An exciting finish to the Sam Hook Sea League ended with Tony Thomas being crowned champion.

An exciting finish to the Sam Hook Sea League ended with Tony Thomas being crowned champion.

The Sheringham angler failed to make the top three in the final round fished on Lowestoft North Beach on Monday night, but Dick Able, his nearest challenger, managed only second spot and ended just one point adrift in the final table.

Thomas, the league organiser, finished with 194 points, while Able scored 193.

Then followed a tie between Wayne Perring (Lowestoft) and Keith Morley (Kessingland), both on 189.

Thomas had no doubts about why he had achieved success.

“I firmly believe that fishing with fresh bait is vitally important and I invest hours digging my own lugworm and other bait,” he said.

On the freshwater match circuit, Kevin Paynter of Yarmouth won the River Yare NISA Feedmaster match with 44lb of bream, but the Suffolk teams of five league on the Weybread Ocean Pit was a gruelling affair.

Ian Cochrane of Harleston required only 13lb 15oz for individual honours, while the top team was Browning Hot Rods with 29lb 10½oz.

Norwich angler Adie Moore chalked up a year's best at Hinderclay with 179lb 12oz.

The best of the rest were R Smart (Oddfellows) winner of the Colton Midweek with 150lb 11oz; Simon Elliott of Harleston, who scored top catch at Carleton Rode with 135lb 10oz; and Jim Randall (Venture Whizzo), who won the Barford Midweek with 155lb 12oz and completed the double at Mill Farm on Monday with 112lb.

On the big fish scene, there has been numbers of catfish recorded at Cobble Acre, with visitors Dave Raby and Steve Long netting three fish scaling 26lb 8oz, 28lb 2oz and 29lb 8oz.

On the carp count, Robert Carroway of Lowestoft bagged six to 24lb 8oz and other locals to bag up were Norwich rods Martin Howe, Joe Ball, Dave Howes and Steve Beckham, who all recorded mirrors and commons to 25lb.

John Yaxley of Gorleston recorded his personal best common carp at 35lb 4oz at Waveney Valley.

Other commons just under that mark fell to Stuart Rackham of Halesworth and Steven Wright of Saxmundham.

Taswood Lakes were in form and the best specimen was a 29lb 8oz common carp for Lowestoft's Peter Shreeve.

Taverham Lakes showed an improvement of form, with numerous carp to 20lb 12oz for local and visiting rods, while on the nearby River Wensum, the best barbel came in at just under 10lb.