Is the Cut-Off Channel finally bouncing back from the doldrums? Ask Steve Whelan, who put an old school autumn mixed net together on pole fished worm at the weekend.

Fishing a peg on the tree-lined Fordham Bridge stretch, Whelan landed 10 bream, two tench, and 20lbs of roach, in a day's fishing which harked back a few seasons to when the water was a highly-rated autumn and winter choice.

Not so long ago, Lynn staged a series of opens on the Cut which attracted top matchmen and put the picturesque water back on the map.

But it's gone off the radar in recent seasons. It might be clear and dogged by weed and azolla in some sections, but Whelan's catch has Lynn AA officials hoping the drain might come back to life when the green stuff clears and the water gets some colour in it.

The Middle Level remains on form, with Pingle throwing up double figure nets of roach and rudd on seeds. Tares on the pole at 18m – down the middle in old money – was the going method over the weekend.

Roach have also been showing on the Ouse, with Piggeries and Wissey Mouth the best areas. Watch out for the wasps' nest in the swim opposite the infall, which made me and Hawkeye get up the bank three times as fast as we went down it when we almost plonked down t on top of it.

Shepherd's Lake at Snettisham is hosting a 30-peg Lynn AA open on Saturday. The draw is at 8.30am, fishing 10am-3pm. Tickets £10 all in, call Ian Hoody to book, on 07825 162206.

Littleport AA have the stretch from Wissey Mouth to the railway bridge booked for a match on the same day, while Norfolk police have 20 pegs on Ten Mile Bank reserved on Sunday.