Brett Lomas emerged victorious at the annual bream festival organised by the Bognor Regis Amateur Angling Society.

Despite the coastguard predicting up to force six and other forecasts referring to anything between force three to five, the Bognor officials decided to go ahead and their decision to send boats to sea was vindicated.

Fishing was from 8am to 3pm and the festival bream champion with 26lb 12oz was Bognor tackle dealer Brett Lomas who is a member of Littlehampton and Bognor clubs.

With Lomas ruled out under the one prize only stipulation, the aggregate prize went to Rolf Marshalec of Stowmarket with 24lb 10oz of which 9lb 15oz was bream including a best fish of 2lb 6,oz. Otherwise he had pout and wrasse.

The best specimen bream was 3lb by Paul Inkersole of Pagham Pirates.

Littlehampton (R. Reiach, A. Wells, Gordon Lyall, C. Pucher) were team winners with 78lb 12oz.

The second, third and fourth aggregate winners were Purcher 21lb ,oz, Reiach 20lb 13oz and Lyall 20lb. Of the 240lb total recorded, 116lb was bream.

"It was a bit choppy out there but everyone enjoyed the day," said organiser Don Adams.

Bexhill had two club matches. The midweek event fished by eight was won by Fred Brown with 3lb 5oz, second was Brian Vitler with 2lb 6oz including a "massive" dab of 2,oz, and Dick Penny 1lb 8oz. Arthur Freeman's 11oz pout was the best round.

The weekend match was fished by 14 and Phil Dawes won with eight pout and a rockling for 4lb 6oz while John Trottman landed 3lb 6,oz, Colin Talbot 3lb 4,oz and Penny 2lb 3oz. Dawes (14oz pout) had the best round and Freeman was in the pools money again with the best flat, a sole of 8oz.

A few garfish showed during daylight after which it was flounders in the four-hour Worthing midweek match from the pier. Peter Herbert had four gar (best 15,oz) and three flounders for 3lb 13oz, Steve Montgomery two flounders (best 10oz) for 1lb 2oz, Tony Burton two gar for 1lb 2oz, Peter Epps two flounders for 1lb 0oz and Alan Irbens two gar for 15oz.

It was poor when Bognor members were on their local beach opposite the bandstand. Steve Middleton had single flounder and rockling for 8oz, Stephen Pullen a flounder of 7oz and third was the winner's son David with a 4oz rockling.

After an on-off start to the year's competitions, Newhaven Deep Sea members were back on for the Bannister Cup match which is for the heaviest fish. On a day when only nine out of 35 weighed in, the best fish was a lesser spotted dogfish of 1lb 15oz (77.50 of specimen size) boated by Tony Banks on Broadsword. But the silverware for the heaviest fish went to Paul Simmons on Sarah Jane with a bass of 5lb which was just half of specimen size.

The boat Broadsword also produced the top catch, a mere 10lb 11oz by Mick McGarrity, Simmons was second with 6lb 10oz and they were followed by P. Barton 6lb 9oz, M. Bridger 6lb 7oz, Banks 5lb 15oz, G. Clark 5lb 1oz, J. Mercer 3lb 11oz and R. Brown 2lb 6oz.

The sky was very overcast and the wind north-easterly force four but swinging to east-north easterly and dropping slightly. Several skippers, through frustration over the lack of fish, came in early.

The majority of fish were lesser spotted dogfish but the catch also included some small smoothound, dabs and whiting. Members hope to get afloat next on May 20. The inspection of club owners' boats by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution safety at sea inspectors was passed in all cases with some getting gold awards.

A change of wind direction and a rise in temperature is needed to improve the fishing.