Match and carp anglers alike have been busy on all local waters. Ormesby's Stephen Rouse won the Hill Farm, Banham open with 79lb and Barry Burlton completed a Stalham club double with 18lb 3oz at Topcroft and 21lb 10oz at Cobbleacre, writes Roy Webster.

Match and carp anglers alike have been busy on all local waters. Ormesby's Stephen Rouse won the Hill Farm, Banham open with 79lb and Barry Burlton completed a Stalham club double with 18lb 3oz at Topcroft and 21lb 10oz at Cobbleacre, writes Roy Webster.

Robert Silverwood headed the Sportsmen's card with 44lb 6oz at Burgh Castle, K Wilson was the Pye winner at Taswood with 37lb 2oz and J De'ath brewed up Lacons top catch of 33lb 2oz at the Barford Railway.

Full club match results. Stalham, Topcroft: B Burlton 18lb 3oz, A Watson 15lb, Val Burton 7lb 8oz.

Cobble Acle: V Burlton 21lb 10oz, D Aggas 18lb 4oz, R Austrin 15lb 6oz.

Sportsmen's, Burgh Castle: Robert Silverwood 44lb 6oz, Richard Silverwood 39lb 10oz, M Bunn 23lb 1oz.

Shrublands, Burgh Castle: P Gilyeat 33lb 12oz, A Slater 32lb 4oz, A Paterson 24lb 12oz.

Pye, Taswood: K Wilson 37lb 2oz, W Smith 20lb 7oz, C Seago 20lb 1oz.

Lacons, Railway: J De'ath 33lb 2oz, A Zagdan 29lb 4oz, T Handcock 19lb 11oz.

Carp fed furiously at Hall Farm, Burgh Castle where Lee Partridge of Gorleston bagged 31 carp to 15lb 4oz, Arron Northcott of Bradwell had three including a 20lb leather while Greg Anderson of Great Yarmouth had the best of the week a common of 24lb 8oz among his five fish catch.

Sutton angler Daniel Austrin heaved out a venue best mirror carp scaling 30lb 8oz from the new Weavers Way fishery near Stalham. Inquiries for syndicate membership on 07881878918.

Along the beaches traditional summer species such as bass and smooth hounds are now the main fare.

Mark Gooch won a beach match at Caister whose catch included an 11lb 11oz hound and there were bass to over 3lb weighed in. Peeler crab is the top bait right now and accounting for some of the few remaining spring codling with boat fishing a few hundred yards offshore accounting for most of these round fish.

Fishery owners and angling clubs throughout Eastern England are on red alert following warnings from the police and the Environment Agency that organised gangs of fish thieves are becoming bolder in their quest for black market species to supply a growing demand.

Firm evidence that commercial fisheries are being targeted has been uncovered while in the broads there has been another serious incident where “thousands of roach” were stolen on the upper reaches of the non tidal river Bure.

In the broads there have been up to a dozen cases of unlawful fish netting reported, most notably in the river Thurne boatyards and other boat dykes.

The river Bure episode over the spring bank holiday was reported by a Norwich angler who had been observing roach spawning in a quiet stretch of river. He said there were thousands of fish ranging from a few ounces to 2lb with pike and perch in attendance. He returned later to discover bankside vegetation had been flattened and a mass of fish scale deposits on the banks as well as gouge marks leading to the water and a piece of discarded rope.

“Fish theft is on the rise and has become a problem and the force has received enough evidence for us to mount investigations and warn fisheries,” declared one wildlife and conservation officer in the police force.