Roy WebsterPike anglers who are disappointed with the quality of their sport on local Broads and rivers this season are advised to head for the lakes. That's the message from the Besthorpe Fishery where Attleborough pensioner Richard Wingfield winched out two muscle-packed beauties that turned the scales to 25 lb 6 oz and 24 lb 10 oz.Roy Webster

Pike anglers who are disappointed with the quality of their sport on local Broads and rivers this season are advised to head for the lakes.

That's the message from the Besthorpe Fishery where Attleborough pensioner Richard Wingfield winched out two muscle-packed beauties that turned the scales to 25 lb 6 oz and 24 lb 10 oz.

The fish that came in consecutive casts fell to herring bait offered in the fishery's Top Lake, half of which was ice-free due to a running stream trickling warmer water into the margins.

An amazed fishery boss Trevor Day said he knew hefty pike populated his lake but was astounded when he witnessed these two remarkable specimens taken in bitter cold weather.

'I knew there were some sizeable predators in the lake, but few people actually fish for them.

'These latest specimens have left me wondering whether we might have one or two thirties in here,' he commented while still recovering from only five hours sleep after spending until Saturday midnight and then from 5.30 am on Sunday clearing ice from his match lake for the arrival of the Mulbarton Angling club whose winner was D Poigidter with 41 lb 6 oz.

Local lakes to visit for quality pike fishing are Blicking, Swangey, Taverham, Fritton and Lenwade Bridge, all of which offer day permits.

The Hinderclay lake was also ice-free in time for the weekend open won by Derek Johns (Thetford Angling Centre) with the top carp catch of the week totalling 80 lb 10 oz.

The Barford fishery maintained aeration throughout the week thus allowing the Thursday, Saturday and Sunday events to go ahead.

The winners respectively were Paul Ashford (Barford tackle) 37 lb 8 oz, Jim Randell (Sensas) 58 lb 11 oz and Tony Evans (Spalding) 68lb 10 oz.

Sunday's open event on the River Wensum along Riverside was completed in an exceptional high flood tide that lifted levels bank high.

Bream and roach did not respond keenly and organiser Steve Borrett fished up on the shelf to win with two small bream, two sizeable perch and a few small roach totalling 10 lb 1oz.

Club matches were few but the early midweek veterans' outing on the Waveney Cut was won by David Roe with 31 lb 4 oz but two days later the water was over the banks leaving Tony Gibbons the winner with a dozen tiny roach for 1lb 15 oz.