WAVENEY VALLEY: With more commercials becoming largely ice free and the river running fast it has been a return to good fishing after several weeks of denial.

First to come back on was around Beccles where the skimmers fed on the feeder well. Pre-baiting for bream can pay dividends but when it is half the population of Beccles making a pilgrimage to feed the ducks on the ice by the Harbourmaster's Office at the Quay, a lot of free bread enters the water over a couple of weeks.

It drew the bream down from the main river like bees round a honey pot with 'Lloydy' from Beccles taking a 100lb and another angler 80lb from the newly-created hotspot.

At Oulton Broad on St Nicholas' Everett Par as soon anglers could chuck in short-line whips the fish were in a feeding frenzy through the first clear patches appearing at the side where the ducks had been fed too.

At the rest of the Beccles Quay floating slicks made any distance fishing impractical but double figure bags were prominent and the newly dredged narrows were productive too. On the Upper River it was find a slack in the flow close to the side, and those dumpy dace were going to have it if nothing else.

Bungay Common, near to the swimming area, showed well for this species having been pushed right close in to the bank by all forms of voracious predators. For the first time in quite a while roach appear to be staying on the Common for the winter in deeper places like Finches Well towards the bottom end.

On the Cherry Tree waters upstream at Earsham the chub were still hungry prior to the flood water which lapped over into the fields by late Sunday.

Geldeston Dyke where the concrete outfall thawed had tell-tale signs of fish present with the cormorants roosting nearby but the pike were not put off on this free stretch of water. With the top of the water likely to occur around midday this week the extra water should inspire even more confidence to feed and the run of double figure fish taken in the late autumn are likely to be repeated.

Still somewhat lethargic from the cold water it has seemed the dead bait held on the bottom have been more productive than the jigged lures for the largest older esox.

Up for a round of applause in the Cherry Tree Club is their president Richard Patrick, who over the two years has run well-supported and much-bantered raffles at the close of their matches, which have raised �905.

Of this excellent effort, �650 has gone into the Lay-by Pit Fish Fund; with other payments to the National Team; junior section and the Christmas match. Watch this space for the club's Launch Invitation Afternoon/Evening Open on Saturday, June 4 at their Earsham Lay-by Pit when it is hoped selected local 'stars' plus some club members/officers will produce bags big enough to promote the club's facility at this 25-peg venue. With no day fee charged a good 100pc pay out could make this an attractive match.