Callum Dicks Enjoys Great Festival Form
Maver's Callum Dicks has enjoyed a recent run of great form at White Acres taking a 2nd and 3rd placing during the course of the week.
Callum enjoyed a perfect score of 5 section wins on the first festival only to be beaten by Paul Yates, and 3 section wins on the second festival to take third overall.
To read an in-depth report of how the the week unfolded for Callum, please be sure to read on.
Festival 1:
Day one:
I drew peg six on Bolingey, which I wasn't all that happy with as I knew I was up against it with the corner pegs. I started long on the bottom with meat and caught 3 carrasios and 1 carp. I was getting some liners so i came shallow and caught 4 carp of a decent size.
All the time I was fishing shallow I was feeding at 5 metres and when the shallow line died I moved into it. I caught 5 carp on this line, again on meat.
At this stage there was only one hour left of the match so I then moved onto my edge line feeding casters and meat with two whole worms on the hook.
I finished off the match with two late big carp which gave me a weight of 71lb, which was enough to win the section. A great start!
Day two:
The second day saw me draw peg 38 on Pollaywn lake, which is a peg everyone normally hates. You are really up against it because you have some very good carp pegs in your section and the chance of you catching carp is pretty poor.
I knew I had to catch a good weight of silvers to maybe come 3rd or 4th in the section so I opted to fish worm and casters at 11 metres and casters at 4 metres down the edge.
I ended catching 55lb which I was amazed with, and luckily enough there wasnt too many carp caught so it was enough to win the section! A perfect two days.
Day three:
On day three, I drew 18 on Jenny's lake which is a good peg. I started off catching roach at 4 metres shallow on casters catching very well for two hours, but all the time I was feeding my long line with worm, casters and corn knowing that later on in the match I would need to catch there.
After two hours I went long and caught well again catching skimmers, tench and big roach. I also caught one carp on the bottom and caught another carp on the drop.
I decided to go shallow for the last hour and a half and this is when I caught best! I ended up catching another 8 carp there to really bump my weight up. I ended up weighing 103lb which was enough to win the section.
Day four:
I drew peg 22 on Trelawney which, again, I wasn't that happy with. You can't reach the island with a pole and it's not the greatest feeder peg. I knew I wasn't going to need a massive weight to win so my plan was to try and catch carp early on and late with hopefully silvers in between. I started on the feeder and had two carp in the first two chucks and not another bite so I started to fish for raoch down the edge and caught very well with the odd bonus F1 mixed in between.
With an hour and a half left I decided to move lines and fish for carp as I was slipping behind the better pegs in my section. I went onto my meat line at 5 metres catching two bream, two barbel and three F1's.
Entering the last half an hour I managed to sneak two late big carp on the same line which gave me a total weight of 69lb, which was enough to win the section.
Day five:
The final day saw me on peg 84 on Porth, which was OK. I would've preferred to be neaer the end peg 89, but I was fairly happy with my draw. The wind was really bad which made the match very simple.
I started on the feeder catching well for a while but it soon died. I knew if I was going to win the section I would have to catch on the pole. With about an hour and fourty left of the match the wind died slightly, which meant I could give the pole a go. In the last hour and a half I caught 8lb of small skimmers and ended up weighing 14lb which was enough to win the section again.
I was extremely happy to have a perfect score of 5 sections and I knew I had a chance to win the festival, but I didn't know Pual Yates had drawn a very good peg on Bolingey so he was going to be hard to beat.
Paul Yates ended up winning the festival pushing me into second beating me quite convincingly on weight. I was little gutted to be beaten with 5 section wins but I was a very happy second.
Festival 2:
Day 1:
On the first I drew peg 31 on Twin Oaks and half fancied it, but I know with this particular water there is one big shoal of carp and if your not on them there is not a lot you can do.
