It seems like only yesterday that we were packing the gear and travelling to Viaduct fishery in Somerton for another week of fishing,drinking,eating, fishing eating, drinking and so on. This time for the Yam Yam festival, this is very much a fun festival, where your main priority is to enjoy yourself, even if it is at the cost of others. Last year Vic fell off a platform and needed 3 months off work, we have seen some off the lads sleeping on the bank, trying to get rid of the effects of the previous nights social events, but it is all taken in your stride.This year would see 10 of us fishing the festival with another 2 lads coming just for the weekend leading upto it. Both Vic and I were travelling from Milton Keynes and Del would be meeting us en route from Hemel. The rest of the lads were from the Black Country.
Saturday
We had booked Cary Lake for our first match at the venue, this was not part of the festival as this did not start until the Monday. We were all hopeful of a few fish, but the lake had not been fishing too well of late. Still we had the whole lake and could spread out.I had drawn peg 86 on the far bank. I had Soupy for company on 88 and with the wind blowing into our end of the lake was hoping for a few fish. I set up a bomb rod, a Pellet waggler for fishing around 30m and a short pole for 2+2. I also set up a shallow rig and would be trying to mug any cruising fish.
At the all in, I started pinging 3 or 4 pellets every 30 seconds to the bomb and PW lines, but no indications. After an hour I had a single skimmer on an 8mm Jupiter pellet.A look onto the short pole line bore no fruit, so back onto the bomb. After around another 30 minutes, I had my first carp of around 12lb. By switching from bomb and waggler I managed another 4 carp to weigh in 56lb and nowhere in the match. Soupy had snagged a couple of fish on the waggler short, over his long pole line for around 80lb but Fred had done the business with 94lb from peg 94 fishing the waggler into the bay.
Sunday
Sunday saw the lads travelling off complex for a trip to Goodiford Mill. A venue around an hour away near Cullompton. We have fished this lake before and it can be good on the pellet waggler or pole if you can get them in later in the day. I drew peg 1 which is in the open water section and not too good. Either side on 3 you had islands to chuck to. I had Fred and Bob,either side with Nobby, Del and Cotty in view. I started off on the PW and had a couple of quick fish and noted that Bob and Nobby were fishing lighter wagglers. They were fishing the same distance, but made less of a splash when hitting the water. I was trailing after an hour and tried to pull fish from Bob by upping the feed. This work for a short burst but not in the longer term. Fred was struggling in the open water whilst Del, Cotty, Bob and Nobby could all catch tight to the islands.
A look onto the pole line brought roach, skimmers and crucians but I was going backwards and at the end of the match threw 60lb back. Fred had also thrown back. Cotty won the match with 143lb with Dave W on 141lb, Frenchy, 140lb, Bob 125lb and Vic sneaking in fifth with 123lb.
Monday
Monday saw the start of the festival. the format is quite simple, 2 sections of 5 anglers, 1pt for winning section 5pts for last in section. Winner is the person with the lowest points followed by overall weight if there is a tie.
My home for the day was on Campbell 114. It is positioned on a jetty with a good depth down the margins. I hoped to catch on the bomb early on, then come into 2+2 and spend the last hour down the edge. I had Gongo on 116 and Soupy on 112. I started off on the bomb and although I was getting liners and small plucks on the tip, it refused to go round. I came in earlier than expected and in hindsight was a wrong move as the fish had not settled over the pellet and corn feed. I had a couple of early fish on this line and with the skimmers going 2lb apiece and odd carp coming to either double corn or an 8mm hard pellet, I was putting a few fish in the net.Soupy was chopping and changing and nicking odd fish and I thought it was close. Gongo was catching well. I had a few fish down the side and felt that I should have fished it earlier as it died with 30 minutes to go. My weight of 96lb was last in section, not the ideal start to the festival. Bob on 125 had won the match with 202lb with a mix of bomb fish and paste fish.
Tuesday
Tuesday came and again on Campbell and keen to put yesterday behind me, I needed a good result today, as another last in section would see my dreams of a top 3 finish go. I managed to draw the winning peg from yesterday 125, never a good sign, as you expect fish to be there, yet they rarely are, preferring to sulk. I again had a similar plan to yesterday, fishing the bomb whilst the 5m line settled and inside late on. I had Fred on 123 and Soupy on 127 and could see there pegs were black with fish stirring up the bottom from the off. I started off on the bomb for a single carp of around 6lb and was already 6 fish behind Fred within the first half hour. Soupy had a couple and I was now hoping the 5m line was solid. It was not to be, as I struggled to get the feeding right. I am sure the fish were there but my feeding was wrong on the day instead of dumping feed in I should have dripped it in. My weight of 76lb was never in contention with the rest of the section and my festival was over. 2 last in sections. Paul D had caught plenty of fish on 132 and would have had 213lb yet fell foul of the net limits and had a net over the 80lb upper limit and the net was disqualified leaving him on 132lb. Fred won the match with a new PB match weight of 206lb.
