THE closure of its offices at Buckfastleigh has brought to an end the 105-year existence of the National Federation of Sea Anglers, now submerged within the Angling Trust.

A great deal history has, I fear, been consigned to the rubbish dump, with it apparently not being required.

What was kept has been transferred to the Nottingham offices of the new organisation, and one can only hope that the extensive archive of British salt-water records has been saved.

The loose promise that a smaller unit would be set up in the Westcountry for the administration of salt-water angling has not been kept.

The future of the regional divisions remains uncertain and I have learned that, since the Trust started, the number of club affiliations to the Wyvern Division of the NFSA has fallen. Now the main body is no longer around, it may be time for the Division to become 'independent'. It could, I believe, stand firmly on its own feet, as has the Cornish Federation since it broke away from the NFSA some 50 years ago.

Jason Upham has set a new bull huss record in the shore category for Brixham SAC with a specimen of 16lb 2oz 10drm, taken at a local headland mark.

Unfortunately, a considerable amount of effort in locating this popular species has largely gone unrewarded, but it is a situation that could change overnight.

The conger season has begun and rod bending action is almost guaranteed at the many wrecks in Lyme Bay and further out in the vicinity of and within the great gash of the Hurd Deep, where the bottom plunges in the deepest part to 600ft.

Torquay, Paignton, Brixham and Dartmouth charter skippers are ideally positioned and a 2½ hour run is sufficient to reach many of the known and very productive hulks.

The leading fish of last year both coming from Lyme Bay scaled 109½lb and 102½lb for Roger Beer of Ivybridge and John Heather of Brixham. Every big conger hunter has the ambition to break the conger record of 133lb 4oz set at a Lyme Bay wreck and the nearest approach is a fish of 115lb caught off Plymouth. The nearest approach is a fish of 115lb caught off Plymouth.

The British Conger Club continues to welcome new members, who are now able to join without having to bring a qualifying fish ashore for official weighing. To push conservation another step forward, a charter boat skipper's judgement as to a fish's weight is deemed sufficient. A fish of 40lb is the requirement in the wreck category and 30lb from reef or open ground.

The annual full and associate membership fee is £20 and senior citizens get a 50 per cent reduction. The contact number is 01752 666141 or e-mails can be sent to: mactrio25743@fsmail.net

South West waters have extensive areas of reef that offer the opportunity of top class conger fishing without the need to go more than 12 miles from the coast and many hulks lying within this distance are known to have eels of considerable size.

The South West's competition calendar includes the Conger Championships to be fished out of Plymouth's Queen Anne Battery Marina over the weekend July 4-5 and its Affiliated Clubs Championships will also be contested off Plymouth on September 26-27. This is a change from original planning as Brixham were not able to obtain sufficient boats.

Clubs who would like to be represented must contact Bob Nye, whose telephone number is 01483 487125. E-mails can be sent to: bob.nye@intlworld.com

Town Parks Fishery is holding a 24-hour carp match on the Match Lake on Saturday, May 23 commencing 5pm. Three rods may fish and all carp weighing over 8lb will then be relocated by the bailiffs into the lower Specimen Lake.

In addition to cash prizes for the three best weights will be a barbecue breakfast, a nice touch at this very pleasant venue. Tickets are £25 all in. The contact number is 01803 523133.

Creedy Manor's considerable head of carp are getting ready to spawn. This is indicated by a lot of splashing and fish playing on the surface. Maggot, worm and savoury type boilies are attracting plenty of attention and their have been many multiple catches. Cullompton's Jonathon Soanes had a very productive session that resulted in a 25lb 8oz common, another of 23lb 11oz and a pair of mid-range doubles and a 5lb green tench was also banked.

Teignmouth's George Davis fished a favourite swim at the top of the left-hand bank and this gave five carp to 22lb 8oz and the bag weight was just over 104lb.