A Norfolk beach angler has heaved out one of the most stunning sea bass caught from the local shore line in recent years. Martin Bunn of Holt Road, Horsford was offering lug worm tipped with squid some 80 yards out when he hooked the spiny monster that came in at exactly 14lb, its weight verified at the Norwich Anglian Direct tackle shop, where it was photographed by Roger Harris.

A Norfolk beach angler has heaved out one of the most stunning sea bass caught from the local shore line in recent years.

Martin Bunn of Holt Road, Horsford was offering lug worm tipped with squid some 80 yards out when he hooked the spiny monster that came in at exactly 14lb, its weight verified at the Norwich Anglian Direct tackle shop, where it was photographed by Roger Harris.

An 18lb specimen caught from Caister beach more then 20 years ago was witnessed and weighed but this latest fish was certainly the best reported of its kind this century.

The delighted 43-year-old production worker, who decided to visit the beach on his day off, recalled: 'This beauty beat my previous best bass by about 9lb. Even though the sea was flat calm it was all of ten minutes before I got it ashore and fortunately there was no swell to cope with.'

An example of a fresh water species also with spiny fins is the perch. An Ashill angler, Peter Thompson stole the carp anglers' thunder on Wood Rising lake at the weekend by reeling in a brace of these bristling stripeys scaling 3lb 8oz and 3lb and was actually fishing for them on float tackle baited with lob worm.

The fishery boss David Bunning said: 'It is a mystery where the perch in our lake came from, they were certainly not purposely stocked so perhaps an angler dropped them in or maybe a bird brought them as spawn in its feathers. We have also had bream at 10lb 8oz and tench to 10lb in the past seven days.'

On the carp scene there were excellent catches despite the spawning activity. At the popular Taswood lakes more then 20 carp over 20lb visited the banks, the best of them a 36lb 14oz common for Richard Ivers of Norwich. Visitor Vince Cripps recorded a 30lb 3oz mirror and other specimens over 20lb were banked by Norwich rods Benny Sawicki, Shaun Geary, Ben Shalcroft, Owen Jones, Caister brothers Darren and Jason Stamp, as well as Royce Doroba of Bradwell, Jason Lowe (Aylsham), Chris Roberts (Brundall), Keith Jermy (Loddon) and Anthony Balls of Lowestoft.

Top carp at the Kingfisher lake at Lyng was a 34lb 4oz mirror for Lee Cartwright of Great Ryburgh who added another of 30lb. Robert Jermy of Bintree and Stu Davison of Buxton both netted mirrors of 32lb 8oz while Acle's Steve Leisi had 32lb mirror and a 27lb common.

Other twenties were recorded by William Reece and Mark Playford of Norwich and by John Bryant of Wroxham, Jonathan Trett (Weston Longville), Chris Birdman (Caister) and Brendon Delaney (Fakenham).

At Waveney Valley Norwich father and son A and M Dade winched out a joint catch of eight carp in the low twenties plus an 8lb tench and Peter Charles of Blofield had four carp around 25lb.

Numerous mirror and common carp were noted at Swangey lakes by Alan Simpson of Dereham, Ryan Macey and Ben Vincent of Hingham and Elvin Gear of Lowestoft.