I knew I was going to have to catch a big weight to win so I kept it very simple with a method feeder rod and a 5 metre pole line with meat. I started off on the method and caught quite well but only small F1's. At the other end of the lake Steve Ringer and Stu Lister were catching proper carp, so I knew I was up against it. I thought if I could manage third, I would be happy.
As it happened, I ended up 4th because Simon Wilsmore beat me as well with a few more decent carp. Not the greatest start to the week but with Porth the next day I was feeling confident about a better result.
Day two:
I drew end peg 40, and knew from the regulars it hadn't been fishing that well, but I had a feeling as the weather was getting warmer the fish would move into the shallower water.
I had another difficult section with Andy May and Simon Wilsmore featuring. I started on the feeder and caught quite well - 12 fish in 12 casts - and carried on catching quite well. I noticed Simon Wilsmore was on the pole and catching well, so I decided to change because I didn't want to fall too far behind.
I caught really well loose feeding and potting balls of graundbait with worms. However, I started to get real funny lift bites that I couldn't hit so I stopped loose feeding and just started potting balls of groundbait and immediatly started getting proper bites and catching really well again.
I caught steady until the end of the match on the pole weighing in 21lb 8oz, which was enough to win the section and the lake.
Day three:
Day three saw me on peg 31 Bolingey, which I was happy with - that was until I found out Steve Ringer had drawn 29, which made me think I was fishing for second.
I started fishing shallow as there were a few fish cruising around. I started catching quite well fishing pellets and loose feeding pellets catching just the odd fish but of a very decent size. Steve was also catching well shallow.
I reached a certain stage in the match where I couldn't catch shallow and I couldn't catch on any other line. So, I decided to stick it out on my 5 metre line for the last hour. I caught 4 fish in the last 40 minutes ending up with 99lb 12oz getting beat by Steve by just 10oz. I was absolutely gutted but a second place never the less.
Day four:
Pollawyn lake - I drew peg 16, which I was very happy with. I was very confident on the high bank. I drew next to Lee kerry and had Simon Wilsmore in my section again so I knew it would be a difficult day.
I started on the method feeder with pellets warpped around it and a 6mm pellet on the hook. I didn't had a bite for 20 mins then caught 4 in 4 casts. I never had another bite on the method after that little flurry. I had to switch to the pole but had little success.
Lee started to catch on the waggler with pelllets, so I had little option but to follow suit. I didn't caught for about half an hour then I noticed a bit of shade starting to appear just off the island. I had a chuck over to the shade and I caught one immediatly. I carried on catching on the waggler casting to any bit of shade loose feeding 8mm pellets. With half an hour to go I had another try on the pole at 5 metres with meat, but again with little sucsess.
I ended up weighing 99lb 8oz, which was enough to win the scetion and second on the lake.
Day five:
Trewaters - I drew peg end peg 53, which I was very happy with. It was another difficult section but my confidence was high.
I started on a method feeder with groundbait and maggot and caught 12 F1's. I then switched onto the pole and caught well at 5 metres with meat loose feeding all the time. It wasn't long until the fish started moving up in the water to intercept the bait. I tried fishing up in the water with meat and caught well for a while, but it wasn't long until I started missing lots of bites.
I fed a line long in the margins, but when I came to fish it I changed my mind about how to fish it. I decided that I wanted to fish where I could feed by hand, so I plumbed up 5 meters along the bank and fed this line with some meat and groundbait. Ten minutes later I tried the shorter line in the egde and caught immediately well on this line feeding meat by hand.
With 40 minutes to go I started missing lots of bites and stopped catching. I knew I couldn't have a bad last 40 minutes so I started fishing further down the bank, to catch again.
It was a lot slower and not so effecient but it kept me catching until the end of the match. I ended up with 116lb 2oz, which was enough for the section lake win.
I ended up with 3 wins, a second and dropping a 4th - 35 points after a not so good start so I was delighted with my final score. It was enough for 3rd in the festival. The 10oz Steve beat me by at Bolingey cost me winning the festival! Never the less, another great weeks fishing.
