Mr Blakes Festival - A final day sprint from Gary Naylor.

I think I speak for all when I say Mark Blake did a first class job in arranging this festival.  Thank you to him for giving the chance to anglers that don't normally get a chance to fish this type of event.  Some may say he invited a few weaker anglers to improve the odds of picking up pools, maybe there is some truth in that; but trust me - I may not have picked up pools, but I got a hell of a lot out of the three days.  Not least, I am enjoying my fishing again.

The Friendly Festival

I spoke to Gary Naylor before the match.  I tried to gauge why this excellent angler had for him, been lagging behind - he is normally the one who takes the money home.  Clearly he knows the Eastleigh waters well having fished them all his life, but Withy is a bit of a bogey water.  The photo above is before the match.  Blakey the organiser is front center in fetching yellow top.  The shy blokes at the back are Brian Shuttler, and young Daryl Mayers hiding from the tax man maybe, with all the coin they pick up.  I drew peg 16 on Selwood.  Most unusual for me after drawing peg 12 three times in the last 3 I have fished selwood.

I was next to the favoured peg (15) , three matches in a row I have drawn next to the flier.  Still I fancied mine.  I put in a cup of worm and hemp, and 3 balls of sensas magic at 14.5 meters.  It was nice weather till Paul said the weather man said wind today, at which point it blew strong all day.  

Left Paul "Hoffmeister" Hough the bringer of windy weather.  I went of quickly but was losing flying skimmers as clearly the red 11 hollo preston was just a tad to stiff.  After yesterday I was prepared and went to 5 solid on a pulla bung. Paul the harbinger of doom said, you will hook a carp now .....mark my word.  Sure enough bang, barely had the choppy worm hit the deck than it was away.  It was on long enough for the elastic to bottom out. In the next 15 minutes I had five put ins , hooked five carp and lost five carp.  The red mist descended top kits where thrashed against the lake, kit was thrown around; and quite frankly I acted like a total dick.  I was a spoilt child throwing my teddy in the corner. I need some luck. I apologise to my fellow anglers for the bad language, I will try harder to be less foul mouthed in the future.

 Selwood is quite shallow and when carp feed in a frenzy foul hooking is a real possibility.  Blakey (two to my left) and Hoffy, looked on with some bemusement; but with consoling advice that at least the fish are there, your just foul hooking em.  To prove the point on examining the rig after the last fish there was a mirror scale over the point of the hook. So that's Carp 5, me nil (three trashed rigs, one straightened hook and one mirror scale). 

 Meanwhile everyone else was catching, Lee Goodfellow of to my right had had a double figure the Gary Naylor of to my left and the other side of the lake, had a lovely big Carp and a few to go with it. All of us struggled against the wind, and the fact that Selwood had been fished hard for three solid days in a row.

Dave Moody, was catching at 5 meters as the wind restricted anything else.  Brian Shuttler had a few, and Snr Mayo down on 12, was losing more fish than me!!!!!! - that takes some doing.  Young Mayo, was fishing the splodger into the calm water of the lee side of the island, and bagging.  Me, well normal small skimmer after small skimmer, but going backwards. 

Partly not wanting to be last and the embarrassment that comes with it, I was chopping and changing (my mate John Dewberry sat on my shoulder; screaming at me to stop mucking about and changing things, "do one thing well, rather  than lots of things badly") styles and methods, but to be honest struggling to get a bite.  The dream of pushing on from my two 6th (midsectionblues) places; in tatters as I feel it all slipping away; but I listened to John "Yoda" Dewberry and concentrated on one method.  Pole at 14.5, and despite the wind had a few more roach and skimmers

All out was whistled, and the cream comes to the top.  Gary Naylor (cant keep a good man down) a deserved first, Daryl the dazzler Mayer second , Blakey a well scratched third.  Me worst result of the three days. Second from last and a paltry 9 lb 12oz of silvers and one little 1.5 lb Crucian.

Daryl the Dazzler picks up again; as the two best anglers shake hands to end this excellent inaugural alternate Festival.   Not sure what Hoffy is doing , he is not normally one to kiss ass!!

Graham, took back his quid.  That pound coin has done some mileage between us lately back and forth.

As the other Festival (Barneys) has over recent years become a closed shop, except to a privileged few; surely Marks event is the blueprint for future Witherington Farm Festival?  Something for Eastliegh AC and Witherington Farm owners to consider. 

Position	Angler	Overall weight	Points
1	Daryl “Dazzler” Mayers	136 lb 6oz	32
2	Mark “Consistent” Blake	107 lb 11oz	30
3	Brian Shuttler	102 lb 4oz	24
4	Kendal	78 lb 12oz	23
5	Paul “Hoffmeister” Hough	66 lb 14oz	20
6	Graham “ Mr Crabtree” Houghton	88 lb 11oz	19 (6th on weight)
7	Haydon “Mayo” Mayers	61 lb 11oz	19
8	Gary Naylor	63lb 14oz	18
9	Lee Goodfellow	50 lb 10oz	16
10	Gary “Big Dog” Williams	54 lb 4oz	15
11	Dave “Waggler Master” Moody	45 lb 4oz	13
12	“Gorgeous” George Stainer	21 lb 10oz	5