Well-known Norfolk angler Colin Howlett has reeled in a major prize – but there wasn't a fish in sight.

The 63-year-old, from Lyng, travelled to Poland and netted the World Casting Championship crown.

Howlett – a caster for more than 30 years – spends a lot of time fishing for chub, carp and roach in the Wensum Valley.

'The chub is my favourite species and I've been lucky enough to have a 7lbs 9oz fish on the bank,' he said.

'I have been a national level caster for much of this time and have been organising the UKSF tournaments since 1983.'

Howlett began casting at the ICSF world championships in 2004, mainly using the 18gm multiplier event. Having finished fourth in his first event he realised it was a sport he could excel in, and after plenty of practice won his first gold in Krakow in 2008, setting the current world record of 116.32m.

Another win followed in 2011 in Hussen in the Czech Republic, with the most recent success making it a hat-trick of titles.

The event in Szamotuly was the 39th world championships and had competitors from 15 countries, with Sinji Kato of Japan in second place and Spaniard Jordi Casals third.

The winning distance was 109.37m – almost five metres further than Kato.

The 14ft rod that the left-handed Howlett uses, with a full high swing pendulum cast, is stiffer than the usual fishing rod – it is made by ZZiplex, based in New Romney, Kent, with an ABU 2500c multiplier reel.

'It is a sport which is quite big in the old Eastern bloc countries,' he said. 'Whilst I am a keen angler, I do a lot of my practising in a field, where there is lots of open space. I usually practice three or four times a week in the lead-up to a major competition.

'It is highly competitive and we compete against very organised teams who have coaches and managers who attend the events with them. Many of them are funded from government sport grants, and get everything paid for while we pay our own way as it is impossible to get any help.'

Howlett was accompanied by Andy Miller, from Kings Langley, who also came home with a medal, this time a silver in the fixed spool version of the 18gm plug,