Great Yarmouth are poised to launch a strenuous bid to lift the Suffolk Angling League Championship for Teams-of-Five.The Bloaters forced their way into contention in the penultimate round of the series, staged on Weybread Pits near Harleston with a second-placed aggregate of 62lb 13oz thanks to the sterling efforts of Mick Hanks, runner-up with 28lb 8oz and Ian Bailey, third with 23llb 11oz, writes Roy Webster.

Great Yarmouth are poised to launch a strenuous bid to lift the Suffolk Angling League Championship for Teams-of-Five.

The Bloaters forced their way into contention in the penultimate round of the series, staged on Weybread Pits near Harleston with a second-placed aggregate of 62lb 13oz thanks to the sterling efforts of Mick Hanks, runner-up with 28lb 8oz and Ian Bailey, third with 23llb 11oz, writes Roy Webster.

Norwich Angling Direct Reds forced their way into top spot, thanks to a monumental catch by their top rod Steve Crowe, whose 74lb 14oz consisting of 19 sizeable bream from peg No 8 which transformed the league table. It lifted the Reds to the top with a aggregate of 211lb 15oz. Then comes DAD Black with 200lb 9oz and Yarmouth with 192lb 9oz.

The final showdown is scheduled for a brand new match fishery at Whisset Road, near Halesworth where there are unknown contingencies that could possibly decide the outcome of what has been a fascinating fishing tournament from start to finish.

Yarmouth team boss Keith Ford said: “My lads have been steadily making progress in this competition to the point where we trail by less than 20lbs of fish behind the leaders.

“The last round is likely to be on this untried venue so the question we shall have to address is: shall we go for carp or silverfish such as bream and roach?

“Certainly we are in with a shout and we shall try and find out more about this water before match day.”

Last Saturday's Feedermaster Series, now a settled tournament again, was another Great Yarmouth success story with town rod Kevin Paynter winning with 40lb 1oz and his team mate Chris Ward third with 31lb 15oz, all bream up to the 6lb mark.

And looking ahead to Sunday, the final round of the River Bure Summer League is staged at St Benets Abbey and more accolades could be lavished upon town anglers if Browning Pownalls manage to cause a major upset, even though they go into the event trailing leaders Suffolk Angling Direct by five points and Barford Anglers World by two.

Unfortunately, Jolly Boys are just out of the reckoning for the title but can still make third spot.

On the carp lakes Ray Kent (Jolly Boys) won at Mill Farm with 119lb 8oz and Yarmouth's top woman match angler Marion Mancini on this venue was runner-up on Thursday with 89lb 12oz and third on Monday with 33lb 4oz.

Barry Burlton (Browning Pownalls) was runner-up at the Railway open with 69lbs while at club level Karl Hodgins headed the Sportsman's card at Melton with 91lb 2oz, then Joe Hammond with 66lb 9oz and Mick Hannent 59lb 14oz.

Other club results were: Stalham (Railway): Dave Agass 35lb, Roy Turton 34lb 7oz, Barry Burlton 29lb 8oz. Caister Ship (Colton): N Page 84lb 11oz, Michelle Page 63lb 4oz, J Payne 45lb 8oz.

On the pleasure lakes, Hall Farm, Burgh Castle has come into form at the right time for the Bank Holiday break. Belton's Royce Dorova heaved out a magnificent total of 34 carp, the best mirrors and commons around the 16lb mark for an aggregate of 250lbs.

Steve Aldous of Gorleston caught 35 smaller specimens to 14lbs for an estimated aggregate of 200lbs and the heaviest fish of the week fell to Gorleston's Barry Hurren with a 21lb mirror carp.

Another Gorleston regular, Mark McSweeney, netted 14 carp, the best a mirror nudging 20lbs, Paul Rose of Hemsby netted four fish to 18lbs and Wendy Hodgkinson of Gorleston bagged two to 16lb 2oz.

Rollesby regular at Waveney Valley Peter Dockree battled with a 27lb 8oz mirror carp with success and all this suggests that Bank Holiday sport on all waters can be rated excellent.

This certainly applies to the Broads rivers, especially the tiny River Ant at Ludham where Norfolk rod Ian Balls heaved out an excellent catch of slabs totalling 90lbs from a pitch no more than 40 yards upstream of the bridge and returned two days later to make another 60lb haul.

However, on this narrow waterway, the Bank Holiday boat traffic is certain to be almost unbearable for anglers, so early mornings or after dark activity is recommended.