Carp anglers were few and far between on the commercial lakes last week but one regular who put in quality time at Hall Farm, Burgh Castle, was Frank Rose of Cobholm who heaved out a staggering total of 32 fish, during an eight-hour session, his best a 22lb 4oz leather carp which boosted his aggregate to over 200lb.

Carp anglers were few and far between on the commercial lakes last week but one regular who put in quality time at Hall Farm, Burgh Castle, was Frank Rose of Cobholm who heaved out a staggering total of 32 fish, during an eight-hour session, his best a 22lb 4oz leather carp which boosted his aggregate to over 200lb.

Anglers wishing to test any new gift of fishing tackle can do so at Hall Farm which will be open during the Yuletide break, writes Roy Webster.

Match results: Burgh Castle Open: Robert Silverwood (Sportsmans) 51lb 4oz, Lee Arnold (Jolly Boys) 12lb 12oz, Karl Hodgins (NDAA) 12lb 2oz.

Sam Hook Open, Kelling: M Gooch (Lowestoft) 6lb 4oz, T Thomas (Sheringham) 6lb 1oz, D Hunn (Norwich) 6lb.

Match fixtures: Rocket House Open, December 28, Salthouse, 01263 822400.

Jim Boulton Memorial, River Wensum, Norwich, Boxing Day, tickets £14 from Norwich tackle shops, Angling Direct or Cordy's Tackle, 01603 764099.

Proposals to bring in further cuts to North Sea cod quotas to protect stocks have been dumped overboard in favour of a 30 per cent increase in the annual take of marketable fish.

This controversial decision by the European Fishery Ministers runs counter to local sea anglers' hopes that a no change policy was more appropriate until the trawling fleet adapts the trawl nets to avoid many tons of small codling being tossed back into the North Sea.

Now to add to anglers' irritation it has been reported that European Union is keen to bring in catch quotas for rod and line anglers as well, enforcing them with some form of licence.

An angry secretary of several local beach angling tournaments Tony Thomas said: “We have seen our local cod populations achieve a welcome upturn because of the no-go zones on the important spawning grounds. However, baby codling on which the future of fishing depends are almost non-existent at present along our beaches so I think upping the cod quotas is a pretty reckless move.”

“This autumn has been the most prolific cod fishing I can remember for many years, but it would be an act of sheer vandalism if the benefits derived from successful conservation measures were to be wiped out but the point of a misguided European pen,” he concluded.

The tangle of nylon sea fishing line wrapped around a number of sea leads and fish hooks included with a letter from Mercury reader Ken Hearle was almost certainly not dumped on the sands by a careless angler, but the direct result of fishing tackle being lost on a sea bed snag and later freed and deposited on the shore by a fierce tide.