For more information go to http://www.matchtackle.co.uk
Maver's Callum Dicks has enjoyed a recent run of great form at White Acres taking a 2nd and 3rd placing during the course of the week.
Callum enjoyed a perfect score of 5 section wins on the first festival only to be beaten by Paul Yates, and 3 section wins on the second festival to take third overall.
To read an in-depth report of how the the week unfolded for Callum, please be sure to read on.
Festival 1:
Day one:
I drew peg six on Bolingey, which I wasn't all that happy with as I knew I was up against it with the corner pegs. I started long on the bottom with meat and caught 3 carrasios and 1 carp. I was getting some liners so i came shallow and caught 4 carp of a decent size.
All the time I was fishing shallow I was feeding at 5 metres and when the shallow line died I moved into it. I caught 5 carp on this line, again on meat.
At this stage there was only one hour left of the match so I then moved onto my edge line feeding casters and meat with two whole worms on the hook.
I finished off the match with two late big carp which gave me a weight of 71lb, which was enough to win the section. A great start!
Day two:
The second day saw me draw peg 38 on Pollaywn lake, which is a peg everyone normally hates. You are really up against it because you have some very good carp pegs in your section and the chance of you catching carp is pretty poor.
I knew I had to catch a good weight of silvers to maybe come 3rd or 4th in the section so I opted to fish worm and casters at 11 metres and casters at 4 metres down the edge.
I ended catching 55lb which I was amazed with, and luckily enough there wasnt too many carp caught so it was enough to win the section! A perfect two days.
Day three:
On day three, I drew 18 on Jenny's lake which is a good peg. I started off catching roach at 4 metres shallow on casters catching very well for two hours, but all the time I was feeding my long line with worm, casters and corn knowing that later on in the match I would need to catch there.
After two hours I went long and caught well again catching skimmers, tench and big roach. I also caught one carp on the bottom and caught another carp on the drop.
I decided to go shallow for the last hour and a half and this is when I caught best! I ended up catching another 8 carp there to really bump my weight up. I ended up weighing 103lb which was enough to win the section.
Day four:
I drew peg 22 on Trelawney which, again, I wasn't that happy with. You can't reach the island with a pole and it's not the greatest feeder peg. I knew I wasn't going to need a massive weight to win so my plan was to try and catch carp early on and late with hopefully silvers in between. I started on the feeder and had two carp in the first two chucks and not another bite so I started to fish for raoch down the edge and caught very well with the odd bonus F1 mixed in between.
With an hour and a half left I decided to move lines and fish for carp as I was slipping behind the better pegs in my section. I went onto my meat line at 5 metres catching two bream, two barbel and three F1's.
Entering the last half an hour I managed to sneak two late big carp on the same line which gave me a total weight of 69lb, which was enough to win the section.
Day five:
The final day saw me on peg 84 on Porth, which was OK. I would've preferred to be neaer the end peg 89, but I was fairly happy with my draw. The wind was really bad which made the match very simple.
I started on the feeder catching well for a while but it soon died. I knew if I was going to win the section I would have to catch on the pole. With about an hour and fourty left of the match the wind died slightly, which meant I could give the pole a go. In the last hour and a half I caught 8lb of small skimmers and ended up weighing 14lb which was enough to win the section again.
I was extremely happy to have a perfect score of 5 sections and I knew I had a chance to win the festival, but I didn't know Pual Yates had drawn a very good peg on Bolingey so he was going to be hard to beat.
Paul Yates ended up winning the festival pushing me into second beating me quite convincingly on weight. I was little gutted to be beaten with 5 section wins but I was a very happy second.
Festival 2:
Day 1:
On the first I drew peg 31 on Twin Oaks and half fancied it, but I know with this particular water there is one big shoal of carp and if your not on them there is not a lot you can do.
I knew I was going to have to catch a big weight to win so I kept it very simple with a method feeder rod and a 5 metre pole line with meat. I started off on the method and caught quite well but only small F1's. At the other end of the lake Steve Ringer and Stu Lister were catching proper carp, so I knew I was up against it. I thought if I could manage third, I would be happy.
