25/10/25 - Junior Points Match - Chester's Lake, Whitemoor Lakes, Holt.

The thing I like most about driving to Whitemoor is that it is east from Dorchester. You drive into the dawn of a new day, and a new day can hold a million possibilities.

The pale blue sky was tinged honey yellow behind the blue-grey clouds. The whole sky looked like an unfinished painting on an artist’s canvas in the semi-monotone light. Only the pink highlights in one section of the sky gave evidence of the autumn sun that would later bathe the landscape in the colours of the season. Trees, once bursting with leaves drinking in the sunlight, now stood semi naked in silhouette against the sky. A foreshadowing the winter to come.

Mornings like this used to fill me with the joy of life. But today even all the majesty of nature could not lift the darkness that I carried with me. Recent events have left me cold and heavy with the weight of decisions I need to make, not just in fishing, but in other areas of my life. To the point where when the alarm sounded at 6am, I turned it off, swore to myself, and wanted to close my eyes and drift back to the safe void of sleep.

But there I was driving towards the end of another junior year, and another junior event.

The rain had turned up late to the party and bought a lot of mates with it. Wetness coupled with the wind and cold, do not happy conditions make and I was starting to regret some of the things I said earlier in the year about 'too much sunshine'.

Whilst it’s true that some fisheries needed some rain, and some still do, I would rather see a light top up to relieve the heat of summer, rather than 6-months of rain turning up in a 35-minute window. (Not strictly accurate by the way). But despite the rain and its mates crowding out the party, the sun still managed to get a spot at the front rather than being forced to stand at the back by the gents’ toilets.

After setting out the two road signs, I parked up and wandered around the lake doing a brief safety check and dropping the peg numbers in their provisional positions. I always peg out the matches using the ‘Moan Scale’.

The Moan scale starts at the lowest predicted level of complaints, moving on up to the full-on professional adult meltdown.

The trick is to not exceed Defcon-4 on the Moan scale, or in other words, 75% of ‘Do it ya flippin’ self, next time’.

If you ever find yourself at Defcon-5, it just means massive arguments, a punch up, or cancellation of the match and you all go home…

With Alexander deciding that his potential level of commitment may not be matched by the miles travelled to Wimborne, an advanced message of non-attendance was sent which is always appreciated.

Also, a returning Kenzie, chose to spend his birthday treat fishing day at Todber Manor instead, and why wouldn’t you?

Despite my paying for nine juniors’ worth of pegging fees instead of eight (because I’m a Muppet) the EIGHT juniors attending today were:

Peg 1: Owen Fowler (Newbie one, no nickname issued yet)

Peg 2: Empty.

Peg 3: Josh (If only Matrix did more tackle) Roe.

Peg 4: Seth (Spiderman) Hopkins.

Peg 5: Alfie (Where have all the fish gone?) Ellis.

Peg 6: Empty (Because Jack Copp wasn’t here!).

Peg 7: Josiah (Stumpy) Wells-Parkes.

Peg 8: Freddie (I can’t believe the coach knows stuff) Campbell.

Peg 9: Dougie Francis (Newbie 2)

Peg 10: Austin (The uncoordinated Rambo) Scott-Kennedy.

Your puked furball (The correct collective noun for a group of five angling coaches) of coaches today were:

Graham Howard – Rik

Jerry Bracey – Vivian

Neil Haine – Neil

Tim Broughton – Mike

Jon Bass – Jerzei Belowski

I’d like for us all to take a moment of quiet reflection to spare a thought or two for the Bass-mobile. Jon Bass’s trusty Citroen Berlingo is not a well car and may well be on borrowed time. Like all of us when we get older, it groans when it starts, refuses to move sometimes, and has leaks and smells coming from areas that they shouldn’t. I will keep you posted of any news. #prayersforthebassmobile…

Peg One:

Owen Fowler:

18lbs 2ozs:

5th place, 14-points:

It’s always nice to greet new anglers into the family. It is even nicer when they bring some decent gear, and better still when they know how to use it…

I watched Owen setting up and, to be fair, he has a good range of tackle. Amongst this I spied a 16m MAP 501 pole.

‘Nice pole’, I remarked.

‘Oh, yeah, thanks. I was given that’…

Me: ‘Say what now?’

Owen: ‘Yeah, the guy at Christchurch Angling gave it to me’…

Me: ‘He GAVE it to you? Just like that?’

