A massive shoal of bream produced a record catch for the Norfolk and Suffolk Veterans visiting the popular moorings at Beccles last week.

Lol Higgins, from Halesworth, heaved out more than 40 bream between 1lb 8oz and 2lb 8oz to test the scales man with 69lb 7oz.

The match organiser, Joe Beckham, said: 'The water had warmed up, and with a tinge of colour the bream went mad and Lol's catch is the highest from this venue since the veterans' midweek club was formed to fish this lagoon in the winter months.'

The second round of the Barford Winter League was another triumph for the Latham's Fishing squad who won the day with 15 penalty points to head the table with 32 points.

Suffolk Angling Direct Gold, whose team man Tony Anderson was top individual with 58lb 7oz from the Willow Lake, were runners-up with 18 points, followed by Anglers World on 20, and stay second in the table with 39, with Suffolk AD on 42.

Latham's team skipper Daniel Brydon said they were in a strong position but could not let up. 'We were well-placed last year but allowed the title to slip from our grasp in the final two rounds so there's no room for complacency,' he said.

The River Wensum, rated as one of the top roach waters in the country, produced more cracking catches of sparkling red fin as well as some bonus perch in the King of the Coalyard Challenge.

Nick Larkin (Nisa Feeders) won with 25lb 4oz, taken in gale force conditions, and he clinched the two-match series with an unblemished score of 12 points.

At Mill Farm, Paul Macrow (Thetford) shoved his pole into the teeth of a gale force head wind to win with 81lb 4oz, John Catchpole (Lowestoft) defeated the elements to head the card at Marsh Trail with 53lb 14oz and Vince Cross (Ixworth) lifted the Barford Saturday open with 71lb 8oz.

• The Barford Lakes fishery, which for unexplained reasons was elbowed out of the Fish O'Mania competition, is included in the qualifiers for the mega-rich Maver event this year, where the winner will walk away with a cheque for �100,000, the biggest in the history of UK freshwater competition fishing.

Barford qualifiers are Saturday, April 3 and Sunday, June 19 – tickets are available now at www.mavermatchthis.co.uk, where the 24 venues are also listed.