Anger over absentees

ROACH Anglers 5, Bream Bashers 0. That was the overwhelming result of the 2008 Norfolk Broads Championship when the fishing finesse of the float anglers won all the honours and indeed the whole of the prize pay out, totalling £1,200.

However, local hopes of lifting Norfolk's blue riband event were dashed by young Cambridgeshire rod Lee Klimczuk, who proved the pre-match pundits correct by lifting out the winning net of roach and hybrids totalling 21lb 1½oz. His reward was £185 in cash and a valuable one-year family holiday insurance deal donated by the match sponsors Mead Sport & Leisure, writes Roy Webster.

The Fenland angler from Whittlesey pulled plum peg number 50 in front of the South Walsham drainage pump on the River Bure match stretch.

On most occasions this would have been a top bream pitch, but not last Saturday when the old adage: When the winds are in the east the bream bite least was never more true.

So it was out with the pole and float tackle baited with caster, followed by an all-action five hours when small roach around the 4oz mark with odd bigger bonus fish were the quarry on a flood tide that pushed up from Yarmouth throughout.

At the end the winner was the only angler with more than 20lb on the scales on a day when there were 20 absentees who had booked in by telephone, causing consternation for organiser Tony Gibbons and considerable anger among the competitors who objected vociferously to the advantage empty pegs granted to those anglers in between.

“It will not happen next year,” promised Gibbons. “It will be money up front along with an entry form.”

However, Gibbons rejected a proposal to ban the stayaways from the tournament and added: “We are not in the business of banning anglers who make up their own minds whether to attend the tournament or not. But I shall take steps before the next event.”

Gibbons was not too happy either with other match organisers whose fixtures clashed with the Broads match on Saturday. “We announced the date last January but this was ignored. Once match organisers did their best to avoid clashes but now no one seems to care.”

The runner-up was Paul Cooper (Nisa Waveney) with 13lb 2oz followed by Jason Brewster (Barford Tackle) with 12lb 15oz. The top three were all fishing the River Bure but fourth and fifth came off the River Thurne and were respectively Simon Godfrey (Whittlesey) with 11lb 10oz and Greg Chillingworth (Norwich) with 11lb 7oz. All five were zone winners.

“Although the bream didn't feed I regard the event as a great success and the numbers of roach caught were testimony to the quality of our Broads venues,” concluded Gibbons.

Gibbons will hope for a repeat of last Saturday's action on the River Bure this Sunday when anglers will be competing for the Norwich Individual Championship. The draw is 6.30am, fish 8am to 1pm. Entry 01603 400973.

With the winds prevailing from the east this is likely to be another tiddler-snatching contest for, with overnight temperatures dropping into single figures, it is possible that the St Benets bream have completed the autumn migration into South Walsham Broad.

Broads Championship Result: L Klimczuk (Whittlesey) 21lb 1½oz (£185), P Cooper (Nisa Waveney) 13lb 2oz (£150), J Brewster (Barford) 12lb 15oz (£120), S Godfrey (Whittlesey) 11lb 10oz (£95), G Chillingworth (Norwich) 11lb 7oz (£60). River, Zone and Section winners all received consolation prizes.

Club Results

Caister Ship (Melton Ponds): Carol Waldron 81lb 2oz, Alan Waldron 76lb 5oz, Nick Page 75lb 5oz.

Sportsmans (Weybread Fishery): L Arnold 35lb 5oz, M Bunn 32lb 2oz, G Hunter 14lb 12oz.

Match Fixture

Barford Teams of Three Open Event: October 5 (01603 400973).

On the big carp scene Steve of Stalham bagged one of the best of the week at the Lyng Kingfisher Lake - a splendid mirror of exactly 30lb.

Along local beaches clear water has sent fish offshore, but small codling are returning at night with anglers reporting a few fish just above the size limit, while bass to 5lb have been caught further up the North Norfolk coast.