The whiting seem to have turned up in good numbers around Yarmouth and Lowestoft, with some big fish for this early in the season reported, one or two of them over 40cm.

The humble whiting tend to get a bad name – they can get in the way when anglers are targeting bigger fish – but they at least can be relied upon to keep the rod tips nodding.

There have been a few school bass about too – they can show up anywhere from the shingle ridge right round the coast to the far south of the patch as now is the time they start to make the trip back to the bay of Biscay or wherever it is they head.

There was a distinct lack of bass in Holt SAC's latest match at Kelling. The plan had been to fish Trimingham, but no sooner had it been pegged out than the jet skiers arrived so the match was moved.

The disruption didn't stop Pete Morse, who won with four fish for a meagre 1lb 10oz, and the only bass of the day. Richard Ellis took second with 1lb 4oz and Paul Thorburn, in third had, three fish for 1lb 2oz.

Dene Conway, Simon Roberts, Stephen Boyce and Dave Reed headed off to Deal in Kent for the British open at the weekend and as a team they finished runners-up, a great result in somebody else's backyard. All four of them finished among the top 50 individuals in a strong 350-angler field.