Top beach angler Gary Medler put in a sterling bid for the Sam Hook League title on Pakefield beach where he achieved a final round victory with a mixed bag of 10lb 6oz.

Top beach angler Gary Medler put in a sterling bid for the Sam Hook League title on Pakefield beach where he achieved a final round victory with a mixed bag of 10lb 6oz.

But in the final reckoning the Martham man's points score of 196 was just two short of Pakefield's Kelvan Chilvers, whose total of 198 was sufficient for him to be crowned the 2008 champion, writes Roy Webster.

The league secretary Tony Thomas, who was third in the winter series with 192 points but was the summer and winter combination champion with 384 points, said he was delighted with the results this year. “There's little doubt that since I've been secretary of the competition in the past 10 years these were the best catches I can remember.

“Because of this the league has become increasingly popular with more codling about, and I hope that these results attract more beach anglers to join us next year - they would be most welcome.”

Final round result: G Medler (Martham) 10lb 6oz, K Morley (Kessingland) 5lb 2oz, P Loke (Norwich) 4lb 13oz. Top 10 finish: K Chilvers 198pts, G Medler 196, T Thomas 192, K Morley 192, M Gooch 177, P Tovell 175, D Able 175, C Whitelock 174, D Conway 173, A Day 168. Summer and winter combined: T Thomas 384, P Tovell 368, C Whitelock 362.

The Potter Heigham and District Sea Anglers visited the Yarmouth south beach were the result was: J Ellis 8lb ½oz, D Groves 7lb 6½oz, R Gurklis 5lb 5oz. Junior, Scott Watson 2lb 6oz.

On the freshwater open circuit the Burgh Castle event was fished in biting conditions and catches plunged. Robert Silverwood, Sportsmans, was the winner with 7lb 12oz then Lee Arnold, Jollyboys, 6lb 6oz and K Hodgins, NDAA, 6lb 5oz.

Local boatyards and dykes appear to have recovered from the dark deeds of the fish poaching villains in recent years, for match results have shot up this autumn well into double figures when the weather is kind.

The Martham club members fished the boat dyke where P Beck won with 14lb 14oz of roach and perch then G Boast 12lb 9oz and M Bensley 11lb 4oz.

Stalham members have been encouraged by the results in the club lagoon where even in Sunday's biting weather W Plummer won with 9lb 14oz followed by J Hehir 8lb 14oz and W Beckett 6lb 8oz.

Browning/Pownalls squad men featured in the top three at the Barford silver fish event where Chris Sykes was runner-up with 13lb 7oz and Tony Anderson third with 12lb 12oz behind the winner Lewis Murawski of Norwich with 15lb 9oz.