This weekend I am off to Stafford Moor in Devon for a weeklong festival sponsored by bait firm GOT Baits. I fished the event last year but found the whole experience a massive learning curve which put me in good shape resulting in a seventh place effort in the May Fish O Mania qualifier against 129 other hopefuls.

I am confident of a much better showing assuming I have a run of decent draws, which makes a world of difference in the final outcome.

Eighty plus anglers are expected to take part in the event which starts on Monday, and by the time Friday comes we would have had fished all four lakes set for the five day competition.

Woodpeckers and Tanners are pretty much the same but Pines and Josephs Lakes are completely different and will take different approaches and tactics.

Joseph's holds some big carp and they take some stopping so my spools are already freshly topped up with 10lbs hydro tuff complimented with a Fox super heavy feeder rod.

Catfish also live in the lake as well so again tackle needs to be sufficient enough to handle one of the hardest battlers in the fish world.

Last year I drew Pines Lake twice, but bad pegs, and although I was near to the weights I was 2lbs off from collecting good points ending any chance of a decent enough finish. Although I have fished another successful winter festival at the fishery since last years October event I have promised myself a much better showing this time round and know my plan of attack is much better prepared. Last season I turned up with all sorts of different sized halibut pellets, big mistake, as the fish are more at home with just low oil carp pellets. A lesson I learned to my expense especially on the first day when the penny dropped half way through the match but by then it was too late.

Last week I made a final but unsuccessful bid to qualify for the Fish To Win final on October 25, when I took in the penultimate round at Tyler's Common in Essex. I don't think I have ever fished in such shallow water and I have no doubt the fishery owners have been doing a rain dance without success for quite some time.

Each peg has two islands at about 18 metres from the bank but they were sticking up at least two to three feet out of the water exposing rat and vowel holes and with just 10 inches of water at 14 metres every time a fish was hooked it bolted off at a rate of knots.

In the end I landed 12 carp for 24lbs 3oz for 17th place out of 60 but with eight fish pinging off the hook I should have weighed in nearly 50lbs.

I look forward to going back for another go when the rain has topped up the lake again.

Tight Lines