A blustery wind and a fierce run of tide did not make for good fishing on the first day of the British Conger Club's Members Championships, fished for the first time in its 48-year history from Poole, Dorset.

The second day's conditions were better, but unwelcome tope took many baits and at least 30 of this voracious variety of small shark were brought to gunwales and released.

Only one fish above the minimum size for weighing ashore of 40lb was caught, this by Tony Creal of Worthing.

Kept alive in a large water butt, it weighed 43lb 7oz and was then released. By virtue of the Championship eel, the top charter boat award went to Phil Higgins of Mistress Linda.

Pleasure fishing off Plymouth yielded ling to 30lb and very sizeable pollack for anglers aboard Malcolm Jones' Sea Angler I, and wrecks visited by Aaron Lidstone's Happy Days yielded plenty of cod to 21lb and pollack pushing 17lb.

North Devon's Blakewell Fisheries at Muddiford near Barnstaple, a water of some five acres, provided local angler Dai Rees with an outstanding rainbow of 20lb 14oz. It is the biggest trout recorded in the South West so far this year and a lifetime best for Rees, who had to battle almost 20 minutes for the success.

The latest heat of the Vranch House Fly Fishing Charity Challenge was hosted by Temple Fishery on Bodmin Moor and raised in excess of £2,000, of which £651 was brought in by top fund-raiser Richard Lister of Penryn, bring his total to almost £9,000 in 12 years.

Fishing was hard and the team best-bag category was won by Liskeard's John Twine and Graham Culley of St Mabyn, who had seven rainbows worth an aggregate of 15lb 1oz 6dr. Graham Johns of St Dennis and Holsworthy's Ian Wyer took second place with seven for 11lb 6oz and the third best bag was of five for 10lb 14oz by Keith and Mary Ratcliffe of Kenton near Exeter.

Twine won the best individual bag section with a four-fish catch of 10lb 2oz and in it was the heaviest fish of 2lb 15oz. The next heat is at Tree Meadow on the outskirts of Hayle on Saturday, July 3. A minimum sponsorship of £20 is required for entry. Contact: Sue Gould (01392 873543).

The International Game Fish Association has reported the capture of an immense Wels catfish weighing 250lb 3oz from Italy's River Po. It improves the world record by just 8lb over the previous best at the same river in 2009. This latest example of Europe's biggest freshwater species, with the exception of the sturgeon, was fought for 45 minutes by Roberto Godi, then officially weighed and released.