There have been nice catches from around Beccles this week but little action from the still somewhat turbulent upstream sections above Ellingham.

With the river fining down quickly conditions could approach excellent if heavier rain keeps away. Below Shipmeadow there has still been a bit of colour and a steady pace has necessitated a bit of weight downstairs but the roach have been keen to feed on red maggot at times.

In the Marina at Beccles the form also varied from day to day although the narrow top section has good fish since the dredging and deepening a couple of seasons ago now. Pesky Cocky Ruffe, bulging stomachs full to busting point with both food and spawn, equipped with bristling sharp dorsal spines, have been a pest on worms as the slowest feeders in the river. However, they are also good indicators that until a change in the particular state of the tide level alters, it may be a lean two hour spell on hand.

Predator-hunting pikers have done the best roving with artificial lures for jacks and females up to 8lb. Five fish in a session has not been unusual but heavy females are hard to locate and are more inclined to seek out static deadbaits. Some nice perch have taken lures too preferring a slow, deep presentation.

Commercial fisheries locally have held their form excellently with Broome Pits providing really good fishing from its versatile range to satisfy either the specimen hunter or just the average angler. Lovely fat rudd up to the pound in B Pit, have been taking a smallish hook presented on a long 4' tail as it nears the bottom and the cage feeder lightly packed issues its train of releasing feed.

Most catches have been accompanied by healthy roach whom some days preferred the pole presentation held steady in this venue's surface drag and the movement of its enigmatic vortex effects.

The heavier non-cage feeder stuff on a very long chuck will reach the mighty bream shoal roving around B Pits far-side island, but plenty of feed and patience for sometimes a three-hour wait for them to arrive and get their heads down has been the form.

Peter Lockhart from Lowestoft sat it out in the cold, facing a stiff breeze, but was rewarded for his long wait with a fantastic half hour in which he landed six bream, black of backs, bronze of flanks, but already boasting a few spawning follicles on their heads, and averaging 8lb each with the biggest 9lb 1oz.

Big dendrabena's almost made sure nothing much else would get the bait in their mouths, and then, apart from a near 2lb perch, it was all over; and nothing for his last two hours before with freezing fingers and dusk approaching he headed off home – with a certain day-ticket return visit on the cards.