Owen: ‘yes’.

Me: (Through totally non envious clenched teeth) ‘Oh, well, that’s, that’s just, just great, isn’t it?’ (Thinking, nobody gave ME a pole when I just started out!!!)

Owen: ‘Is it a good pole?’

Me: ‘Oh, it’s just marvellous! Just flippin’ marvellous’…

The conversation may not have gone exactly like that and I really am, So. Very. Happy. For. Him…

It came out later that both he and fellow newbie, Dougie, had been to Chester’s Lake in the pouring rain the previous weekend for a practice. Which is great! But I would advise them to both to come and learn and achieve their potential gradually. Rather than pressure themselves to perform from the start. Having said that, Owen listened well, absorbed the advice, and showed that he has some real potential to become an accomplished angler. Not only that, but he and his family were a delight too.

Well done…

Peg Three:

Josh Roe:

46lbs 14ozs:

1st place, 25-points:

‘Well someone had to draw a flier, so it may as well have been you!’ I quipped as he was setting up his vast collection of snot green fishing tackle. The area of the lake has now been renamed ‘Matrix Corner’.

In the past, and I’ve written this before, Josh has been a victim of his own head. Inner monologues talking himself out of doing better in matches. It was only just over a year ago that Josh almost imploded on the Stour because of an ‘Iffy peg’. But today he displayed some proper level thinking. Rotating his swims when it slowed down, managing his peg better than some anglers twice, or even three times his age.

Even opting for a second net towards the end. Even though it wasn’t needed, I genuinely appreciate the fish care aspect and, if this was the case, the truly admirable mind games that multiple nets play on crushing your opponents!

It was good to see Josh get his fourth win of the year to bring the championship down to just a 7-point gap.

Well done…

Peg Four:

Seth Hopkins:

21lbs 2ozs:

4th place, 15-points:

After a maiden win on the river Stour last time out, Seth had some work to do to maintain that winning streak on another lake that he’d never fished on before.

When you start at the top, there is only one way to go!

Fortunately, despite not being able to snatch cash from his dad’s hands (Because, by law, I cannot give juniors money) and running across a field with it, he didn’t slip to far and showed some unique skills on the way.

I know using your legs and feet is a recognised method of landing fish, particularly on the continent. But when you are only three feet tall (and as cute as a button!), one may question if one can get one’s foot high enough to make a difference to one.

But, do you know what, he was giving it a good go! You cannot take that away from him, the lad was doing it for himself…

Again, when you’re not that tall (yet), the size of the fish Seth was catching could quite as easily have said ‘Wot choo lookin at?’, slapped him across that face, and flipped back into the lake!

Under the gaze of dad Ollie, Seth fished a good match and continued what I think is an exceptional start to his junior career.

Excellent job…

Peg Five:

Alfie Ellis:

15lbs 3ozs:

7th place, 12-points:

I felt for Alfie today. He really did try to make the best of his peg today. But something wasn’t clicking for him, and I wished that I’d spent more time with him during the day. Something that I will try to remedy during the remaining matches.

It was too late to do anything about it but, I think Alfie was experiencing some holding issues with the fish. Something that Josh had managed to sort out today.

Without the knowledge of the venue, Alfie was left to ‘Spot fish’ his peg. By that I mean that he fished one spot until it died after just a few fish before starting somewhere else from scratch. It takes concentration and, in my case, memory of where you are feeding all these different areas to make rotating your swims work for you.

As I have always said, the more challenging the day, the more you learn, or at least know what you need to learn for next time.

Alfie is such a lovely lad, and I’m sure that we can turn his fortunes around in the near future…

Peg Seven:

Josiah Wells-Parkes:

16lbs 6ozs:

6th place, 13-points:

Look, getting injured in football is one thing, but when it affects your fishing, I think it’s time to take a long look at yourself!

Bless him, Trudie’s champion had arrived at Whitemoor with a knee the size of a large grapefruit. Couple that with the legs of a sparrow and it looks awful!

But, kudos to him, he was determined to attend, even if he did keep having to get up and hobble around on crutches that were making his hands sore!

I had joked to James that Jo might be able to use his toes as a rest for his feeder rod?

But when Jim told me about the lad’s ‘Vomit inducing feet’, I suggested that he may like to keep his Hobbit feet covered on the grounds of health and safety, safeguarding, and to protect humanity as a whole!

