16/06/2026
π BACON BRINGS HOME LINDHOLME FESTIVAL TITLE!
If consistency wins festivals, then Cliff Bacon delivered a masterclass at the five-day event at Lindholme Lakes.
Cliff pieced together a string of impressive performances that saw him claim five section wins, the overall festival title and the event's biggest carp at just over 16lb!
The week started perfectly on Willows peg 2, where simple tactics with casters to the stick-ups and groundbait and corn in the shallows produced 128lb 5oz, securing the section win and second overall on the lake.
Day two on Strip peg 22 saw Cliff make an early tactical switch away from small stockies at 13 metres and target bigger fish down the edges. The move paid off handsomely, with a superb 176lb 12oz giving him both the section and lake win.
On Laurels peg 38, strong winds dictated a more versatile approach. Rotating between pellets at 13 metres, bomb and pellet, and margin lines produced 74lb 12oz, enough for another vital section victory and second on the lake.
Then came the unforgettable fourth day on Bonsai peg 35. Fishing through torrential rain, Cliff was happily catching long when he noticed something wasn't quite right. A quick glance at his bait tub revealed the water wasn't level. Looking behind him, he realised the peg itself was slowly sliding towards the lake!
After wisely relocating before providing the rest of the lads with the week's biggest comedy moment, he regrouped, switched tactics and finished strongly down the edge to weigh 141lb, securing yet another section win and third on the lake.
The final day on Benny's peg 38 was another battle against brutal wind conditions. Long-range caster fishing quickly became impossible, and after a brief "toys out of the pram" moment, Cliff adapted brilliantly. Fishing tree stumps and edge lines with casters, dead reds and groundbait, he finished with 142lb 11oz, taking another section win and topping the lake.
Throughout the week, his feed approach centred around fishery pellets soaked in Aquastim Salmon Oil, combined with a 50/50 mix of Crushed Expander and Biogrub Green groundbait.