Stalham Angling Club members heaved out staggering personal best match catches at the weekend from the prolific Barford Willow Lake venue.Alec Watson headed the impressive fish list with his best- ever haul of 174lb 13oz of carp that filled several keep nets, while the club's match secretary Robin Austrin winched in his first three-figure match haul at 109lb with Dave Dearman in third spot with 89lb 2oz, writes Roy Webster.

Stalham Angling Club members heaved out staggering personal best match catches at the weekend from the prolific Barford Willow Lake venue.

Alec Watson headed the impressive fish list with his best- ever haul of 174lb 13oz of carp that filled several keep nets, while the club's match secretary Robin Austrin winched in his first three-figure match haul at 109lb with Dave Dearman in third spot with 89lb 2oz, writes Roy Webster.

“This was definitely our best match of the year so far, and it is catches like these that keep us going,” said Austrin.

The Sportsmans club visited the new Park Farm fishery at Hockering where the winner was Richard Silverwood, 19lb 9oz, then Mick Bunn, 16lb 10oz, Karl Hodgins, 14lb 7oz.

The Teams of Four championship staged on the rivers Bure and Thurne on Sunday left anglers puzzled by the absence of bream in the rivers that had run crystal clear.

The conditions changed because of heavy rainfall in the week and diminishing boat traffic that allowed all the suspended silt to drop out.

But while the bream refused to feed, roach became the main fare and Yarmouth's Browning/Pownalls caught enough of them to finish in third spot for 41lb 13oz behind Barford Tackle 47lb 2oz and Nisa Feeders 440b 14oz.

The river Yare was also running clear during the Saturday series won by Yarmouth's Chris Sykes with a roach catch of 17lb 7oz.

On the big carp waters Ali Jermy of Ormesby St Michael heaved out the best fish of the week at the Taswood fishery - a splendid ghost carp that turned the scales to 30lb. At the same venue Stalham's Geoff Benson netted a common carp of 26lb 5oz.

Hall Farm, Burgh Castle, treated Frank Rose of Cobholm to a marvellous catch of a dozen carp including one of the fishery's top specimens, a common of 25lb. Barry Hurren of Gorleston also scored with carp to the high teens.

Swangey Lakes proved fruitful for Filby's Scott Douglas who banked a superb mirror of 24lb 2oz.

There is river-bank talk that appears much more substantial than idle gossip or rumour, that the authorities who control access along tidal river embankments are considering improving fishing facilities.

The banks along the river Thurne below Martham boatyard may be earmarked for angling platforms before next season and further work may be carried out lower down at Coldharbour.

There's no doubt that anglers suffering financial cramp from the rise in the cost of living will welcome improved access along the free river banks so the news of improvement could not have come at a more appropriate time.

In the meantime, entries for the Norfolk Broads Championship on the rivers Bure and Thurne have gained momentum and to avoid disappointment when the limit is reached, local match men are advised to book in at once by telephoning the championship organiser Tony Gibbons (01603 400973).