Government research throughout 2008 into fish stocks and now analysed by scientists at the University of York in conjunction with the Marine Conservation Society reveals that only six per cent of fish available more than a century ago now remain.

Cod has taken the biggest hit and only 13 per cent is still swimming in British waters.

Once frequently caught by boat and shore anglers fishing on and off the North Sea coast and here in the South West in the Bristol and English Channel, from the Devon and Somerset coast beaches and offshore wreck sites, the incidence of sizeable specimens has become relatively rare.

UK recreational records set in the heyday of angling – namely 56lb 6oz from a boat off Whitby and a remarkable 44lb 8oz fish from the shore at Tom's Point, at Barry in South Wales – now seem unbeatable.

Our region's heaviest ever in the boat category is 53lb, a fish from a Lyme Bay wreck and that off the shore is 35lb 8oz taken at Ilfracombe's Capstone Point.

Although Norwegian waters provided the European record fish of 82lb 11oz caught as recently as 2005, virtually all the rod-caught cod in this weight class have been taken off America's Atlantic seaboard states.

Catch records reveal at least 50 fish heavier than 80lb and the current world record is 98lb 12oz set at the Isle of Shoals off New Hampshire in 1969.

The women's record is an impressive 81lb 12oz, a fish taken off Massachusetts in 1970.

The biggest cod ever landed is a monstrous fish two metres long weighing 211lb 8oz taken commercially off the American coast in 1895 and the biggest landed at a British port weighed 140lb and was recorded at Hull in 1927.

Offshore boat fishing is improving in better weather conditions at both wrecks and reefs. Father and son duo Graham and James Eden, fishing from their own boat at a reef off the estuary of the Yealm, had a number of pollack to 15lb 5oz and the Eddystone delivered a beauty of 17lb for Greg Perrett on his first trip aboard the Plymouth charter boat Sea Angler II and two days later at a wreck he had a cod of 17½lb.

Grey mullet are gradually making a showing at shore marks and the best of a number reported weighed 5lb 7oz taken by Plymouth SAC's Anthony Serpell.

For the first time in Chew Valley lakes' 100 year-plus history of competitions, huge cash prizes are being offered.

The first event is a contest for teams of four anglers with a cash prize value of £5,000 that will be fished in two heats with teams qualifying for a grand final to be fished at the end of June.

Bob Handford, who manages the Bristol Water venues, will be announcing the final details within the next week or so.

Despite low temperatures a number of very good fish have come out of Chew, including a 9lb 8 oz brownie taken by John Lyon of Tiverton and the heaviest in the bank category was a fish of 8lb 8oz by Martin Powell. A 7lb 9 oz example was banked by Graham Morris.

A ghost carp of 21lb 8oz was taken at Town Parks Fishery by Andy Webster, who had made his last cast of the day from peg seven. Carrying a distinctive pigment circle on the side of its face it was the first time the fish had been tempted to take a bait.

How some fish can avoid capture over long periods of time in essentially a limited area of water, is always one of carp fishing's mysteries.

Catfish continue to make their mark and the best fish out weighed 21lb 2oz for Peter Headon, who was on his first visit to the venue this year while Dave Osmond continued his high catch rate with a 12-fish haul nine of them carp to 21lb 3oz and a trio of cats, the best 18lb 5oz. This dedicated angler returned the next day and, using red maggot on a clip, brought in a personal best common of 26lb 1oz.