The main contenders for top honours in the Nisa Feeder League are bunching ready for the final dash to the tape.

But the angler who had the last laugh on Saturday was none of the more fancied front runners but Cambridgeshire regular John Taylor who copped a nice little earner of �500 for winning from one of the golden pegs added to his �120 from the pools.

For the uninitiated a golden peg is designated at the start of a tournament and a small portion of each angler's cash is allocated weekly in this special attraction that can accumulate into considerable sums during a 14 match series.

In this case 10 rounds of this River Yare competition had been completed when the Whittlesea-based Taylor celebrated his well earned retirement from the teaching profession the day before by pulling golden peg number 104 where he employed a standard feeder rig and worm or maggot to make his mainly bream catch of 29lb 4oz.

This assured him of a happy drive back to the Fens with a pay day somewhat higher than his remuneration for instructing form 3A on the work of Pythagoras or the mysteries of logarhythms.

Taylor, who performs under the Sensas Mark 1 banner seldom misses any of the river Yare events, 'I just love the river,' but this season some of the more fancied pegs have somehow eluded him... until Saturday.

'I knew I had drawn well in the golden peg, went for the bream from the start but needed to top with a few roach at the end,' he told league boss Andy Wilson-Sutter who added 'I'm glad for the guy. He makes a 150 mile round trip every Saturday to compete in our series come rain or shine. He deserves his money.'

Mark Pollard (Suffolk Angling Direct) was delighted with his eleventh round runners up catch of 27lb 10oz from peg 111. This enabled him to discard 9lb 3oz and leap to within 10lb of current leader Wayne Anderson.

But with the top ten all on 149lb or more each of the lower aggregates are in with a chance of causing a major upset to the plans of the hot favourites. Third spot on the day fell to Keith Gosling (Nisa Waveney) with 24lb 2oz from 102 and joint fourth were Wilson-Sutter (Yarmouth) and Glen Carter (Nisa Waveney) with 23lb and then Tony Gibbons (NDAA) with 22lb 3oz.

Looking ahead the river Yare Championship scheduled for September 29th has attracted a sponsor so far unnamed and this has guaranteed a first prize of �250 and �50 for section winners. Book entry 07990572729.

Sunday's Paul Day Memorial Open on the River Bure raised �300 for EA Air Ambulance, the winner Doug Botley (DAIWA Angling Direct) with 24lb. On the match lakes club anglers excelled with club and venue records smashed at Bartles Lodge.

Stalham's Alec Watson beat the previous figures of 138lb set up by Dukes' Shaun James last month with a staggering haul of 220lb of carp up to 3lb a piece.

All he could say as his four bulging keep nets were being weighed in was 'I'm absolutely dumb founded.' For the record Dave Agass also bagged his personal match best of 141lb 1oz for runner up.

At Bergh Apton three figure returns also featured, the winner of the Romany Carl Innes with 140lb 6oz.

Winners at Mill Farm also topped the ton with G Young (Tunnel Barn) scoring with 106lb 10oz and K Clark (Acle) winning with 100lb 6oz the following day.

Cross Drove regular Graham Burden won his home open with 125lb 5oz in the mid week and Richard Bond (Bury) recorded 121lb 12 oz winner on Saturday.

David Cooper (Norwich) won the Willow with 102lb 3oz and other club successes were Phil Nichols (Lacons) with 116lb 10z on Abbey Waters and Alan Humphrey headed the Freedman card at Barford with 148lb 10oz.

Massive catfish have commanded the headlines at Waveney Valley. The heaviest was a 50 pounder for Chris Hawkins if Mattishall, Craig De'Moore of Halesworth banked half a dozen between 22lb and 48lb and well known local match man Craig Fay also netted half a dozen between 20lb and 47lb.

A spate of mirror and common carp featured at Swangey Lakes with PB twenties for Ozzie Welsh of Stoke Ferry and Luke Roberts of Norwich. Other specimens in the 20-30 pounds range were taken by Norwich rods Mally Gunton, Duggie Holbeck, Dan Hague and Toby McLean of Stoke Ferry, Ian Miller of Ormesby, Roberts Phipps, Haleworth and Ben Scarf, Littleport.

A variety of 20 pound plus carp at Taswood were noted by Steve Davey of Mulbarton and Norwich regulars Ross Mendham, Michael Plane and Shane Ramsbottom.

Quality chub were again evident on the river Wensum at Taverham where the specimen of the week scaled 6lb 8oz for local specialist John Cary.