TRIPLE Hook Club's Windy Shield Match saw Julian Stainer secure victory with a specimen conger of 22lb 4oz.

Runner-up was Tazs Watton with another conger, this one scaling 19lb 10½oz.

Those catches earned valuable points for Julian and Tazs in the North Devon League as they took first and second place for their club, ahead of Dave Shapland, of Rod 'n' Reelers, and Graham Snow, of Combe Martin SAC, who both landed dogfish scaling 2lb 1oz.

Sea anglers are struggling, with quality fish hard to find.

Small whiting and dabs are making up catches from beaches, while deep-water marks have the potential to produce the occasional large conger or bull huss.

Simon Sylvester enjoyed success on a recent shore sortie, landing a fine specimen spurdog of 11lb 4oz using a whole squid bait.

Simon and his companion lost a couple of other fish during the session that they assumed to be spurdog.

These fish are quite rare from the shore but travel in packs, so if one is caught it is not uncommon to get several.

Stafford Moor continues to provide top match sport despite the prolonged wintry weather.

The penultimate match of the M5 Winter League saw Garry Webber, of Preston, win with a huge net of 113lb on the waggler from Tanners. Second was Jamie Pearce with 98lb from Woody, using red maggot in conjunction with the bomb. With just one match of the winter series remaining, Stafford Moor's home team are leading Preston by one point.

I have been looking through some old photos in preparation for a slideshow for the Combe Martin Sea Angling Club.

These brought back a wealth of great memories reinforcing my love for this great pastime.

Images of friends, places and, of course, fish paint a vivid picture of times gone.

Between the successful trips there were many blanks with no fish landed. To call them blanks, however, devalues their worth, for these aren't dreary no-score draws.

I visited Slade Reservoir on Saturday in search of pike and drew the proverbial blank.

I aggravated my weak back while getting the tackle out of the car and grimaced as I trudged to the water's edge.

I soon had two crimson-tipped floats optimistically poised upon the surface.

It was cold, yet winter sunshine lightened the scene and a robin flitted to and fro beside me in the hope of food, eventually landing on the toe of my boot.

All around, the natural world played out its daily episode — far more enthralling than any television programme. While in this episode the floats refused to sink, next time they will I'm sure.

Waxing lyrical about a blank trip is fine but I am well aware there is a serious threat to some areas of our sport.

Wild fish are threatened. Whether salmon, cod, bass or eels, there is a steep decline in populations.

While there are many lakes heavily stocked with fish, providing great sport and ensuring the future of certain sectors of our sport, the game fisher who seeks salmon or migratory trout and the sea angler face a less certain future.

The economy that relies upon the wild fish angler is under threat.

How long will sea anglers continue to buy worms for bait when the return is so infrequent?

Many fine sporting hotels have closed as salmon stocks have declined.

My optimism keeps me having another cast. Let's hope fish stocks recover and modern cynicism doesn't stifle the will.

It is only two weeks until the start of a new salmon season and a good time to remind anglers of the excellent webcam facility provided by Farson Digital.

There are now cameras placed to view a dozen of the West Country's prime game fish rivers.

This enables anglers to judge conditions before leaving home, invaluable to those living a distance from the water. The web address is www.risingsunfc.co.uk.

Diary dates

Tomorrow: Triple Hook Club Presentation Night.

Sunday: Wistlandpound Flyfishing Club Winter Challenge Match at Blakewell.

Monday: Combe Martin SAC slideshow, Braunton Cricket Club, 7.30pm.