ISLE OF WIGHT anglers cleaned up in the 200-peg Allan's Marine open at Southsea.

They took four of the top five prizes, although the £1,000 winner's cheque went to Alan Smith from Worthing.

Smith couldn't hide his delight as peg 106 came out of the draw bag. It positioned him in front of the bus shelter along the St Georges Road section, a renowned plaice hot spot.

Smith caught a brace of plaice and a flounder totalling 3lb 7oz, all on ragworm, to collect the £1,000, plus £80 in section pools.

In an event which saw 21 competitors weigh in, the £500 runners-up prize went to Islander Damien Geldard, who landed a plaice of 2lb 15.5oz, the day's heaviest. He also collected £300 in pools.

Fellow Isle of Wighter Dave Cozens was third with a single plaice weighing 2lb 14oz to nudge out Ray Turner with a 2lb 9oz plaice, followed by Alan Bravery, manager of Scotties Newport-based tackle shop, who finished with two flounders (2lb 2.50oz).

The top three in each of the four sections also received a share of the pools, with A section being won by A Gardner (1lb 11oz), followed by I Reynolds (12.25oz) and P Curtis (10oz).

Others: B section: 1 G Geldard 2lb 15.5oz, 2 B Stockley 1lb 2.5oz, =3 D Beck & K Thompson 1lb. C section: 1 A Smith 3lb 7oz, 2 D Cozens 2lb 14oz, 3 R Turner 2lb 9oz.

The final section saw England international Darren Phillips land the only sizable fish, a 15.5oz flounder worth £140 in pools.

Mike Marley from Southampton has caught one of the first plaice of the season from a Poole-based charter boat - fishing from Random Harvest, skippered by Andy Adams.Using a spoon as an attractor, baited with ragworm, Marley landed a 3lb 2oz fish.

On the shoreline, Clive Mapes from Eastleigh, targeting the Lee-on-the-Solent section, caught a 3lb 12oz plaice during a daylight session along with a flooding tide. The 37-year-old engineer used ragworm presented on a size 1 Aberdeen hook fished around the 80-yard range.

The Shark Trust, based in Plymouth, wants help from local anglers for a research programme.

The Trust has always recognised the value of angling and local knowledge in the conservation of marine life. Not only do most anglers put back fish unharmed, they support tag-and-release schemes and are effective stewards of vulnerable fish stocks.

The Shark Trust, the UK's conservation charity dedicated to the study, management and conservation of sharks, skates and rays, recently received funding from the English Nature's Aggregate Levy Sustainability Fund to assess potential impacts of aggregate extraction on local skate and ray population off the south coast of England. Specifically, they are looking at the sea between Durleston Head and Littlehampton.

Angling reports and local knowledge represent some of the most important sources of information and the Trust wants anglers to send in records of skate and ray catches between Durleston Head and Littlehampton, old and new. Collating anglers' catch reports can help build a picture of local skate and ray trends and compare them to periods of known aggregate extraction.

Anyone who wants to help should submit data by e-mail to enquiries@sharktrust.org or by post to Shark Trust, Tope Walk, Coxside, Plymouth, Devon, PL4 9DL. There are also reporting leaflets available direct from the Shark Trust, or tackle shops.

Rockling provided limited action during the annual six-a-side inter-club Dean Cup competition at Avon Beach. Keith Mills of the Christchurch club landed the heaviest fish, a tiny rockling weighing 4.5oz!

The Poole Dolphins team comprising Nick Bainton, Pete Large, Nigel Large, Nigel Back, Peter Johnson and Martin Hibbard again won with a combined weight of just 1lb 6.5oz.

Runners-up were Christchurch & District with 1lb 2.5oz, followed by Christchurch Shore AC (1lb 1oz), Bournemouth & District (14oz), Bistern SAC (10oz) and Bay AS (1.5oz).

The third round of the open pegged Isac league is on Saturday evening at West Bexington. Weather permitting, plaice will supply lively action by day with doggies and pouting becoming the target as darkness falls. A good sole could also put in an appearance.

Fishing times for an event which doubles up as a Penn Point fixture are 6pm to 11pm (registration from 4pm). Tickets (pre-book only) are £15 inclusive of pools - full details from Trevor Sutch (02392 201696).

Rovers Tackle stage a mini catch-and-release pegged open on Thursday evening along the deep water section at Browndown (8pm to 11.30pm). The pre-book tickets, are £5, half the money being paid out to anglers landing the three longest fish. A few plaice are expected, along with a smattering of pout and rockling. Details can be had from the crew at Rovers (01329 220354).