Wensum river brings excellent results

Norfolk's fabulous River Wensum maintained its quite remarkable end of season form by relinquishing more great catches of chub and barbel on the final day of the river season.

Alex Browne from Saxlingham Nethergate reeled in a brilliant brace of almost identical chub scaling 6lb 10oz and 6lb 11oz.

The 21-year-old agriculture cereal researcher was fishing the stretch above Costessey Mill, offering his special cheese paste on a size eight hook on a light ledger rig on 5lb breaking strain line to complete his personal best catch of the season.

“The River Wensum is a great chub water, I love it, and these two beauties completed an excellent season for me,” he declared.

An afternoon season saw Jonathan Mears land three specimen chub, the biggest scaling 6lb 8oz, from his local stretch of the upper Wensum. The others tipped the scales in excess of 4lb and 5lb. The 4lb fish fell first to trotted single red maggot, with the biggest of the three coming a while after on a feeder rig, both to a single red maggot, size 18 baited hook. The 5lb fish fell to ledgered bread flake.

The 38-year-old HGV driver tamed all three fish using an ageing, but none the less willing, John Wilson original Avon/Quivertip rod, 4lb main line with 4lb fluorocarbon hooklength.

Meanwhile, Chris Mack of Elsing, who bagged the record River Wensum barbel of 19lb 4oz just a couple of weeks back, ended his season in style with a last-day specimen of 17lb 8oz from the same area of river.

On the big carp scene the top fish of the week was a stunning mirror of 37lb 5oz heaved out of the Lyng Kingfisher Lake by Norwich member Ben Radley.

Other excellent catches from this splendid fishery were carp that ranged from 25lb to 32lb for Glen Eaglen of Fakenham, Peter Vincent, Cromer, Steve Davison Norwich and Mick Germaine of Narborough.

The best carp haul from Waveney Valley Lakes fell to Lowestoft's Matthew Turrell with six fish to 32lb 12oz.