Wednesday
Todays match was on Cary, it was fishing hard and the feeling was that you needed to be in the bowl on pegs 87,88 or 94. My drawing arm continued to let me down and 102 was to be my home.I set up the normal bomb and PW rods and also set up a margin rig for last on. I had Vic next door on 100 with Soupy on 98. I started off on the bomb and had a carp around 7lb within 10 minutes and the area I was fishing, around 3/4 across to the aerator had started fizzing. I was hopeful of a good day. By chopping and changing between bomb and waggler I was able to snare 7 fish in total for 56lb 15oz. Vic won the section with 60lb, and Soupy was third in section with 56lb 14oz. I had done Soupy by an ounce to pick up the 2nd in section envelope. Gongo won the match with 123lb from 87 with Cotty second with 88lb from peg 88. Everyone else had nicked odd fish and it was a struggle for everyone.
Thursday
The regular Thursday open on the complex meant we could not have our fixed sections so we work it out to be first 5 pegs are in one section whilst the second 5 pegs are in the second section, despite which lake you draw on. My draw saw me on peg 68 on Lodge lake, Bob was on 70, Vic on 72, Dave W was on Cary 74 and Paul D was on Cary 81. I set up 4 rigs to fish the pole. 2+2, a margin rig to fish to the platform on 67, a shallow slapping rig and a long line deep rig. I started of fishing long pinging a few 4mms over the top and saw a few swirls so went out on the slapping rig to connect with a carp which bottomed out the black hydro and came flying back with a vengeance. 1-0 to the carp. Back on the deck I caught a few roach and skimmers but the were on the small side so with 4 hours left I decided to fish the margin. Within 10 minutes I had my first carp in the net, at around 12lb it was a nice addition. A couple more skimmers and another lost carp (2-1) before I started getting a few iffy bites. Next door a local was catching well on pellet so tried an 8mm and I started hooking a few carp. Some went straight under the platform and into the large bush and I lost the rig, others I managed to get out. I weighed in 5 carp for 48lb and 10lb of skimmers/roach for a total of 58lb and third in section. Vic had 63lb, so any of the lost carp would have got me second. Bob won our section with 102lb. Again Cary had fished hard with Dave having 57lb and Paul D 26lb. Gongo won the match with 140lb from peg 111 on Campbell's with Del coming 6th overall with 109lb from 129.
Friday
Last day of the festival and I was bottom of the table with 15points (5-5-2-3) Bob was leading but anyone could still win it. The chasing pack of Cotty Dave W, Gongo, Del and Vic could all still win it with a good result. The draw was interesting, Bob had drawn probably the most consistant peg on Campbells throughout the week 129 but the chasing pack were all on decent pegs. I had drawn peg 132 and knew it was an out and out bomb peg. I did set up a shallow PW rod and a 2+2 pole rig but never had any intention of using them unless I was struggling. There were fish about in the peg and I was hoping for a good day. Starting off on the bomb, I lost my first three fish, pulling out of every one, so adjusted the clutch and changed the hooklength and I was soon up and running. I was already behind Gongo on 110, who had got off to a flyer. After the first 2 hours he had sneaked in 14 fish to my 11 and I felt mine were on the small side, averaging 4lb each. I kept plugging away and although reports were coming down that people were catching I needed to keep my head and not panic. In hours 3 and 4 I added another 15 fish and reckoned on having 150lb in the net. In the last two hours I started struggling for bites and found the by fishing away from the feed area I could keep fish coming. Switching between 8mm and 10mm coarse pellets worked on the day and ended up with 37 fish for 233lb. A few larger fish coming towards the later stages of the match. I had won the section and the match with Vic coming second, Del third, after having a mix up with his nets and getting a disqualification on one net. Cotty was fourth and Bob last in section. The other section had also fished well, with everyone recording a weight over the ton, but Gongo managed to win it with 156lb and take the overall title by one point from Vic in second.
Overall
I have been going to this festival for the last few years and have some great memories. I really enjoy it. It is not about the fishing, although it can be awesome and also poor. Yet it is the expectations and standards that make it so special. The highlights are the inquests after the match in the restaurant or bar, no one is safe and if you fished well they congratulate you and if you fish poorly they slaughter you, this week I have had a mix of both. As have everyone. My stomach hurts from laughter and my liver hurts from alcohol abuse but it is well worth it, for the craic. I am booked in for next year and am already looking forward to it.
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