Great Yarmouth's top match angling squad Browning Pownalls ended their year's activity on the open tournament circuit in high spirits with another marvellous victory under their belts.

Great Yarmouth's top match angling squad Browning Pownalls ended their year's activity on the open tournament circuit in high spirits with another marvellous victory under their belts.

Three of the star performers representing the Regent Road fishing tackle shop hoisted the Barford Fishery Teams of Three challenge with a stunning performance that left them triumphant after fending off the efforts of West Norfolk's Dersingham during a thrilling three-lake contest, writes Roy Webster.

Pownalls golden piscatorial performance was achieved by Brian Gooch, Andy Toogood and Chris Sykes who, with two sections wins and a third, ended their stint with just five penalty points.

However, the result was in doubt right until the final whistle, and even then nerves were ragged until it was announced that the Yarmouth trio had lifted top honours with five penalty points with Dersingham coming in runners-up just one adrift.

Dersingham appeared to have got off to a flyer with two of their team, John Collison and Adam Playford, both winners on the Pleasure and Railway Lakes. But their third man in the squad dipped to fourth in section three and that left the door ajar for Pownalls to step right through into the limelight.

Founder member of the match squad Barry Burlton said his team consisted of about a dozen top local anglers and they had figured in open tournaments and leagues throughout the year.

“I'm really proud of these lads. On Saturday it was really hard going but our three stuck it out, applied themselves to the job and came through with the result,” he said.

Team results: 1 Browning Pownalls (Brian Gooch and Adam Toogood both one penalty point, Chris Sykes 3) total 5 points, runners-up Dersingham 6 points.

Elsewhere on the open match events Stephen Rouse of Ormesby won at Hill Farm, Banham with 16lb 6oz while at club level the results were: Stalham (Club Lagoon): D Dearman 10lb 2oz, D Garton 9lb 9oz, S Lawrence 9lb 2oz. Jolly Boys (Barford): A Varley 21lb 12oz, R Silverwood 21lb 2oz, D Grimwood 11lb 10oz.

Along the beaches the Potter Heigham Sea Anglers on Yarmouth South were faced by rough conditions but still weighed in codling, whiting and dabs with Mick Bensley the winner with 4lb 11oz, then R Gurklis 3lb 6oz and T Watson 3lb 4oz. Junior: Scott Watson 1lb.

The Norfolk Division of the National Sea League staged at Kelling resulted in another team win for East Anglian Baits whose best performer was Gorleston's Clyde Leggatt with whiting and dabs totalling 11lb 13oz with the winner John Stannard of Trev's with 13lb 11oz.

Team result: East Anglian Baits 8 points, North Norfolk Lads 10, Trev's and TCX both 12 points.

Sea match diary - Sam Hook Christmas Beach Open, Kelling, December 21. North Norfolk Rocket House Open, Salthouse, December 28. Entries for both 01263 822400.

Freshwater - River Wensum League, Riverside, December 28, 01603 488693.

Hardly any anglers braved the wintry conditions last week in the search for quality carp.

But one who did was Gorleston enthusiast Steve Aldous who visited Hall Farm, Burgh Castle, to winch out a total of 32 fighting fit carp to 10lbs for an estimated aggregate of more than 200lbs.

And the good news from Burgh Castle is that this splendid fishery will remain open throughout the holiday break.

Broads anglers hoping for pike over Christmas would do worse than visit the Trinity Broads while the news from Hickling and Horsey has been somewhat sketchy due to the absence of fishing dinghies seen on the nature reserves.

Sea fishing prospects are rated excellent especially for boat men fishing Hopton Bay where one of Norfolk's top sea rods Paul Kerry reports many cod in the 4-8lb bracket with the odd specimen in double figures.

Long-held hopes that some arrangement could be agreed with the new Harbour authorities to accommodate sea anglers along the outer walls were dashed this week.

It was announced that the whole area is to be placed out of bounds to the general public with approach roads blocked and possibly access to a stretch of the south beach between Hartmann Road and the estuary denied.

This ruling is in direct contrast to the situation at Dover where sea angling catering for up to 200 rods in competition is allowed along the protective walls.