GREAT Yarmouth's top match angling outfit Browning/Pownalls are but one five-hour examination away from pulling off their most impressive team performance since they were formed just three seasons ago.

GREAT Yarmouth's top match angling outfit Browning/Pownalls are but one five-hour examination away from pulling off their most impressive team performance since they were formed just three seasons ago.

The Regent Road shop-sponsored group still proudly head the Broads Summer League table, despite finishing only sixth in the penultimate round staged on the Rivers Bure and Thurne last Sunday, writes Roy Webster.

However, with their nearest challengers also falling away, Tony Anderson's men did enough to hang on to pole position, two points ahead of the third round winners Reggie's Boys whose match score was 35 section points followed by Anglers' World B on 33 and Norwich AD and Suffolk AD both on 31.

Individually it was a tense roach-fishing contest between two anglers pegged on the River Thurne at Cold Harbour. At the end Gary Kiddell (Big Hits) was the winner with 24lb 3oz while Mark Pollard (SAD) ran the winner close with 24lb 2oz. Alan Leavold (Stalham Veterans) was third with 20lb 15oz on the River Bure. Leading standings: Browning/Pownalls 53 points, Reggie's Boys 51, Anglers' World B and Norwich AD both 50, Anglers' World A 49. The two Stalham teams and Sportsmans are out of contention.

Spectacular record catches of roach featured in the Yarmouth Individual League on the River Yare where Deben's Malcolm Runacres lifted out a magnificent net of redfin scaling 58lb 4oz.

Runacres, who holds the River Waveney match record starting fishing for bream on the feeder rig, but his early exploratory casts produced roach bites and he quickly switched to pole and float tackle baited with caster to finish his five-hour stint with about 80 quality roach up the 1lb mark.

Will Freeman (Preston Innovations) was runner-up with 47lb 5oz and then Tony Anderson (Browning/Pownalls) with 40lb.

Great Yarmouth club secretary Keith Ford said it was the most roach he had ever seen weighed in along the Beauchamp Arms match stretch since he took over the bank access some 20 years back.

Other match results: Sportsmans (Barford): J Haylett 48lb 12oz, J Leonard 45lb 13oz, M Bunn 41lb 12oz. Martham (Metton): P Sparks 11lb 8oz, R Boyce 10lb 5oz, S Jackson 8lb 3oz.

On the specimen fisheries Yarmouth's Richard Beamish heaved out the fish of the week at Waveney Valley, a cracking common carp of 39lb, his personal best.

At Hall Farm, Burgh Castle, 13-year-old Leanne Smith from Lowestoft caught five carp including her personal best of a 20lb 9oz linear. Daniel Bradford of Belton took time out from match fishing to visit this venue and ended his session with his personal best common carp of 23lb 12oz and his best mirror of 17lb 1oz among his 10-fish haul.

Angling clubs seeking financial assistant from the Environment Agency to fence their valuable fisheries against otter predation have been informed they will have to compete for grant aid against other deserving causes within the sport.

Again the Environment Agency is urging anglers and the general public to keep their eyes peeled for illegal nets and traps set in the Broads following the drowning of six otters caught up in contraptions without otter guards. The latest tragedy involved an otter drowning in a crayfish trap in the Waveney.

The offence of killing otters, water voles and native crayfish carries fines of up to �5,000 or six months imprisonment.