COLIN SEARLES, of Hamble SAC, repelled a Scots raid to win the National Federation of Sea Anglers Wessex Division Personal Members boat championships held out of Keyhaven.

Several Scottish international anglers had their sights on the title but Searles won by a large margin. He scored 116 points for landing 10 black bream, 10 dogfish, one pout and a trio of scad.

Scot Gordon Lye was runner-up with 98 points in an event that provided some reasonable sport with a wide variety of species recorded. All the fish were returned alive.

Bob Reiock came third with 84 points, ahead of Glen Milligan 80, Ray Ashby 80, Ken Froud 78, Dace Oliver 74 and Glen Martin 74.

Wrecks to the south of The Needles have been producing some cracking summer cod during the past few weeks with 29-year-old Paul Wright from Hamble sampling some typical action while fishing from the Lymington-based boat Sundance II skippered by Roger Bayzand.

Wright used a pink glitter shad rigged on a long, flowing trace to lure a number of fish including a cracking specimen which tipped the scales down to 24lb 8oz.

Closer to home, some good stingray continue to be taken from the western Solent with Ian Durrant landing a superb specimen which thumped the scales down to 39lb 8oz while fishing from his own small boat just off Sowley.

Durrant, a 36-year-old fork lift driver from Totton, caught the specimen on king ragworm presented on a size 2/0 hook intended for smoothhound.

Hamble B, comprising Neil Powdrill, Des Rowe, Terry Coleman and Keith Coleman, put in a fine performance during the semi-finals of the CIU boat knockout competition held off The Needles on the Lymington-based boat 'Challenger' where they got the better of Highcliffe A by 62lb 8oz to 37lb.

The Hamble B team caught 54 black bream, one plaice and a brace of scad while Highcliffe could only muster 34 bream and two scad.

The second semi-final will be held between Hamble A and Highcliffe B this weekend off the Nab Tower which could result in an all-Hamble clash in the finals.