Roy Webster on Angling

The first hard frost of the season that covered small fish ponds with a thin coating of ice this week was the significant signal that fish populations in the tidal waters are about to migrate from their summer quarters and change their feeding habits after taking up new residence in sheltered non-flowing habitats.

There, they have escaped the danger of being swept out to sea in a semi-comatose state of hibernation if and when temperatures plunge to sub-zero levels for long periods of the winter.

Bream and roach catches from the River Thurne in last week’s midweek event at Martham were buoyant but, from now on, it could be hard going in the flowing river that could become crystal clear.

The winner was the match organiser Mick Brown, from Ludham, who had the benefit of and end peg to weigh in 25lb 7oz of skimmer bream and roach.

Next man home was Stalham club member D Hammond with 13lb 4oz, then David Roe, of Daiwa AD, with 10lb 6oz.

Ormesby angler Stephen Rouse won the Martham club match on the Railway Lake with 23lb 11oz, followed by Peter Beck with 14lb 4oz and Steve Jackson 8lb.

For Rouse, the result completed a splendid double for, the previous day he won the Open at Hill Farm, Banham, with 22lb 11oz.

The Stalham Club visited their boatyard lagoon, where Dave Jones won with 13lb 4oz, the C Timms with 12lb 6oz and D Hammond 11lb 9oz.

With the boatyards well stocked for this season, Stalham members are in for a splendid winter’s sport – even if they are obliged to break the ice before the first whistle.

As for the remainder of the Thurne Valley waters, cold water prospects are excellent in the Martham boat dyke and at the Somerton dead end of the river. And the Horsey Mill drainage dyke is also a banker with shoals of roach and quality perch already evident.

The Potter Heigham boat basins are teeming with fish, but permission is required to fish there either from boat or bank.

The Fleet Dyke that leads from the River Bure to South Walsham Broad is a fine venue for bream and pike as is Catfield Dyke, off Hickling Broad and the area around the Whispering Reeds boatyard, where Chris Humphries winched out his magnificent 42lb pike last season.

With the weed growth dying off, pike fishing on the Trinity Broads will come into its own with boats available from the Eels Foot Hotel and the Filby Restaurant.

Transporting live baits onto these Broads is strictly prohibited so it’s dead baits and lures only.

On local lakes, such as Burgh Castle, it will be business as usual throughout the winter, when aeriators will be running to keep the water ice-free.

Freshwater fixtures. Marsh Trail Lakes Open, Saturday, November 20 Lake A. Draw 9am, fish 10am to 3pm, �15 per head all in fee. Optional gold/silver/ pegs standing over �200, for booking and details contact John on 07766 697873 or 01502 586284.

Freshwater results. Marsh Trail Lakes Open Lake C: 1 Frank Ling 46lb, 2 Mal Runacres 33lb 2oz. Winner section (A) Tony Burden 30lb 4oz, section (B) Neville Cooke 25lb 12oz.

Macauley Chapman, 13, heaved out his personal-best carp from the Hall Farm Lake, Burgh Castle, last week. It was a mirror scaling 18lb 3oz, making the third one he has landed in his teens.

Of the adult anglers, David Riches of Oulton Broad reeled in seven carp, the best a 22lb common, and Mark Bernstein of Gorleston recorded five fish, headed by an 18lb mirror.

Gorleston Tackle Centre. November 15, Hopton Beach – Results: 1 G Medler 5lb 4oz, 2 C Legget 4lb 15oz, 3 J Rosati 4lb 4oz.

Next Monday’s match will be fished at Beaconsfield Road, Yarmouth.