A whopping ghost carp of 37lb has been winched out of the prolific Taswood Fishery.The monster was a Heron Lake record and personal best for its proud Norwich captor, Paul Girling.

A whopping ghost carp of 37lb has been winched out of the prolific Taswood Fishery.

The monster was a Heron Lake record and personal best for its proud Norwich captor, Paul Girling. It was tempted by a home-made boillie fished on the bottom with a standard carp rig and it was a nerve-wracking 20-minute battle before it was safely in the folds of the giant landing net.

Susan Ellis, who runs the popular seven-lake complex with her husband Richard, said the ghost carp in all the lakes were putting on weight rapidly and a 40-pounder was now possible within the next 12 months.

"We think it helps the fish to have their four-month break during the winter months and perhaps that's why they are growing so quickly," she said.

Other Taswood successes were Matthew Adcock of Hellesdon with a 33lb 8oz common, Karl Wright of Norwich with a 31lb 5oz linear and Caister's Dougie Collins with a 30lb 6oz mirror. Numerous other fish to the upper 20s were recorded by Jason and Darren Smart of Caister, Jason Lowe, Tasburgh and Guy Sherwood, Great Moulton.

The Kingfisher syndicate lake at Lyng is steadily coming back to form with excellent catches of carp and tench reported. Member Steve Owens had the top fish, a 31lb common carp as well as mirrors to 23lb and tench to 8lb 8oz. Fakenham's Barry Eaglen also caught common carp to 22lb as well as a number of medium-sized tench.

Hall Farm, Burgh Castle lakes turned out to be an excellent venue for Gorleston rods Mark McSweeney and Barry Hurren who between them bagged 23 carp, most of them in double figures up to 20lb.

Waveney Valley catfish anglers have again hit the jackpot with a monster 40-pounder for Joe Jones of Loddon that fell to halibut pellet.

At Swangey Lakes, carp proved harder to catch but even so Diss regular Simon Allen had mirrors to 27lb and Tom Lamb of Norwich other to 21lb 8oz.

The picturesque St George's fishery at East Ruston near Stalham was the chosen venue for north Norfolk anglers Jonathan Sharp and Martyn Rivett, who bagged numerous carp to 20lb during their evening session.

On the main rivers, sport on the non-tidals has returned with chub to over 6lb reported from the rivers Bure, Wensum and Yare.

On the tidal rivers the quality of sport has remained brilliant especially for quality roach of which Yarmouth's former England international Dave Docwra reeled in a total of 40lb taken on tares from the Beauchamp Arms stretch.

This is a cheap day ticket bank run by the Yarmouth Angling Club with permits issued by the visiting bailiff.