FIFTEEN-YEAR-OLD Paul Lockyer hit the cod trail in spectacular fashion fishing just off The Needles.

The teenager, a member of Shirley SAC, landed a cracker, thumping the scales down to 22lb while fishing over a mark just one mile south of The Needles.

This is the first cod that the youngster has ever caught and what a way to start, fishing from the Keyhaven-based boat "Lady M" skippered by Ray Pitt.

Young Lockyer used squid to tempt the hefty specimen in a club competition.

On the shore, one of the best cod from the Wessex region has been caught from Chesil beach by Andy Steel during an evening session. The 53-year-old used lugworm presented on a 2/0 pennel rig to tempt the huge specimen which thumped the scales down to 21lb 5.75oz.

The Joint Clubs' Xmas Fayre Open at Southbourne produced some excellent sport for the time of year with small-eyed-rays, pout, whiting, dogfish, sole, dabs and flounders all figuring in the catch.

Alan Jones was top performer with a cracking ray weighing 9lb 7oz to edge his teammate Reg Clough, who included a 6lb 11oz ray in his 8lb 4oz catch. The duo had a clear victory in the pairs section.

John Hunt came third with 7lb 3.50oz which included a 6lb 14 ray.

Over half of the 60 strong field returned sizeable fish to the scales which apart from rays also included dogfish, pout, whiting, flounders, sole and dabs, the pool for the heaviest flatfish was won by Robbie Hayes with a 1lb 1oz sole.

The penultimate round of the Sammy's League at Lee-on-Solent supplied a smattering of pout, dabs, whiting and silver eels, with 19 of the 24 competitors returning fish to the scales. Wayne Perrett from Eastleigh won with 2lb 1.50oz, just one ounce ahead of John Williams from Southampton. Others: 3 Ian Golds 1lb 10.50oz, 4 John Thompson 1ln 0.25oz, 5 Daniel Mogridge 13.75oz.

Local anglers stole the show in Rovers' final mind midweek pegged match of the year at Stokes Bay.

Veteran angler John Williams from Southampton came out on top with eight fish weighing 1lb 14.75oz, followed by 16-year-old Lee Cullen, who is a member of the Shirley club, with nine fish weighing 1lb 10.75oz. Tony Methvyn came third with 1lb 7.75oz followed by Andy Smithson with 1lb 2.50oz.

A High Shore Evening League fixture around the Pennington sea wall produced some surprising sport, with the expected flounders replaced by big pouting and a codling.

Keith Brooks, representing Lonis C, won the event with four pouting weighing 2lb 14.75oz, followed by John Slopper from Highcliffe with a 1lb 7oz codling. Paul Dibbens from Lonis B came third with 1lb 0.75oz.

Dave Ridout scooped over £100 in pools and prize money during the latest round of the Wessex Senior Flounder League at Baiter after beaching three flatties weighing 4lb 1.25oz. Included in his catch was the heaviest fish, weighing 1lb 14.75oz.

Sponsor Simon Barber was runner-up with 3lb 2.50oz.