With The Big Fish n Show done and dusted and the journey home complete, I thought I might round up what I thought about it all. I have never been to the Baden Hall complex, so I had no idea what to expect. Fortunately for me, my mum lives literally 20 minutes away. So it was a no-brainer to go visit her and see the show.
Of course, I packed a couple of rods, should the opportunity arise to get on the Shropshire Union. I had bought the tickets back in May, long before I knew the guys at PredatorTackle.co.uk were going to be there. When they announced their attendance, it was the icing on the cake. Not only were Dave and his crew going to be there, but a lot of the big names were as well, supporting the Predator Tackle stand.
I left early on Saturday, with visions of the queues for the Big One show. Thankfully, none of that nonsense, and we were soon on the drive down to the parking area. When I say parking area, it really was just a field. I have to admit being concerned about whether I could get out if the rain that was promised arrived.
I headed down the track and was really impressed by the lakes and the size of the place. Ten minutes later, I was through the gates. I was going to head for some food before wandering round, but the sight of the queue put a stop to that, so I headed into the Angling Trust section and was pleased to see all the stalls were busy supporting their relevant causes.
I don't know how, but for some reason I missed the Predator stand altogether; I mean, it was the biggest stand and had banners from all the major contributors flapping wildly outside. Anyway, once I focused my obviously bleary eyes, I spied my destination behind the huge queue for Jeremy Wade. There were hundreds waiting to see the white-haired monster hunter. The same for Fishing With Carl; I really couldn't get my head round why people would stand in a line like that, but they did, and those who were face to face with Carl really looked to be enjoying themselves.
Never mind, at the Predator stand, I knew they had set up for the show in advance, and it was not going to be as big as the Lure Lounge, but it was impressively dazzling, to say the least. The Marquee was easily the busiest in the show. It was at this point i spotted Dave Greenland chatting with Peter Baker from The Perch Hunters. I had been wanting to catch up with the hunters for some time. It was really great to finally meet Pete and Terri. We chatted for a while before they went off to brave the queue for food. Pete also gave me a lovely little gift box with some lures in them, one for me and one for Gavin Lofty Hughes. In appreciation of the support we have given them since they launched. The lures inside were not just thrown together, and Pete explained why the Westin Craw was in mine.
The stand itself was well laid out, and clearly it was a hard choice what to leave behind in the shop. I had a few ideas about what I was after, and was informed by Mrs Haggath that I did not need any more rods. But we all know you can't have enough fishing rods. I wandered round the stands and chatted with a few of the staff and supporters. Ash Costa was in high demand, and Charlie Coppolo - The Illustrated Angler seemed to be everywhere. I regret not having the chance to speak with Robbie Northman, as he always strikes me as one of the most genuine guys out there.
I have to admit to being a little bit blinded by the amount of stuff on show. And the number of people who stopped me and asked for my advice was pretty amazing too. I guess wearing my Predator Tackle hoodie was a bit confusing for some people. Still, it was great to pass on some of my own opinions and advice. It was clear there were a huge number of people looking to get into predator fishing. I hope that at least a few of those inquisitive people do take up the discipline.
If I thought it was busy when I got there, nothing prepared me for the influx of people when the heavens opened. The number of people easily doubled, and the poor customers in the queue to pay were out the door and getting soaked. Sadly, though, with the influx, we did see a few lightfingered people chancing their arm. Thankfully, that was kept to a minimum as the event security seemed to arrive to keep an eye on things.
It was at this point, as I saw the shelves emptying, that I thought I'd better get my own shopping done. I was in the market for a new holdall, some of Jude Evans very own Judebug Treuse Z-Man Fishing UK craws, and I was keen to check out the Kuore baits and see what the fuss was all about. I have to admit I did like them and bought a few packs for the Dropshot. I also stumbled across the small Zman chatterbaits with the Flashback soft lures. They looked too good to ignore.
So I stuck to my promise and never bought a single fishing rod, although I am sure I managed to convince a few other people to buy some. The temptation was strong, and I had the cash. Thankfully, there were no Illex Peppers on show, or I might have crumbled.
All in all, the show was thoroughly worthwhile, and I did enjoy checking out the other exhibitors. While I was not really interested in their wares, it was good to see a few of the match companies there. There were so many families and youngsters there, which bodes well for the future of angling, and in particular an awful lot of people stepping into the predator world for the first time.
As for the fishing, it did not live up to the show; a quick couple of hours down the Cowley tunnel, the flashbacks were definitely getting a reaction, but the decent fish must have gone on holiday. I had a couple of small perch for my efforts.
I think that this event seemed a much more rounded and family event; the Big One was really an assault on your senses at every turn. I felt much less like I was fighting against a tide of Camo Carpers at Baden, so I definitely recommend taking a look if you can next year.