FOUR anglers representing Dorset Police scooped the major team and individual awards during the Police Sport UK National Sea Angling Boat Champion-ships.

Held out from Weymouth, there were a total of 40 four-man teams competing from 20 charter boats.

The Dorset quartet comprised PC Dave Mann from Bournemouth, PC Iain Fryett from Boscombe, retired policeman Graham Dunhill and media relations officer Stuart Cooper.

The Dorset quartet won the team event for the second time in three years, which is a tremendous achievement.

Cooper had an even more memorable day when he was confirmed as the overall individual champion. He also won the trophy for landing the most species with no fewer that 13 different types of fish.

Dorset Chief Constable Martin Baker, who had great difficulty hiding his obvious pleasure following the home team's clean sweep, presented the trophies at a formal dinner held at the Rembrandt Hotel in Weymouth.

SMOOTH SUCCESS

SOUTHBOURNE angler Mel Houghton was the latest to strike lucky when he heaved a 14lb smoothhound over the gunnels of Danny Boy II, skippered by Terry Allen.

Fishing over a mark in Poole Bay, Houghton used squid to tempt the specimen that put up a good account for itself.

It was certainly a good fish to take late in the season as most smoothhound have already disappeared for warmer waters.

VARIETY SHOW

VARIETY and quality were the key during the Lymington Autumn Open held along the Milford shingle bank, where more than 80 competitors returned a smattering of pout, codling, bass, flounder, sole, silver eel, pollack, black bream, dogfish, smoothhound, rays and whiting to the scales.

Glyn Savin from Pennington collected the £150 top prize after landing an 11-12 specimen undulate ray along with a dogfish, together totalling 13-1.

Dave Lane collected the £100 runners-up prize after landing a 5-4 smoothhound along with a brace of bass together totalling 9-12. He was followed by Mike Johnson (7-6), Dave Padmore (6-1), Rob Marshall (5-15), Steve Harder (4-2), Chris Ellis (3-12) and Ant Buik with 3-11.

The junior section was won by Michael Dawkins with 2-8 while Aaron Haytor was second with 12.5oz. Third place was taken by Ollie Hopkins with 7.25oz.

Glyn Savin won the pool for the heaviest round fish with his 11-12 ray while the flatfish section prize went to Steve Saunders with a 1-2 sole.

The pairs competition was won by Dave Lane and Ant Buik with 13-8 followed by Rob Marshall and Tony Methven (6-11) and Michael and Andrew Dawkins with 4-3.

MATT CASHES IN

MATT Mapes from Everton collected the £1,000 top prize during the Poingesdre's open shore competition held at Weston Shore, which attracted around 300 competitors.

Mapes used ragworm fished around 50 yards to tempt a 3-8 bass and scoop the cash along with £148 for the heaviest fish and another £41 in section pools.

John Lintern was runner-up with a brace of flounder weighing 2-0 to collect £500, while the junior section was won by eight-year-old Gordon Downer from Netley Marsh with a brace of flatties weighing 1-7.

WALLER IS A WINNER

THE first round of the Christchurch Angling Centre midweek open evening series, held at Avon Beach, was dominated by pout, pollack and whiting. Adrian Waller won the event, which attracted 28 competitors, after landing a brace of pollack weighing 3-13. He also collected the pool for the heaviest fish weighing 2-1.

Eleven-year-old Daniel Stote from Pennington was second with a 1-11 pollack, while his father, England international Malcolm Stote, could only look on in envy.

Boscombe and Southbourne SFC member Jack Seviour was third with 1-4 followed by Glyn Savin (15oz) and Mark Turner (14oz).

COMPETITION TIME

ROVERS Tackle stages a midweek pegged catch-and-release open shore competition tomorrow evening at Southsea with fishing from 8pm to 11.30pm.

Tickets, which are pre-book only, have been set at £5, and there will be three cash prizes in the longest fish category and three cash prizes in the total length category.

Further details can be obtained from Rovers Tackle on 01329 220354.