From Torquay in the west to the east coast, anglers unable to get on their local beaches due to foot and mouth restrictions flocked to Pevensey Bay.

They went for a 165 sell-out for the annual Anglers Den five hour open.

For once Sussex anglers had to take a back seat. Normally the best in the country, they were outshone on this occasion.

Ian Golds came from Bedhampton, Havant, to take the £500 first prize. The England international had 37 fish (rockling, pout, dabs) for 7lb 8 3/4oz.

Ian picked up more cash for taking the pairs title together with his mate Darren Phillips, from Portsmouth, who had third heaviest bag of 5lb 11 3/4oz.

Phillips, with a flounder of 1lb 8 1/4oz, also cashed in on the heaviest flat fish pool.

Third heaviest bag was by Dave Bristow, who had 6lb 5 1/2oz, and second in the pairs were Chris Clark of Lymington and Mike Delaney.

Best catch by a Sussex man was 4lb 1/4oz by Trevor Rooney. Angel Wolfenden of the Shoreham club was top lady with 2lb 2oz and Steve Isaacs of Polegate collected the juniors prize with 1lb 6oz.

Best round fish was a 13 1/2oz whiting by Reg Hoskins.

The top four pay-outs including top four finishes, zone and pools monies were: Golds £630 (recently he had got £500 for winning the Pevensey Bay Aqua Open), Bristow £325, Phillips and Rooney each £200.

Dick Penny of Bexhill won the Rye club's four-hour match at Dengemarsh with 16 fish (pout, dabs, whiting and rockling) going 3lb 12 1/4oz. His dab of 6 3/4oz was the best flat fish.

Mick Knight had 19 fish for 3lb 10 3/4oz, Graham Joyce 2lb 1 3/4oz including a 7oz whiting and Alan Boorman 1lb 5 3/4oz.

Thirteen of the Bexhill club were on the local beach for four hours and Fred Brown won with 3lb 1oz of rockling and pout. John Trottman had 2lb 5 1/4oz, Gary Rumsey 2lb 4 1/2oz, including a rockling of 7oz, and John Foster 1lb 14 1/4 oz. Phil Dawes, with a 3 1/4oz dab, had the best flat fish.

The NFSA Southern Division Shore Championship will be fished at Pevensey Bay on April 8 and anyone who has not yet entered and wants to fish must ring Dick Penny on 01424 216050.

Ten members of Bognor Regis Amateur Angling Society had a midweek match on the pier, which Jumbo Sandell won with three rockling for 13oz.

David Middleton had two of the same species for 11oz and joint third were David's dad Steve Middleton (two ling) and Steve Pullen (three ling) on 10oz. Steve Middleton had the heaviest fish (rockling of 7oz) and, with only two blanks, 3lb 2oz made up of eight fish was recorded.

Bognor's highly popular bream boat festival will be held on Sunday, May 6 (fishing 8am-3pm), with a reserve date of May 20, starting 7.30am. Entry forms can be obtained by ringing Don Adams on 01243 830450. Bognor members are expected to be available soon to undertake work on a boat pound clean-up.

There were 264 fish weighing 52lb 1/4oz recorded in the Paupersis river fished by 16 with most choosing to fish the marina at Brighton. Geoff Cousins won with 28 fish (channel whiting, pout, rockling and flounders) for 6lb 9 1/2oz, Roger Stanton had 29 for 6lb 9oz and Mark Dudeney 23 for 5lb 10 1/2oz.

The best round was an 11oz channel whiting by Cousins and the best flat a flounder of 1lb 1oz by Rob Bradford. The next match is a week tomorrow.

Flounders out-numbered rockling when Worthing held the fourth and final round of their Pearson Cup winter competition from the pier over four hours and finishing at 11.30pm.

Top of the 15 was Alan Irbens, who had a single plaice and six flounders for 3lb 9oz. Tony Burton had seven flounders for 3lb 8oz, Colin Carey four flounders for 2lb 4 3/4oz, Ali Harvey five flounders for 2lb 3 3/4oz and Peter Epps four flounders for 2lb 3 1/2oz.

Irbens and Burton shared the heaviest fish pool, each with a flounder of 13oz. Burton won the cup overall with 7lb 5oz and Carey finished runner-up.