On the big carp waters Lowestoft's Jim Shelley heaved out a new venue record mirror of 40lb 4oz from the Suffolk Water Park - and he followed that feat with a quartet of mirrors and commons from the Kingfisher Lake ranging from 23lb to 35lb.

On the big carp waters Lowestoft's Jim Shelley heaved out a new venue record mirror of 40lb 4oz from the Suffolk Water Park - and he followed that feat with a quartet of mirrors and commons from the Kingfisher Lake ranging from 23lb to 35lb.

However the top fish from this Lyng water was a 38lb 2oz mirror for Steve Davison of North Walsham. Other successes with fish to over 30lb were Norwich rods Alan Bishop and Chris Brown and Steven Sparks of Felthorpe who also bagged a hefty 9lb 6oz tench.

Following the weekend's downpours, only two anglers waded out to fish the Taverham Lake - locals Mark Grey and Ben Smith - who respectively were rewarded with a 21lb mirror carp and a 26lb 10oz common carp.

Swangey Lakes produced a spate of quality carp, the best a 31lb 6oz mirror for Glenn Hales of Attleborough who had five others between 22lb and 28lb.

Andrew Rumsby of Gorleston netted a mirror of 31lb 4oz while other anglers from the seaside town to prosper were John Saiche and Mick Smart with mirrors to the high 20s, with similar fish for Steve Jones of Attleborough and Dave Freeman of Corton.

At the Taswood Fishery, Caister-on-Sea brothers Jason and Darren Stamp posted up a list of five mirror and common carp between 20lb 8oz and 28lb 8oz. Others to succeed were Norwich rods Stewart Fleming with the best of the week common of 31lb while local regulars Ben Sawicki, Chris Belltie and James Dawson taking other fish to the high 20s.

At the Chapel Road Roughton Lakes, anglers reported huge catches of medium sized carp with one of the top rods Paul Spinks of Norwich netting 45 fish between 5lb and 14lb.

At the St Georges Fishery, East Ruston, carp were the main quarry, but the fish that caught the eye was the 11lb bream heaved out by Stalham's John Wold.

Even though this was the first weekend of the Broad's new season, most clubs continued to pin their faith on the commercial lakes where aggregates once again soared well into three figures.

Paul Fleet heaved out 169lb 3oz of carp from Melton Ponds to head the card of the Eastern Region Police Challenge and boosted Norfolk into a winning position over their Suffolk and Cambridgeshire opponents.

t The new management of Broome Pits made a flying start with carp up to 27lb and tench up to 8lb. One peg on the B pit producing 31 bream averaging 7lb. Both the B and C pits were newly stocked on Monday.