We had a great response to our uniquely structured event at Suffolk Water Park on Weds 25th to Sat 28th April.
Despite meticulous preparation, the set up day on Tuesday dawned to horrendous rain and strong winds, that sadly challenged us throughout the week. None the less, our team all knuckled down and got the show nicely set up in time to get the rods out on the first night.
The night proved fruitless, apart from a few Bream and Tench, but then around 8.30 am Drafty had a lovely 34lb Mirror on our new Red Crustacean bait
34lb....a Suffolk cracker....
The first 2 days were planned as Trade customer days, and every customer that showed up in the foul weather over this period, commented on how useful it was to see everything set up in situ on a water, and have the ability to use the gear on the lake. We achieved a lot from this with several customers extending their range of JRC and Berkley products. The Nanofil casting demos proved particularly effective at showing just how good a casting line this stuff really is, and its use in bait application work such as spodding and spombing. We even had one customer turn up from Wrexham and spend 2 days with his son Morgan, using the gear, and getting some expert tips from the team. (Thanks Steve!)
Friday was Press Day, and we all woke to the same deal – RAIN ! RAIN ! WIND & MORE RAIN !!
The fishing was improving though, as Drafty had picked up another thirty pound Mirror at 31lb, plus another Mirror of 23lbs; and Stewart (Potter) Hay collected a pristine 31lb Common – again all on Red Crustacean 16 and 12mm baits fished over small beds of bait.
Drafty's 31lb fish.......
The Press Day was well attended, by the DHP (Total Carp/Advanced Carp, IPC Media (Anglers Mail), UK Carp, Carpworld and CARPology/Maximum Carp. They all had plenty of time to review and test the product, including our Coleman range; and spend time with our Marketing Manager, Steve Egerton and the team.
Saturday dawned, and after another hearty breakfast, we all made preparations for the final day, including erecting another Coleman event tent to provide more shelter for the public; as yes, you’ve guessed it, it was still raining, although the wind had mercifully dropped. Rob Nunn crept in with a late result around 8.30am with a nice Mirror of 23lbs, again on Red Crustacean – not bad for a water that had never seen the bait until we arrived !
The car park starting to fill up early, and by 9am, people were mobbing the on-site tackle shop to collect their Gulp! Carp bait goody bags and get access to the show. We had a virtual stampede when we opened up, and we were busy right up until around 3pm, although it has to be said that the conditions were hardly conducive to trying and buying! The shop recorded a record sales day, and the public were very impressed with the display and the demos.
The Nanofil casting demo was again very popular, with Rob Nunn recording 4oz ground casts in excess of 260 yds, despite the slight head wind on the day! Our bait range display was also keenly viewed by all, with Drafty presenting some novel bait ideas.
We also drew a raffle, and incredibly, the prize was won by one of the junior staff on the day. The prize? A long weekend trip to one of the Suffolk Water Park’s gems, Jacob’s Creek ! There is a certain irony there I guess?!
We are already planning similar events for the future, but my thanks go out to Stuart Mill, Mark Harrison and the team at Suffolk Water Park for their hospitality, and of course to Peter Clapperton, the owner for allowing us to run the event.
Venue details:
Suffolk Water Park
Loraine Way
Bramford
Ipswich
IP8 4JS
Tackle Shop 01473 832327
Stuart Mill 07719 244061
www.suffolkwaterpark.com
suffolkwaterpark@hotmail.com
