Bounteous Blickling Lake re-opened for fishing last Saturday to produce bumper bags for local and visiting enthusiasts.Rods were severely tested and arms certainly aching after an all action weekend when bream were the fish that literally queued up to take the bait, writes Roy Webster.

Bounteous Blickling Lake re-opened for fishing last Saturday to produce bumper bags for local and visiting enthusiasts.

Rods were severely tested and arms certainly aching after an all action weekend when bream were the fish that literally queued up to take the bait, writes Roy Webster.

Voluntary bailiff on the water Glyn Sutton of Aylsham was one of the weekend rodmen who bagged up with superlative bream that ranged to 8lb apiece for the 75-year-old Blickling regular.

He said: “This lake is absolutely stuffed with bream of three different year classes. They range from 3lb, 5lb and 8lb and the conservative estimate was that aggregates were well over the three-figure mark. There are also legions of roach for those who prefer to fish for them as well as some monster carp.”

One angler who had a surprise on his first day came within 20 minutes of him making his first cast. For the bait he hoped would start bringing in the bream produced an 18lb carp for Rod Taylor, who had a fight on his hands before the fish was safely netted. But with a keep net ban on the lakes, that specimen went back immediately - as did the dozens of bream he and other anglers reeled in, tempted mostly on pellet or sweetcorn.

“As long as everyone abides by the rules, observes the night fishing ban and there is no wading everyone will be happy,” he said. “It is right and proper that keep nets are banned in the summer time, so I urge everyone who loves fishing this lake to toe the line. Otherwise they could lose their season ticket privilege,” warned the bailiff.

On the big carp scene elsewhere two north Norfolk enthusiasts winched out some marvellous specimens from the Kingfisher Lake at Lyng. Peter Vincent from Cromer bagged a common carp of 35lb and a mirror of 23lb, Stephen Davison of North Walsham had a trio of mirrors going 33lb, 27lb and 20lb while Reepham's Simon Boseley reflected the quality of this fishery with a 29lb mirror.

At the Chapel Road Lakes, Roughton, numerous carp visited the banks as well as quality tench, roach and perch. At the Reepham fishery the top carp of the week was a 20lb plus mirror for visitor Ernest Gillingham.

The Old Stables fishery near North Walsham has been producing exceptional tench catches as well as carp, while at Cobble Acre Lakes, Hevingham excellent mixed bags were reported from the Adams Lake.

On the main rivers lovers of the tidal River Bure will be most encouraged by the news that the winning catch of the first round of the Summer League at St Benets Abbey produced 117lb of bream for well known Norfolk match ace Warren Martin.

The Sheringham and District club visited Reepham Lakes where the winner was Derek Ball with 47lb 15oz then Jeff Flounders 41lb 13oz and D Williamson 25lb 9oz.

The winner of the Stalham club outing to Metton was Kevin Patterson with a staggering carp haul of 129lb 12oz with Pete Warren next with 75lb 12oz and Alex Watson 73lb 11oz.

As forecast last week, the mackerel shoaling in huge numbers off the north Norfolk coast came within casting range from the beaches between Cromer and Cley where keen anglers enjoyed plenty of action catching up to 100 or more with even more reported by boat anglers just offshore.

At Brights outdoor man fishing tackle shop in Sheringham fresh stocks of feathered lures had to be rushed in to keep up with demand and prospects for this great sport continuing into the weekend are rated excellent.

Bass continue to feature all along the shore responding to bait cast no more than 50 yards just beyond the breakers accounting for most of the fish ranging up to 6lb apiece.