THE annual bream bash on Horsey Mere has begun.New-season catches soared on the famous nature reserve during the latter part of opening week with Hemsby's Cyril Barker and John Hall bagging up with slabs to over 7lb, as did Horsey's Neil Kenwright, writes Roy Webster.

THE annual bream bash on Horsey Mere has begun.

New-season catches soared on the famous nature reserve during the latter part of opening week with Hemsby's Cyril Barker and John Hall bagging up with slabs to over 7lb, as did Horsey's Neil Kenwright, writes Roy Webster.

Yet despite this great sport there were few boats on the Mere last week, prompting the warden to comment: “There are fewer holiday anglers nowadays and locals seem to prefer fishing the carp lakes.

“Twenty years ago we would have seen more than 30 fishing

dinghies on the Mere during opening weekend. On Saturday there were no more than half-a-dozen out there.”

Fishing the Mere and indeed most open Broads on Sunday was virtually impossible because of the force-seven gale whipping the surface into hazardous white horses with troughs deep enough to endanger the occupants of flimsy fishing boas.

This week conditions were back to normal and ideal and the high-quality sport on Horsey and Hickling Broad is expected to continue this weekend.

On the River Thurne the winner of Martham's first evening club match on the river behind their pits was Gary Maddison with 10lb of small bream. He revisited the same spot the following day and heaved out around 50lb of battling bream, the best over 6lb.

This week's Tuesday match was won by John Beck with 13lb 4oz, then P Spinks with 6lb and K Chaplin, 5lb 7oz.

The club's Sunday event on the River Bure at Upton was wrecked by the elements and the winner was Peter Beck with 13lb 4oz then Barry Eyre 9lb and K Chaplin, 6lb.

The Sportmans visited Decoy Broad where Anthony Varley won with 5lb 2oz of small fish, then K Hodgins, 5lb 2oz and G Hunter 3lb 4oz.

On the commercial match lakes there were staggering carp catches, the best of them by the Stalham club at Holly Farm, South Walsham midweek when Alec Watson winched out a massive haul of 152lb 14oz followed by R Turton 90lb 8oz and R Austrin 75lb.

Stalham then visited Little Melton on Sunday, the result D Agass 43lb 8oz, J Hirey 25lb 4oz, D Paynter 24lb 12oz.

Caister Ship at Taswood finished N Page 34lb 2oz, J Payne 29lb 12oz, F Clarke 17lb 8oz. Ormesby's Stephen Rouse won the Mill Farm Sunday Open with 69lb 8oz and on Monday Jolly Boy Ray Kent clinched victory at this venue with 68lb 10oz.

In the Norfolk and Suffolk League opener on the River Yare Great Yarmouth were third behind Dad Red and Nisa Feeders while on the previous day former Yarmouth team man Tom Boulton won the Saturday Feeder Master League opener with 28lb 3oz of bream.

On the big carp waters Caister's Jason Stamp posted up a mirror of 37lb 10oz and a common of 33lb 14oz while brother Darren had a mirror of 25lb 10oz and Gorleston's Stephen Aldous bagged a linear of 20lb.

Along the beaches mackerel are appearing in vast numbers off north Norfolk but nearer town it is a continual struggle for the odd decent bass.

This was reflected in Monday nights' Sam Hook League match in the Gorleston bend won by D Read, 1lb 10oz then W Perring and R Wilson both with 1lb 5oz.