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I was really looking forward to the Garbolino Spring Classic at brilliant White Acres. It is smaller in numbers than the usual festivals, but still full of very good anglers and I would need to get my drawing arm going this week! I was also hoping to continue the Garbolino-sponsored anglers domination of the recent festivals, with Grant Albutt, Andy Geldart and Darren Cox all winning the three major Spring festivals!

DAY 1 – TREWATERS 26

Really fancied this peg but it was windless and really struggled for 19lb. I couldn’t make anything work, all the fish seemed to be to my right which was where the wind was blowing. How many times have we all said that, these commercials are very wind dominated and it can make anybody look a fool if you’re at the wrong end of the section? With hindsight, I should have stayed on the Method feeder instead of running round like a lunatic trying to make something work. I finished fourth in the section, and with every result counting it wasn’t the best of starts. However this peg proved to be a bad draw all week and it cost some anglers a lot of money…

DAY 2 – TWIN OAKS 26

A good draw in the middle of the lake. I fished the new Garbolino Pellet Feeders from back to back and won the section and lake with 98lb. It is essential to chuck it tight on these lakes and the added weight in these feeders are perfect. They cast like a dream and allow you to tuck in softer hook baits like meat and expanders without damaging them.

DAY 3 – TREWATERS 38

Average draw, but delighted to win the section and the lake again with 53lb – all on the Pellet Feeders again! I also used the awesome Garbolino 10ft Super G Bomb rod which “lives in my holdall”. I think it’s unbeatable for this type of fishing, as it’s a really soft rod which stops the hook pulling on F1s and smaller carp. I use this rod on Porth as well for catching tiny skimmers. Just change the 1/4oz carbon tip to a 1/4oz or 1/2oz glass tip and its ideal.

DAY 4 – TWIN OAKS 14

This peg is good, but with 16 not pegged it makes peg 15 or 17 real flyers and I feared the worse. Despite this, I had a great day and won the section with 85lb, all on the Method feeder with micros and a 6mm hard pellet on the hook.

THE RESULT

I finished second overall, which I was delighted with after that bad start. Well done to Martin Allen who fished brilliantly and really has that Method feeder sorted. All in all  I had a great week’s fishing and would like to thank Clint Elliott and his staff at White Acres for another fantastic festival. Can’t wait for the next one! After all these years I still get very excited about my fishing and realise how lucky we are to be part of this great sport!