I have just got back from Whiteacres and I have just had another great week, the weather was typical for Cornwall at this time of the year, wet and wild but very warm, and the fish loved it.
This is a silverfish festival where F1s count but not carp and with weights up to 70lb the fishing was excellent, the fishery team at whiteacres do a really good job to ensure the fishing is at its best, a lot of people who fish this festival say that it is the best of the year.

Day One I drew on the match lake, Pollawyn, peg 31. This is the end peg going up the right hand arm, in prevoius years the middle of the high bank was always the place to draw, but this year with the weather being a lot milder the fish were still spread around the lake.
I started my match fishing up and down at 13m and fed a 5m line and down the edge for later. The 13m line took a little while to get going and the roach responded well to caster shallow, I caught 20lb in the first 2 hours before things slowed right up, a switch to the 5m line and in the next 2 hours I caught 20lb of skimmers before that died, the last hour was spent catching the odd fish down the edge and anywhere else I could get a bite, I finished with 46lb and a lake win, as I said earlier the silverfish fishing is awesome at this time of the year.

Day Two saw me on Jennys peg 14, not a draw I was happy with, I drew peg 13 in the Parkdean final 6 weeks earlier and it was not the place to be, however the weather was herrendous with gale force wind and rain straight in our face and for a lot of people fishing a long pole was impossible, this peg has an island in front of you which was giving a bit of protection and allowed me to fish farther than those with open water in front of them.
I fed the usual 3 lines, 11.5m, 5m and down the edge, after 2 hours I had caught next to nothing and I had feared the worst but as the match went on some skimmers moved onto the 11.5m line and I started to get a few bites, my edge line also started to respond as the match went on and I caught some quality roach, the 5m line was a waste of time, I only had one bite there.
I finished the match with 22lb for second on the lake, missing out by 10ozs.

Day Three, I drew peg 27 at Trelawney, in the past this lake has always been full of roach and a very even section, but this year the roach didnt seem to be feeding on this lake and with a recent restocking of F1s that was what most people set out to catch, the only place I could get a bite was at 13m with maggots, I weighed 27lb of F1s for second in the section, peg 24 caught a fine weight of 42lb fishing down the edge.

Day Four saw me on peg 10 on Sycamore, a lake I always enjoy fishing the roach fishing on this lake is the best on the complex, 3 years ago I caught 44lb of roach in this festival, I started fishing 13m shallow with caster and caught for all 5 hours to finish with 34lb roach and a section win.

Going into the last day I was drawing with Paul Yates on equal points but had caught 5lb more than him to lead the festival, I was praying for a good draw on Twin Oaks.

Last Day as I put my hand in the draw bag I was praying for a good draw and I was happy when 31 came out, I was the right end of the section, an area that had produced F1s the day before.
the fishing on this lake was pretty straight forward, a long pole approach and down the edge later on, the only fish worth catching was F1s.
My match was comfortable, wind off my back, started on the long pole and caught almost straight away, I couldnt get a bite in any other area of the swim, I caught the odd fish for all 5 hours to finish with 67lb of F1s and a lake win, and another festival win, this is the third time I have won this festival in the last 4 years.

Thanks to all the fishery team at Whiteacres, Garbolino for their excellent sponsorship and all the other anglers who fished the festival to make this one of the most enjoyable festivals I have had at Whiteacres.
Congratulations to Adam Wakelin for an excellent runner up spot and also to the festival sponsor Darren Cox for his third place and all the others who made the top 10, it was nice to see fishery manager Clint Elliot fishing the festival, but he must try harder next year.