RECORDS HAVE been tumbling during the past few days with 15-year-old Jason Dobb claiming a new British record with a topknot while Dave Abbot has set a new Wessex red mullet shore record.

Young Dodd, from Gosport, has a few anxious weeks to wait until his claim for a new British shore caught Topknot recorded with a fish weighing 15oz is ratified. He caught the record breakwater during a daylight sortie from a short jetty at Gosport in the confines of Portsmouth Harbour after baiting a size 2 hook with a slither of squid, the very rare flattie was weighed and verified at Dave's Tackle at Gosport.

Not to be outdone, Sway's Dave Abbot beached a 2lb1oz red mullet during an evening trip to Mudeford which sets a new Wessex record and also a new club best. The Christchurch AC member used a ragworm/lugworm cocktail to tempt the specimen at close range.

A recent debate in the House of Commons showed that more interest in sea angling is emerging in Whitehall, according to Ted Tuckerman, the chairman of the National Federation of Sea Anglers.

The debate forced Fisheries Minister Ben Bradshaw to acknowledge the importance of Britain's 1.2 million sea anglers and admit conservation was in the interest of sea anglers and commercial fisherman alike.

The debate came about because Robert Key, Conservative MP for Salisbury, a sea angler himself, was encouraged by several members of Bass, the NFSA and Sea Anglers Conservation Network to raise the subject in Parliament. Mr Key asked the federations for a brief which he used as part of a masterly 11-minute speech supporting the same issues of conservation and the economic value of sea angling which the various angling groups have been pressing on the government.

"Our members and those joining the federation expect us to continue to push for government action, we are, and making their voice heard right up to the top of Government," said Mr Tuckerman.

The NFSA is taking part in the study ordered by the Prime Minister into the future of British Fisheries. The federation's development officer, David Rowe, is a consultant to DEFRA in research into the impact of sea angling coastal economies. Local anglers who want to join the growing band who are fighting for conservation of our dwindling fish stocks can help by joining the NFSA to give them vital extra funds, NFSA Office, Hamlyn House, Level 5, Buckfastleigh, Devon DQ11 ONS. Tel 01364 644643.

The ninth round of the Isac Open Pegged League which was staged at Cogden attracted 77 competitors who returned a wide variety of species to the scales.

Included were one bass, one dab, 25 dogfish, 102 garfish, one red mullet, 47 tub gurnard, one red gurnard, one thick lipped mullet, four plaice, nine poor cod, 84 pout, seven scad, 15 silver eels, 13 smoothhound, 41 sole and a solitary whiting.

The day's best specimen was a 2lb 11.50oz sole bagged by Dave Lane while the heaviest fish was a 3lb 13.75oz smoothhound landed by Shane Russell. Winner on the night was Rob Marshall with 18 fish weighing 12lb 6.50oz followed by Shane Russell 9lb 1.5oz, Colin Richards 7lb 11.50oz and Dave Lane 7lb 6.75oz.

Josh Simmonds from Weymouth heads the leader table with 36 points ahead of Tony McDonald, Mike Taylor from Southampton and Ina Golds from Portsmouth who are all on 42 points.

The next round of the open pegged series will be staged at Stokes bay On October 25 with fishing from 7pm to midnight when pout, dabs and whiting are expected to supply most of the action along with a codling if you are lucky. The event is strictly pre-book only. Trevor Sutch will have all the details on 023 9220 1696.

While weights were pretty poor during the Gale Force League there were a good variety of species recorded including sole, tub gurnard, dogfish, silver eels, poor cod, pouting, garfish and scad.

The best specimen was a 2lb sole bagged by Danny Woodcock. Rob Marshall was the top performer in A section with 8lb 6oz followed by Danny Woodcock 5lb and Josh Simmonds 4lb 1oz. Dave Lane and Andy Parkhill from Fareham ran out joint winners in B section with 4lb 9oz ahead of Lee Cullen from Southampton with 4lb 2oz.

The next round will be held along the Ferry Bridge section of Chesil on October 17 with fishing from 8pm to midnight.

Dogfish are expected to be the main catch although a few codling should also filter inshore. The event is strictly pre-book. Details from Pete Hegg on 01305 822833.

A £200 top prize is on offer during the annual Shingle Bank open on Saturday evening with fishing from 7pm to midnight.

The venue for the event which doubles up as a Penn point fixture runs from Taddiford to the first groyne at Hurst Castle.

Tickets have been set at £7 plus pools and a two-man team event. Juniors who will have their own prize table will have to pay just £3. Booking gets under from the Needles Eye cafe at 5pm. Last minute details from Andy Hopkins on 01425 613858.