Geoff Wheeler, veteran member of Esso Fawley SAC, had a grand day during the Lymington & District SFC open boat competition, boating a 4lb 14.75oz wrasse to win the £1,000 prize for the best specimen fish.

Wheeler, who has been fishing for more years than he can remember, did his homework before the event which attracted 84 competitors. He elected to target wrasse, which have already produced a specimen of just 3lb along the Hampshire and Isle of Wight coastline.

Rather than heading to the deep water marks off the Needles, Wheeler and fishing partner Les Jones headed their small craft inshore and anchored up in just 10ft of water within easy casting distance of the shore to tempt a number of quality wrasse including the biggie which was 168 per cent of the specimen size. Wheeler used peeler crab presented on a size 2 hook to tempt the valuable specimen. He intends to share the £1,000 prize with his partner.

The event produced several other specimen fish including a 15lb 5oz blonde ray caught by John Copeland from Scotties Tackle shop at Newport, Isle of Wight. Copeland fished over a mark to the south of The Needles on his friend's boat, Joe 90. He used fresh mackerel presented on a size 6/0.

By far the heaviest fish of the day was a 45lb stingray caught by 34-year-old Lee Peart from Charminster, fishing a mark just off Yarmouth. Peart baited a 2/0 hook with a small slither of mackerel to tempt the giant stinger which took over ten minutes to aboard.

Other fish of note included a 6lb 7.50oz pollack caught by Rob Thompson from Game on Fishing, a 1lb 13.75oz black bream fort Patrick Courtney from New Milton and a 5lb 7.25oz bass for D.Murphy. The event was mainly fish to a species system with a wide rage of fish recorded including plaice, stingray, thorneback rays, small-eyed-rays, blonde rays, bass, black bream, silver eels, pout, bull huss, dogfish, pollack, scad and ballan wrasse.

Overall winner of the species section was A.Holloway with 102 points followed by John Copeland 79, Bob Courtney 69, Rod Whitewood 65, Les Jones 60, Alan Boomer 59 and Geoff Wheeler 57. The junior section was won by L.Withers, a member of Esso SAC, with 50 points ahead of W.Peckham from New Milton with 32 points, AWatt 29, D.Moorehouse and D.Batchelor both with 26.

Black bream and wrasse supplied most action in the first heat of the Wessex Division of the National Federation of Sea Anglers Champion of Champions boat competition held out from Poole. Rob Shattock, representing Hamble SAC, booked his tickets for the finals after winning his boat with 59 points.

Dean Saunders (Boscombe & Southbourne SFC) also goes through to the final after winning his boat with 78 points, the top points tally of the day, along with Dave Lynes (Poole Dolphins SFC) who won his boat with 48 points.

Hengistbury head was the setting for the second round of the four-a-side Highshore league where smoothhound, pout, wrasse, silver eels and sole supplied lively action despite spider crabs being a real nuisance by continually chomping off hook lengths.

Colin Chapple, representing Lonis C in New Milton, was the top performer, landing four smoothhound weighing 10lb 12.25oz ahead of R.Foster from Highcliffe working men's club who had a 6lb 12.50oz catch of wrasse. Others: 3 A.Driver 3lb 11.50oz, 4 J.Negus 3lb 4.50oz, 5 S.Saunders 3lb 3.75oz, 6 D.Neory 3lb 3.25oz.

While smoothhound and wrasse supplied most of the action Paul Dibben (Lonis B) did beach a nice sole weighing over one pound, the only flattie recorded.

The Wessex Division of the NFSA stage the next round of the open Zziplex shore league on July 28 with fishing along the Weymouth end of Chesil Beach from 8pm to midnight. Tickets for the pegged event which also doubles up as a Penn point fixture have been set at just £10 including all pools. Smoothhound, dogfish, scad, pout and gurnard are expected to supply the action during the event which will be fished to the measure and return system, it will be strictly pre book only (full details from Malcolm Stote Tel 01590-674942, entry forms also available in the Sea Angling News.

The Swanage club stage an open boat and shore competition tomorrow evening in aid of the Save the Children fund, fishing 8.30pm to 10pm. Senior tickets will cost £3 plus a £1 pool, junior tickets have been set at £1 plus a 50p pool.