As it happened, I ended up 4th because Simon Wilsmore beat me as well with a few more decent carp. Not the greatest start to the week but with Porth the next day I was feeling confident about a better result.
Day two:
I drew end peg 40, and knew from the regulars it hadn't been fishing that well, but I had a feeling as the weather was getting warmer the fish would move into the shallower water.
I had another difficult section with Andy May and Simon Wilsmore featuring. I started on the feeder and caught quite well - 12 fish in 12 casts - and carried on catching quite well. I noticed Simon Wilsmore was on the pole and catching well, so I decided to change because I didn't want to fall too far behind.
I caught really well loose feeding and potting balls of graundbait with worms. However, I started to get real funny lift bites that I couldn't hit so I stopped loose feeding and just started potting balls of groundbait and immediatly started getting proper bites and catching really well again.
I caught steady until the end of the match on the pole weighing in 21lb 8oz, which was enough to win the section and the lake.
Day three:
Day three saw me on peg 31 Bolingey, which I was happy with - that was until I found out Steve Ringer had drawn 29, which made me think I was fishing for second.
I started fishing shallow as there were a few fish cruising around. I started catching quite well fishing pellets and loose feeding pellets catching just the odd fish but of a very decent size. Steve was also catching well shallow.
I reached a certain stage in the match where I couldn't catch shallow and I couldn't catch on any other line. So, I decided to stick it out on my 5 metre line for the last hour. I caught 4 fish in the last 40 minutes ending up with 99lb 12oz getting beat by Steve by just 10oz. I was absolutely gutted but a second place never the less.
Day four:
Pollawyn lake - I drew peg 16, which I was very happy with. I was very confident on the high bank. I drew next to Lee kerry and had Simon Wilsmore in my section again so I knew it would be a difficult day.
I started on the method feeder with pellets warpped around it and a 6mm pellet on the hook. I didn't had a bite for 20 mins then caught 4 in 4 casts. I never had another bite on the method after that little flurry. I had to switch to the pole but had little success.
Lee started to catch on the waggler with pelllets, so I had little option but to follow suit. I didn't caught for about half an hour then I noticed a bit of shade starting to appear just off the island. I had a chuck over to the shade and I caught one immediatly. I carried on catching on the waggler casting to any bit of shade loose feeding 8mm pellets. With half an hour to go I had another try on the pole at 5 metres with meat, but again with little sucsess.
I ended up weighing 99lb 8oz, which was enough to win the scetion and second on the lake.
Day five:
Trewaters - I drew peg end peg 53, which I was very happy with. It was another difficult section but my confidence was high.
I started on a method feeder with groundbait and maggot and caught 12 F1's. I then switched onto the pole and caught well at 5 metres with meat loose feeding all the time. It wasn't long until the fish started moving up in the water to intercept the bait. I tried fishing up in the water with meat and caught well for a while, but it wasn't long until I started missing lots of bites.
I fed a line long in the margins, but when I came to fish it I changed my mind about how to fish it. I decided that I wanted to fish where I could feed by hand, so I plumbed up 5 meters along the bank and fed this line with some meat and groundbait. Ten minutes later I tried the shorter line in the egde and caught immediately well on this line feeding meat by hand.
With 40 minutes to go I started missing lots of bites and stopped catching. I knew I couldn't have a bad last 40 minutes so I started fishing further down the bank, to catch again.
It was a lot slower and not so effecient but it kept me catching until the end of the match. I ended up with 116lb 2oz, which was enough for the section lake win.
I ended up with 3 wins, a second and dropping a 4th - 35 points after a not so good start so I was delighted with my final score. It was enough for 3rd in the festival. The 10oz Steve beat me by at Bolingey cost me winning the festival! Never the less, another great weeks fishing.
For more information go to http://www.matchtackle.co.uk
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