Roy WebsterWomen preparing to compete in the first ever home international event staged along Norfolk beaches were blown away. The stiff North-Easterlies proved too much of a handicap for the rod wielding sisterhood of England and Wales and a quick consultation on the Kelling shingle resulted in a move to the quieter location of the Great Ouse Estuary at King's Lynn.Roy Webster

Women preparing to compete in the first ever home international event staged along Norfolk beaches were blown away.

The stiff North-Easterlies proved too much of a handicap for the rod wielding sisterhood of England and Wales and a quick consultation on the Kelling shingle resulted in a move to the quieter location of the Great Ouse Estuary at King's Lynn.

There the grateful visitors settled down to defeat their hosts by just 13cm, not a win by a mile or even an inch. And to clear up any confusion this contest was decided on length rather than the weight of the fish, abiding by conservation policy set out by international standards.

Fish were hard to come by and it wasn't until the later stages on a slackening tide that tell tale twitches on the rod tops signalled that a flounder or an eel was nibbling the bait.

Although Janet Verlinden of the English squad was top individual with 77 cm, Wales' depleted team of seven lifted the trophy with 201 cm to England's eight rod total of 197 cm, thus avenging last year's result in Cardigan Bay.

Local Holt Angling club talent of Wendy Metcalfe and Kay Brown contributed respectively with 48 cm and 24cm. However, victory was assured for Wales by Pam Worrall, Sally Owen and June Howell, whose combined efforts earned their team 183cm.

Afterwards match organiser Wendy Metcalfe commented: 'It was unfortunate that the weather turned nasty, but despite that the event was a great success.

'I was grateful for Holt club members Tony Thomas, John Neave and John Carter for stewarding and to Tony Chidwick for supplying the bait.

'In addition I thank the match sponsors WT Eden Timber supplies, Gemini Tackle, Devon Baits and Weton Outcasts, and following this success we hope teams from Scotland and Ireland will join us next year.'

t Result, England: Janet Verlinden 77 cm, Wendy Metcalf 48, Jo Hyde 28, Nicki Fruin 24, Kay Brown 20, Averil Withyman 0, Adele Smith 0, Racheal Jarman 0. Total 197 cm.

Wales: Pamela Worrall 63 cm, Sally Owen 63, June Howell 60 , Pam Carter 24, Sherry Murry 0, Karen Hancox 0, Helen Pierce 0. Total 210 cm.

t Stunning match catches on the commercial lakes compensated anglers for enduring biting Easterly breezes last week.

Fighting fit carp to double figures produced a Colton Lake open winner of 189lb 11oz for Stuart Bracey (Dynamite) while at Hinderclay Resident rod P Alexander won with 135lb 10oz.

At club level Gavin Cairns headed the GMG card at Barford with 141lb 10oz, the Attleborough MG winner at Abbey Waters was John Kitchen with 121lb 8oz while at the same water John Collinson was Costessey Crown winner with 121lb 2oz and Mark Girling was top Codger with 109lb 14oz. Barford's fishery manager Sarah Thomson was invited as a guest angler with the Millers club and beat them all with 91lb 2oz.

In the Angling Times County Championship, Warren Martin (Anglers World) heads the Norfolk table with 63 points, then Jack Gill (Barford Tackle) with 29 and Lewis Murawski on 26.

The Suffolk table reads Richard Bond (Bury) 84, Stewart Bracey (Dynamite) 79, Alan Reynolds (Browning Wickford) 58.

On the big fish waters tench are competing with carp for headlines. And from the Bawburgh syndicate venue member John Cranswick bagged a brace of 10 pounders and Darren Stolworthy had a beauty of 10lb 10oz and a bonus 14lb bream from this prolific big fish water run by Naca.

Hefty tench are also abundant in the Kingfisher lakes, the best of the week a 9lb 8oz specimen for Fakenham's Paul Meehan. The top carp fell to Dan Taylor, a 33lb 8oz mirror.

Other successes were member Paul Curtis (mirror 33lb 6oz), Bill Delaney (mirror 31lb 12oz) - with twenties for Luke Church, Dominic Parr and Chris Birdman.

Taswood's best was a 31lb 2oz common carp for Liam Tucker of Gorleston. Peterborough's Andy and Teresa Lucas shared a catch of seven ghost and mirror carp between 20lb and 30lb and others around the 25lb mark fell to Norwich rods M Ives and Matt Colman, John Lowe of Aylsham and Brian Seeley of Beccles.

At Waveney Valley, Chris Hawkins (Mattishall) beat a mirror carp of 32lb 4oz and Peter Charles (Blofield) netted three in the low twenties.

And at Swangey the twenty pound plus carp fell to permit holders Terry Pickard, John Stevens, Carl Manning, Peter Drewery and Tony Hull, while at Taverham Alan Wrigglesworth and Mark Kirby of Lowestoft banked commons around 23 lb.