Big carp ambition fulfilled

Angling by Roy Webster

Nathan Payne's burning ambition has always been to catch a 30lb-plus carp, and last week he achieved it in style with a magnificent 36lb common from the popular Burgh Castle fishery.

The 30-year-old rod man from Northgate Street, Great Yarmouth was fishing the lake once known as Greens Pit when he hooked his personal best on a bottom boilie baiting a size six hook to 14lb breaking strain line.

This splendid specimen, without a scale out of place, is the heaviest one of four thirties in the venue and fought for 10 minutes before it was netted.

Payne said: “This was the cracking fish of my dreams. I had four others during the session, one of them a 27 pounder that took 20 minutes to land. Darren Squires has done a marvellous job since he took over this fishery: there is something for everyone in this water.”

Squires, who has been building up the venue to cater for specimen hunters and match anglers during the past ten years said the venue record breaker was a great reward for his efforts. “It has been hard work, but we are getting there providing carp for the big-fish angler and bream, roach and tench as well as small carp for the match fisherman,” he said.

Other local anglers to report quality carp include Caister's Jason Stamp with a 34lb 6oz common from Taswood and his brother Darren had another of 23lb 4oz while Chris Birdman of Caister reported a 27lb 2oz mirror from the Lyng Kingfisher lake.

Anglers' vehicles filled the car park on the bank of the river Thurne at Cold harbour on the opening morning of the coarse fishing season on Wednesday when keep nets bulged with bream, roach and perch.

For the past 10 years father and son Terry and David Daplyn from University Crescent, Gorleston have pitched up on opening morning at the same river Thurne swim come rain or shine.

They were there before daybreak on Wednesday, braving a chill sea breeze, but once more these two ardent anglers hit the jackpot catching fish from the free bank towards Womack Dyke.

An inspection of the contents of the nets at 9.30am revealed a catch of mixed species on the 30lbs mark. But for 73-year-old Terry it was not only the quality of the fishing that impressed but also the convenient parking and ease of access to the water created by the Environment Agency during the closed season.

“I've been fishing this bank for years and mostly had to hack my way through undergrowth to reach the water. This season there's a level footpath, fishing places cut-out and the Environment Agency have done a great job here,” he said.

On the River Ant, anglers who visit the Broads to fish the eddies adjacent to Ludham bridge were catching roach and perch almost continuously. A husband-and-wife pensioner couple, who do not approve of keep nets, said they had about 30 fish apiece by 9am.

In Great Yarmouth's first of the new season open events on the River Yare, the Beachamp Arms stretch, was subjected to a steady flood

tide and by mid-match the main species obliging were roach although bream were expected to feed once the tide eased.

Match results: Sportsmans (Besthorpe) 1 K Hodgkins 62lb 1oz, 2 L Arnold 37lb 8oz, 3 J Hammond 22lb 12oz.

Martham (Melton ponds) 1 S Mudge and K Chaplin both 23lb 4oz, 3 P Beck 16lb.

Stalham (Colton) 1 D Egerton 45lb 5oz, 2 T Wilkinson 41lb 8oz, 3 K Lawson 32lb 13oz.

Tackle X Change (River Bure estuary) 1 P Tovell (Gorleston) 5lb 7oz, 2 M Gooch (Lowestfot) 4lb 5oz, 3 K Morley (Kessingland) 3lb 12oz.

Freshwater fixtures. Marsh Trail Lake. Open Lake A: Saturday draw pegs 9am, fish 10am-3pm. Details/booking contact John on 01502 539599.

Results. Open Lake C: 1 Gary Bull 26lb 5oz, 2 Peter Dade 22lb. Winner section (A): Colin Davey 21lb 3oz, section (B) Mick Critoph 15lb 3oz.

Gorleston Tackle Sea League fished at South Beach, Great Yarmouth: 1 Gary Medlar 10lb 7oz, 2 Keith Morley 2lb 2oz, 3 Karl Whitlock 1lb 3oz.

Best fish was a 8lb 7oz smooth-hound. Next week Second Avenue, Caister.