IT looked inevitable that the Hants, Wilts & Dorset Winter League record set in November last year on The Dorset Stour at Gains Cross by Eastleigh's Alan Pragnall with 55lb 11oz of bream was going to be upstaged in the first round of this years event.

With two sections of the event on Ringwood's phenomenal Wash Pit, the venue lived up to its expectations.

Having produced bumper bags all year the first three home eclipsed the previous best. Ringwood's Ian Sampson fished short pole to hand on maggot over heavy loose feed in the weed close in to take an amazing 92lb 14oz of rudd to come home well clear of his field and it is unlikely his record will ever be topped. Eastleigh's Graham Tappenden continued his good run by finishing second with 67lb 15oz of rudd with Wimborne's Roger Durham third with 65lb 11oz and team mate Richie Chave fourth with 48lb 3oz. Others: P Newman (Pewsey) 45lb 10oz, B James (Dorset Raiders) 35lb 1oz. All top six weights came from the Wash Pit. Section winners - (A & B Hucklesbrook) A: J Rushton (Salisbury) 31lb 3oz, B: M Bertsen (Andover) 26lb 1oz, (C,D,E & F Rockford) C: S.Dabbs (Andover) 10lb 6oz, D: D Self (Eastleigh) 10lb 9oz, E: T Bawn (Ringwood) 8lb 2oz, F: D Roper (Salisbury) 6lb 14oz, (G,H,J & K Hightown) G: S Nadin (Pewsey) 7lb 4oz, H: A Palmer (Pewsey) 7lb 7oz, J: T Thorton (Downton) 14lb 2oz, K: T Turner (Raiders) 5lb 10oz, (L & M Wash Pit) L: R Chave (Wimborne) 48lb 3oz, M: I Sampson (Ringwood) 92lb 14oz.

Team wise the first round produced a fabulous closely fought finish with Dorset Raiders winning on the day with 81 points despite only one section winner from Ringwood who finished just half a point behind with 80.5 with last year's champions Pewsey Normark Sensas third with 79 points and Wimborne fourth on 74 points.