A SMATTERING of quality plaice have started to filter inshore with Southampton's Ken Watkins beaching a cracker in an afternoon session at Calshot, tipping the scales down to 4lb 5oz.

Watkins, a retired fitter, used ragworm presented on a size 1 Aberdeen hook and tempted the oversize redspot - his personal best - just 50 yards out over the high water period.

Another plaice tipping the scales down to 2lb 14oz was beached at Barton by Cliff Maidment from neighbouring New Milton.

Ragworm was again the successful bait while fishing during a flooding daylight tide; the fish was caught just 40 yards from the shoreline.

Paul Greenacre from Tiptoe has also been hitting the specimen trail during a holiday to Florida Keys, where he and his two sons landed no fewer than 42 differing species, including a 13lb baracuda, but the real stat of the show was a nurse Shark estimated to weigh around 250lb.

The huge predator, which accepted a fillet of baracuda, was so large it could not be heaved into the boat and was released on the surface to fight another day.

The third round of the Allan's Marine open super league held at Stokes was a close affair with Dave Ware winning with three small fish weighing just 7oz. Runner-up on the night was Mick Goodger with two fish for 6oz while Ernie King came third with a solitary pouting weighing just 4oz.

The action can only get better in the next round on the deep water section at Browndown on April 5 with fishing from 8pm to midnight, apart from pouting some plaice and dogfish should also feature. The event, which is strictly pre book only is open to all anglers, full details from the crew at Allan's Marine Tel 023 9267 1833.

The action was dismal in the penultimate round of the 50-peg Wessex Spring series at Branksome with just a few flounders and small rockling recorded.

Lymington's Chris Clark won the match overall, taking the A section by a large margin after beaching four rockling and a trio of flounders worth 157 points.

He also claimed the longest flatfish pools with an excellent flounder for the open beach measuring 43cm and also collected the round fish pool in his section with an 18cm rockling.

Runner-up in the section was Malcolm Parsons with a 31cm flounder, followed by Steve Lane and Terry Mason, who both landed flounders worth 28 points.

Nigel Carter was the top performer in B section with a 24cm flounder, beating Brian Dartnall with 23cm and Neil Saxby & John Price, both with flounders worth 21 points.

The Wessex Division of the National Federation of Sea Anglers stage their agm on Friday evening at the St Leonards Hotel situated just west of Ringwood on the A31, starting at 7.30pm.

All clubs are requested to send at least two delegates to hear the latest news on the national scene. The division's environmental officer has also been active in past months, alerting the appropriate authorities of both illegal netting and ollution incidents. If any angler should witness either of the above, they should give Mike Judge a call on either 077 7440 0061 or 023 8057 2896.

Rovers Tackle stage a midweek pegged open at Browndown on March 24 with fishing from 8pm to 11.30pm. The fixture will be judged to the catch and release system with all fish over 18cm being measured and returned alive.

Tickets have been set at just £5; there will be three prizes in the longest fish category and three prizes in the total length category. Pre-book only from Rovers Tackle on 013 2922 0354.

GOSPORT & DISTRICT AC: Pouting and rockling dominated a roving shore competition, although Mark Caisley landed the heaviest fish - a 12.25oz flounder. Dave Ellis and Iain Gay ran out joint winners, both returning 15 fish weighing 2lb 14.5oz, followed by Colin Morris with ten fish weighing exactly 2lb.

ASHLETT SAC: Ernie Cuthbertson won a roving shore competition with a brace of flounders and a plaice, together weighing 3lb 12oz. Runner-up was junior member Emily Carr, who landed three flounders at Lepe. Alan Rowland came third followed by Ted Yates. ELMORE SAC: The fourth beach competition of 2005 produced a win for Gary Turnbull with four flounders weighing 5lb 5.5oz, including a 1lb 9.75oz flattie, the day's heaviest fish. Martyn Thorne came third with 2lb 15.5oz.

SHIRLEY SAC: The latest shallow boat competition was won by Andy King (5lb 1.50oz), nudging out Dave Beale (4lb 6oz).