ENGLAND youth team member Lee Cullen was in superb form during the Weston Outcast Open where he won the event by a canter.

The contest also doubled up as a Guernsey qualifier for the NFSA national Championships staged at Burnham-on-sea and Cullen's performance means he has qualified for the national finals.

Cullen, 20, from Netley used a combination of lugworm, white rag and peeler crab to tempt a codling, four whiting and a flounder together totalling 6lb 4oz to collect the £300 top prize along with his ticket for the National finals which will be held on the Island of Herm off Guernsey during September.

The event attracted over 120 competitors including some of the top anglers from both Wales and the south-west. Winning any competition is not easy even if it is staged on your own patch but winning an event on you first trip well away from home on a new venue is no easy task. Hopefully the youngster will be in the same match-winning form when he pulls his England shirt on for the Home International Shore Championships being held at Holyhead during June.

Wessex anglers will get the chance to qualify locally for the national finals when a Guernsey heat is staged by members of the Lymington club during August around the Lymington & Pennington Sea Wall. With Cullen taking one slot, it should give a good chance of two local anglers heading to the coveted finals.

After a successful final last year the Wessex Division of the National Federation of Sea Anglers have once again got sponsorship for their boat and shore finals this year from the Alderney Tourist Board, Rockhopper Airlines and Stuart Trought's Alderney Felix.

There will be two boat angling heats heading out from Langston on May 15 and Weymouth on June 26.

Shore anglers will battle it out for their place to the finals during a heat held around the Pennington Sea Wall on July 2 which will be judged to a catch and release system. The finals will be held on Alderney on the weekend of October 29.

The event is open to nominated members of clubs affiliated to the Wessex division of the NFSA. Entry fee is £50 per boat angler and £15 for each shore angler. All shore anglers will have their air fare, food, accommodation and transport on the Island paid.

Flounders and bass dominated when Bells of Hythe staged a match along their local patch which attracted 33 competitors with 18 returning fish to the scales.

The pool for the heaviest round fish was a 1lb 15lb bass bagged by Paul Morgan. Alan Boomer was the top performer beaching three flatties weighing 3lb 8oz to get the better of H Ryder with a 2lb 9oz specimen flounder and the Dean Archer 2lb 5oz catch of bass and flounder.

Adverse weather conditions certainly put a damper on the latest round of the aptly named Gale Force League which was fished along the Masonic section of Chesil where just a few doggies, pout, poor cod and rockling were recorded.

Dave Chedzoye ran out the winner in A section with 6lb 4oz to nudge out Rob Marshall 5lb and Lee Cullen with 4lb 10oz.

Ian Dancey was as the top performer in B section with 4lb 8oz ahead of Pete Hegg 1lb 11.5oz and Dave Lane with 1lb 8oz. The next round will be held on April 1 at Cogden. Details from Pete Hegg on 01305 822833.

AROUND THE CLUBS

VENTNOR ASC. Kevin Basham ran out a clear winner during a roving shore competition with 3lb 0.25oz followed by Gareth Butt with 2lb 10oz and Jason Warne 1lb 7.25oz.

The pool for the best specimen was shared by Basham and Butt, who both landed flounders weighing 1lb 9.5oz.

LYMINGTON & DISTRICT SFC. Dogfish and pouting supplied limited action during a Shingle Bank League fixture held at Milford where Adrian Smith came out on top with a trio of doggies weighing 3lb 11oz.

Malcolm Stote came second with a night's heaviest fish, a 2lb 5oz doggie along with a small pouting together weighing 2lb 7oz, followed by Bob Miness 1lb 4oz and junior member Craig Moore with three pouting weighing 14.75oz.

NEW MILTON SFC. Flounders, whiting and pout provided the action during a catch and release fixture held at Magazine Lane where Bruce Samber came out on top with 383 points.

The runner-up was R Foster with 228 followed by Richard Vine 215, junior member Shane Samber 185, Mrs J Samber 118 and Martin Preston with 49 points.

SOUTHAMPTON SAC. Pout and dogfish supplied most of the action during a boat competition although Bill Baynes included a 7lb 5oz thorneback ray in his 21lb 14oz winning catch, which comprised 21 fish. Chris Barnes was the runner-up with 16 fish weighing 21lb 8oz, followed by Andy Baynes 12lb 3oz and Steve Watson with 7lb 6.5oz.