa Dorking) came into this festival determined
to prove himself as a serious contender for a place in Dorking's Drennan Super
League Final team and he could hardly have put on a better show. Four section
wins including a lake win at Bolingey on the second day saw him ousted from top
spot purely down to his fifth dropped result and overall weight conceding places
to winner Steve Ringer and runner-up Mark Pleavin. The Bristol based lab
technician even measured up to the task of winning his section from Gwinear 17
on the last day in a highly pressurised situation fending off the next peg
challenge of Andy Dare by 1 lb with a fine display of accurate feeder fishing
tight to the island margins for 24-12-0. 'I've had a good week proved a few
things and hopefully now I can go on from here,' said Adam.
NO APRIL FOOL.
THE massive bream weights at Porth on day three and four were no April Fool joke
although you'd be forgiven for dismissing the stories of returning anglers as
pranks at a venue where 30 lb is normally a big winning weight!
First E17 angler Lee Allen netted 73-9-0 on the second day then on the fourth
day - April 1st - Bob Stevens (Nathan's Tackle) hammered bout 83-12-0 of bream
at peg 75 on the far bank!
STARLETS Tom Pargetter got the better of a 22 lb 7 oz common carp at Bolingey to
win the biggest fish of the week prize while the lucky mystery weight winner was
Martin Funnellin 174th place with 47-1-0.
Steve Ringer's 195-0-0 Trelawney record took the weight for the week prize.
SPONSORS DELIGHT
VAN DEN EYNDE supremo and event backer Pete Clapperton was absolutely delighted
to see his sponsored angler take the cheque for £3000. 'It's the beginning of
the season and there's a lot of top anglers here but Stevie Ringer does it
again,' beamed Clappy. 'The cliché word is awesome but he's a cut above, he's a
winner and if he'd have chosen football he'd have got in the England team....as
striker!' he enthused. The self styled angling businessman, never shy in giving
a sound byte or quote, was upbeat about stepping in to sponsor this event after
many years as the weekly residents rover match backer. 'It's an important venue
and becoming more and more popular, these events are more important and the
anglers who look up to the Steve Ringers and Des Shipp's want to get a place and
fish. 'What other sport can you compete alongside the top stars of the day and
have a chance? You have actually got a chance because here you are in there
playing with them,' he went on.
'This is a unique fishery in many ways with its bars, night club, restaurants
its very American, its a holiday destination. 'I don't think you could find this
set up at any other fishery it takes a massive amount of money to achieve, it's
more than a fishery it's a true leisure site. 'However I think the true value
here is Clint Elliott the fishery manager, with his match fishing background,
he's a tough guy, with strong management skills, knows about fishing and how to
deliver, he said. Van Den Eynde supplied engraved tankards for each of the daily
section winners and top quality embroidered Halkon Hunt jackets for the top 20
anglers overall. 'We wanted to give the anglers something to remember the event
by, you can give them groundbait but once you throw that in it's gone,' said
Pete.
WHITE ACRES VAN DEN EYNDE FESTIVAL TOP 10
Steve Ringer (VDE Shimano) 36 pts dropping 7 £3000
Mark Pleavin (Deggy's Tackle) 36 pts dropping 6 205-6-0 £1500
Adam Westmacott (Daiwa Dorking) 36 pts dropping 6 183-2-0 £1000
Des Shipp (Preston Innovations Sensas) 35 pts dropping 8 388-6-0 £700
Steve Cooke (Ringer Baits) 35 pts dropping 8 262-9-0 £600
Harry Billing (Mosella Garbolino) 35 pts dropping 3 £500
Sean Clifford (PI Delcac) 34 pts dropping 7 £400
Simon Willsmore (Milo D and A Tackle) 34 pts dropping 6 £300
Tom Pargetter (Starlets) 33 pts dropping 7 218-4-0 £250
Geoff Ringer (Ringer Baits) 33 pts dropping 7 201-1-0 £200
DAILY LAKE WINNERS
DAY 1
Pollawyn Skip McCabe (Harefield Tackle) 45-6-0; Python and Trelawney Des Shipp
(PI Sensas) 147-13-0; Gwinear Paul Reynolds (Caterham Angling) 59-14-0; Porth
Tom Pargetter (Starlets) 23-2-0; Bolingey Harry Billing (Mosella Garbolino)
100-0-0.
DAY 2
Python and Trelawney Mark Pleavin (Deggy's Tackle) 67-13-0; Gwinear Lee Harrison
(Scunthorpe) 118-11-0; Porth Lee Allen (East 17) 73-9-0; Bolingey Adam
Westmacott (Daiwa Dorking) 90-3-0; Pollawyn Matt Herbert (Thatcham Angling)
65-13-0.
DAY 3
Gwinear Kevin Tong (Caterham Tackle) 58-8-0; Porth Danny Wynn (Colmic Apollo)
31-9-0; Bolingey Paul Greenwood (Sensas Viaduct) 128-11-0; Pollawyn Steve Ringer
(VDE Shimano) 145-13-0; Python and Trelawney Don McKinnon (Colchester) 79-4-0.
DAY 4
Porth Bob Stevens (Nathan's Tackle) 83-12-0; Gwinear Terry Harrison (Daiwa
Dorking) 83-13-0; Bolingey Richie Hull (Starlets) 94-6-0; Pollawyn Terry Winter
(MAP) 142-15-0; Python and Trelawney Steve Ringer (Shimano VDE) 195-0-0.
DAY 5
Bolingey Tony Wynnick (Ringers Rovers) 62-6-0; Pollawyn Martin Amos (ALS VDE)
100-0-0; Python and Trelawney Paul Hamlyn (PI Delcac) 77-7-0; Gwinear Mick Lees
(Derby) 62-12-0; Porth John Bassett (Willow Park) 19-6-0.
Top 3.
(click on image to enlarge.)
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