We got to the Beauchamp Arms just before 8am with low water due at 08.05 but there was an EA flood warning on the river because of the strong Northerly winds and the spring tide. These were similar conditions the 1953 floods when a tidal surge ran up the Broads rivers. The water was as high as it is on a normal high tide, in fact probably higher. By the time I got to my peg the water was already over the boards and half way to the flood bank. It looked as if it would be a very hard match. As the tide rose though the river started to colour up and with 3 roach in my first 4 casts on the feeder for about 1lb 4oz I began to change my mind! As the tide rose higher and higher more and more colour came into the river and from 20 inches of clarity at low water it was more like a 12 inches by high water but I was too busy to accurately check it again 😉

The weather was horrible with a strong 23mph wind from the North West with gusts to 35mph in the rain squalls that obliterated the horizon time and time again. Max temp was 12 C that felt like 6C with the wind chill!

Only 37 fished today which was a little disappointing considering how well the river is fishing and the lowest turnout of the year but with the Angling Times county qualifiers today for Norfolk at Barford and Suffolk at Hinderclay that kept a few away. The results:-

1st Brian Gooch fishing the feeder from peg 78 had 5 or 6 big bream and lots of big roach and skimmers around 2lb on worm weighed in 72lb 0oz
2nd John Platten also on the feeder but fishing mostly 3 red maggots also had 5 or 6 bream to 5lb and plenty of roach and skimmers from peg 71 for 51lb 5oz
3rd Reggie Bryanton on peg 22 on the feeder had 45lb 7oz
4th ME on peg 72 fishing a 2oz feeder and switching between red maggot and worm had 36lb 15oz

Sections
22 to 28 Kevin Paynter 32lb 8oz
32 to 40 Nick Larkin 31lb 8oz
48 to 51 Peter Dade 20lb 4oz
52 to 57 Robert Hubbard 30lb 8oz
61 to 65 Keith Ford 26lb 8oz
66 to 70 Brian Weavers 35lb 3oz
71 to 78 3 times default Chris Ward 16lb 7oz. Chris had a little carp about 1lb that looked distinctly like an F1 to me. There have been quite a few small carp this year. Previously if a carp was landed they would be doubles but most were lost rather than landed.

This was the last open match of the year on the Beauchamp Arms stretch so the league was decided. All of the top 4 leading up to todays match increased their best 8 weights. Goochies 72lb 0oz helped him to first place with 285lb 15oz
2nd Nick Larkin 252lb 15oz
3rd Robert Hubbard 249lb 8oz
4th Tony Anderson 242lb 3oz

So the top 4 before todays match all increased their weights and ended up with an average for their top 8 weights of over 30lb.

10th place had 207lb 11oz which is over a 25lb average.

Even I ended up averaging over 20lb for my top 8 matches.

Brilliant fishing but will it be as good next year, who knows!!