Roy Webster's AnglingBROADS' anglers who doubt whether the Environment Agency (EA) is providing value for money service from rod licence revenues should spend a few hours of the close season viewing the work in progress or completed along the tidal embankments of the rivers Thurne and Ant.

Roy Webster's Angling

BROADS' anglers who doubt whether the Environment Agency (EA) is providing value for money service from rod licence revenues should spend a few hours of the close season viewing the work in progress or completed along the tidal embankments of the rivers Thurne and Ant.

The Thurne between Potter Heigham and Martham and at Cold Harbour, Ludham has already accommodated increasing numbers of anglers following flood alleviation schemes where angling access has been among the priorities of the EA's fishery bosses combining with the drainage contractors.

The upshot is that angling clubs and individuals have been provided from last autumn with a renovated river Thurne bank that can hold up to 50 rods more than it could before the facelift commenced. But now a most startling transformation has occurred on the river Ant embankments upstream of Ludham bridge.

This fish-for-free venue once received prime time from Great Yarmouth angling clubs and featured frequently on the match calendar of the now defunct Great Yarmouth and Gorleston AAA who staged national team qualifiers there. Unfortunately the build-up of holiday boat traffic and silting of the river bed led to organised angling abandoning the river Ant to the boating industry during the 1970s.

Now with fewer motor cruisers plying the river, the Ant could revert back to those halcyon years when its Broads' bream played a major role in deciding the outcome of two post-war national championships and quite a few Broads' championships.

When the bank work is completed between Ludham Bridge and Johnson Street, space will be available for up to 50 more anglers in water two meters in depth where the silt has been removed. Commercial eel fishermen confirm that bream and roach are already teeming there and the EA is expected to announce this year when the access is re-opened for angling.

In the meantime commercial fisheries exempt from the close season are catering for anglers' needs. Two of them, Rick Grimmer of Acle and Sam Shaw of Filby visited Swangey Lakes and their best carp were mirrors and commons on the 22lb mark.

On the open match circuit Jolly Boy Ray Kent won the Mill Farm open with 95lb 8oz while Martham's Stephen Rouse was runner-up at Hill Farm Lake, Banham with 54lb 12oz.

Club match results. Stalham (Holly Farm, South Walsham): K Lawson 79lb 4oz, D Dearman 73lb 1oz, A Watson 64lb 9oz.

Pye (Taswood): M Harrison 63lb 4oz, B Wilson 32lb 7oz, S Saye 29lb 10oz.

Sportsmans (Besthorpe): M Bunn 62lb 13oz, R Silverwood 40lb 12oz, M Hannant 38lb 12oz.

Freshwater fixtures. Marsh Trail Lakes Two Day Open Festival: Saturday and Sunday, May 1/2, fishing Lakes A and C over two days, based on a points scoring system, �40 per head all in fee, 70 per cent payout. Top four place prize money plus daily sections. For booking/details contact John on 07796 697873, Richard on 07796 437381 or David on 07913 115610.

Freshwater results. Marsh Trail Open Lake A: 1 Mal Runacres 12lb, 2 Kevin Clark 11lb 5oz. Winner Section A: Eddie Davidson 11lb 4oz. Section B: Tony Burden 10lb.