We would still be there now if I hadn’t have ‘ran’ his fish round to him for a picture. (I say ‘ran’, just picture a heavily pregnant woman running whilst carrying a bag of snot in a bucket, with a club foot, rickety knees and a stitch!)

I would have given Jo 1000-points for effort today if I could.

But I can’t…

But he does get some ‘Atta-boy’ points instead…Well done.

Peg Eight:

Freddie Campbell:

8lbs 8ozs:

8th place, 11-points:

Every lake, river, canal, or drain has some dodgy areas. To be honest, Freddie was in one of those. Although my experience of fishing on Chester’s Lake is far less that some of the juniors fishing here today, I do know that the aerator corner isn’t the best bit.

I knew things were not going well for Fred has he wandered a lap of the lake, probably in frustration at not catching like some of the others were.

I did get a chance to help him a bit and told him to follow the script, sit on the pole in some deeper water, and be patient.

Fortunately for him (and me!), fish did start to play ball a bit and the 8lbs of fish that Freddie tipped onto the scales at the end did not reflect the effort he’d put in to it…

But his smile at the end showed me that he had enjoyed a good part of the day and had definitely learned a bit too…

Good job…

Peg Nine:

Dougie Francis:

23lbs 8ozs:

3rd place, 17-points:

Our second newbie, like Owen, also came impressively equipped. It was good to see a couple of lads who knew what their stuff a bit and had done some research. It was clear that our work with either of them would have a good foundation, and plenty of enthusiasm and passion.

Dougie had a relentless angler next to him in the shape of Austin, so he would need to stay fairly focused on his own fishing to prevent him from being overwhelmed by pressure. Both newbies had, apparently, had some pre-match jitters. I think that is a good thing if it can be channelled into positive energy. Nerves are sometimes mistaken for excitement. You NEED those kind of nerves because it means that the match means something to you.

Doug had been to Whitemoor the previous weekend, but I don’t think he was ready for the start that Austin had on the adjacent peg. But he kept his nerve, fished his match. And did so very well. Well enough to grab third place from newbie superstar Seth!

The two new lads will be a great asset to the group. They and their families are very welcome…

Peg Ten:

Austin Scott-Kennedy:

31lbs 14ozs:

2nd place, 20-points:

Austin is a bloggers dream. A constant source of material. A fountain that just keeps giving…

Watching Austin fish peaks my OCD to the point of sheer agony. There is not a coach among us that wouldn’t rip him from his box just to show him a less chaotic method of doing things.

I could describe his ‘technique’ in words or interpretive dance. But instead, I will ask you to imagine a baby deer, covered in axle grease, skittering around on a frozen lake after a heavy night of Jager-bombs and alcohol-based hand cleanser…Oh, and tinsel…There has to be tinsel… and mud… maybe some poo…

BUT

Having said and imagined ALL of that. He still manages to catch some fish!

Even with the clattering of carbon pole sections, landing net handles, chatter and heap dumping bait everywhere, he still does the job.

I think Austin has a fight on his hands for the trophy this year and it will be interesting to see how it all pans out.

Well done…

So, there we have it. Another junior match draws to a close as we creep towards the end of our 8th season.

I want to underline my statement at the presentation in the carpark, I didn’t want to come today, but now I don’t want to go home.

Thank you everyone for your kind and supportive words. Thank you for your friendships and understanding. Thank you for making me realise what it is that I love so much about junior coaching, and for helping me to understand the value of what it is that I do, and the value of myself.

I do not know yet what the future holds or where we will be heading. But I do know that I have some proper soul searching to do and some deep discussions to have with those close to me.

Thank you to the best group of lads on the planet, Jerry Bracey, Neil Haine, Jon Bass, & Tim Broughton. None of any of it happens without you… Additionally, thanks to Richie Butler for the fishery info that made me look like I knew what I was doing...

Thank you to Paul and Tom at Whitemoor for providing a first-class fishery and for your continuing support…(Even though I paid for nine kids instead of eight. That’s on me, buy yourself something nice!!!)

Our next event is next weekend on Campbell Match Lake at Viaduct Fishery.

It was and still is one of the best fisheries in the Southwest if not the country.

Well worth attending if you can make it.

Just so you know, fees for this one will be £12.

Take care all…

Juniors Sec…