ANGLING by ROY WEBSTERFOR the past 30 years or more Norfolk match angler Brian Weavers has always been regarded as a bream specialist, winning cash and trophies with massive catches of tidal river slabs.

ANGLING by ROY WEBSTER

FOR the past 30 years or more Norfolk match angler Brian Weavers has always been regarded as a bream specialist, winning cash and trophies with massive catches of tidal river slabs.

However, on Sunday, the Gorleston hot rod revealed a hidden talent. He won the Norwich and District AA individual championship with a bag of River Bure roach.

His healthy total of 17lb 14oz reeled in from peg number 39 opposite the South Walsham drainage pump, was outstanding on a day when the River Bure at St Benets Abbey ran crystal clear on the ebb tide, dashing anglers hopes of drawing a shoal of feeding bream.

There was just one solitary bream weighed in along the whole of the match length where some of the top roach specialists struggled into low single figures from some of the more fancied banks.

But, come the end of his five-hour stint, it was 60-year-old Yarmouth Sportsmans clubman who coasted home with more than 5lb to spare over runner-up Keith Westgate, of the Rivermen, with 12lb 5oz, followed by Stalham's Mick Brown with 11lb 13oz.

Afterwards, the delighted new champion, who pockets a three-figure cash prize, recalled: “I was delighted with my draw, which has always been noted as a bream hotspot. But soon after the first whistle, I realised my favourite species would not be feeding in such clear water beneath bright skies. So, I scaled down to a small feeder rig and a size 16 hook baited with one or two red maggots.”

Great Yarmouth Saturday series on the River Yare continued to be a roach-fest won by visitor Joe Roberts with 35lb 1oz taken on his first visit to the river.

Browning/Pownalls charity open at Cobbleacre raised nearly �440 for the Deer Park House Outreach College, while at Barford on Saturday Mark Bradford, of B/P, headed the match card with 85lb 1oz.

Other match results: Carols (Melton Ponds): A Waldon 119lb, Carol Wadron 72lb, K Dyball 42lb 4oz. Stalham (Melton Ponds): R Austrin 51lb 9oz, D Dearman 25lb 4oz, D Agass 17lb. Sportsmans (Taswood): C Leonard 28lb 8oz, G Hunter 22lb 7oz, M Hannant 22lb 5oz. Dukes (Ormesby Broad): C Greenfield 21lb 4oz, W Goose 14lb 10oz, T Campbell 13lb 2oz.

On the carp fisheries, Hall Farm, Burgh Castle was in great form for Cobholm's Frank Rose who winched out 17 fish headed by a brace of commons scaling 18lb 9oz and 17lb 8oz.

The best of 11 fish for Hopton's Chris Davey was a 23lb 10oz common and others with numbers of fish to the high teens were Scott Walden, Yarmouth, Steve Aldous and Carl Payne, of Gorleston, while at Taswood, Caister regular Darren Stamp netted a 23lb mirror carp.

Gorleston Tackle Sea League results: 1 Gary Medlar 3lb 8oz, 2 Mark Gooch 3lb 7oz, 3 Kevill Chilvers 2lb 14oz.

Best fish was a 12oz dab with dogfish, whiting dabs and lesser spotted dogfish being caught.

Next match is Beaconsfield Road, Great Yarmouth.