England put in a superb performance to scoop a silver medal at the World Boat Championship in Ireland.

The five-strong England team, which included four anglers from the Wessex region, starred in an event that attracted 75 competitors from 15 countries.

Bob King, a member of the Bisley club, was England's top performer, lifting the bronze individual medal, followed by Ray Ashby from Christchurch, who came fourth, Richard Russell from the Isle of Wight, who came 17th, and Ray Barron from Waterside.

Italy won the team event with just seven penalty points, followed by England with 11, Spain 14, Portugal 14, Wales 18 and Austria 19.

On the individual front, Italian competitors took the gold and silver medals with 22 and 27 points, followed by King with 32 and Ashby with 41.

One of the heaviest bass ever recorded from the Hamble estuary was bagged by Oliver Bastian from Fair Oak. The 20-year-old used a whole squid mounted on a 2/0 hook from a rarely-fished stretch of the river to tempt the beauty which thumped the scales down to 18lb 4oz.

The huge bass certainly gave him more than a few anxious moments before it eventually came to net.

Members of the Totton-based Red Deer SAC sampled some excellent action during a trip on the Lymington-based boat Sundance II, skippered by Roger Bayzand.

Chris Lovell landed the heaviest fish in the shape of a 21lb cod. He also landed an 11lb 8oz pollack.

Three competitors all drew for the top position with three cod each which were worth 60 points. They were Pete Stotesbury, Dave Gobby and John Farrow.

Lovell came fourth with 57 points, followed by Ralph Jones, Pat Reed and Robbie Capel, all with 20.

Hampshire anglers continue to dominate the overall leader table of the Isac Open League after the sixth round held at Abbotsbury.

Ian Golds from Portsmouth heads the pack with 18 penalty points followed by Mike Taylor from Southampton with 25. In third position is Josh Simmonds from Weymouth with 26, ahead of Tony O'Grady from Fareham with 33 and Tony McDonald from Worthing with 35. Variety was the key during the latest round fished at Abbotsbury where the 99 competitors returned over 400lb of fish to the scales.

The catch comprised one black bream, one bull huss, six dabs, 273 doggies, three tub gurnard, 174 poor cod, 235 pouting, five silver eels, four smoothhound and a solitary whiting.

Winner on the night was Josh Simmonds from Weymouth with 24 fish weighing 18lb 14oz ahead of Tony McDonald (16lb 3.50oz).

Chris Equeall had 14lb 2oz, Trevor Spencer 10lb 3.25oz and then Phil Parkin with 9lb 4oz.

The day's heaviest fish was a 2lb 12.50oz bull huss bagged by Tony Methven from Aldershot.

Next match in the open pegged series will be held along the Ferry Bridge section of Chesil on July 5 (fishing 7.30pm- 12.30am).

Tickets for the event which also doubles up as a Penn point fixture have been set at £15 inclusive of pools, strictly pre-book only. Trevor Sutch will have all the details, tel. 02392 201696.

The Hamble club have been involved in a number of CIU knockout matches with all three of their teams going through to the next round.

On the boats, the Hamble A team comprising Tony Spridgeon, Colin Searles, Ray Ashby and Rob Shattock gave a Woolston team something of a mauling, landing a 182lb 8oz catch to their opponents' 64lb.

Species caught during the event held out on the Hamble-based boat White Sapphire included dogfish, black bream, bass, thorneback rays, smoothhound and gurnard.

The Hamble B boat team comprising Neil Powdrill, Paul Knits, Travis Webling and Roger Street were also in good form, beating Eastleigh Working Men's Club by 38lb to 14lb.

On the beach, the Hamble team comprising John Brown, Travis Webling, Lee Cullen and Greg Nolan took on Highcliffe at Magazine Lane where they got the better of their opponents by 8lb 6oz to 2lb 2oz.