With the coarse fishing season on rivers and broads opening on Friday after the statutory three-month break, prospects look very fair for our most common broads species of bream, roach and perch?

With the coarse fishing season on rivers and broads opening on Friday after the statutory three-month break, prospects look very fair for our most common broads species of bream, roach and perch?

Huge numbers of bream appear to have returned to Barton Broad from the River Ant, spotted spawning by local eel catcher Ron Westgate in a massive shoal estimated at 800 yards long by the alder and willow-fringed margins of the shallows leading towards the entrance to Neatishead Dyke.

“It's the first time I've seen any number of bream on this broad, but unfortunately there do not appear to be any roach,” said Westgate.

Prospects are also encouraging on the River Yare below Trowse, especially if water levels rise under the influence of today's northerly breezes. All the tidal rivers have been exceptionally low this week due to weak North Sea tides, but this should not affect sport on any of the tidal rivers.

Night fishing will be best for bream, for which the first cast may be completed one second after midnight on Friday morning. Roach which over-wintered in the Brundall boatyards should be back in the tidal River Yare and feeding.

Odd quality tench and hefty carp may also be tempted by specialist anglers trying their luck on this venue, and the hot-spots are the reedy bays between Surlingham and Rockland Dyke, where a boat is essential to gain ideal access.

On the broads at Filby, Rockland, Rollesby, Hickling, Wroxham, Ranworth and on Horsey Mere, traditional species like roach, bream and perch are expected, while on the non-tidal rivers barbel and chub specialists will be aiming for the specimens that were the highlight of these venues last season.

Barbel of 17lb are the target on the River Wensum, while chub between 7lb and 8lb are probable from the upper reaches of the rivers Bure, Yare and Waveney.

Some day tickets lakes that have observed the closed season come back on line and one of them is the prolific Martham Pits, where carp, bream and tench will feed on opening morning.

So they will also on the NNDA Wensum Fisheries at Costessey limited to membership available from Cyril Wigg, 3, Coppice Avenue, Norwich (01603 423625).

On the match scene, attention will be focused this weekend on the Midlands semi-final of the Super Cup for clubs staged on the Barford Fishery.

Among the 17 outfits competing, the local hopefuls are Suffolk's Gipping and Thetford's Bent Pin.