RECORD DATA

This is a breakdown of the records established during the years stated: skippers, species and weight, year of capture and the ports from which they operated. The list does not take into account the very considerable number of fish that were record near-misses. No other ports outside of the South-West where there was charter boat angling came remotely close to the successes of those west of Dorset to the western approaches of the English Channel and those of Atlantic Cornwall.

■ SEA SPRAY: Vic Evans, Brixham, conger 133lb 4oz, 1995.

■ OSPREY: George Pearce, red bream 9lb 8oz 12dr, off Dodman, 1974.

■ FLYING STAR: Bob Armstrong, Plymouth, turbot 31lb 4oz, 1972.

■ SEA ANGLER: Malcolm Jones, Plymouth, whiting 7lb 8oz.

■ Boat & Skipper unknown: electric ray 96lb 1oz, off Dodman, 1975.

■ Other boats that constantly returned with big fish

■ SMUGGLER 111: Colin Dukes, Exmouth, credited with 100lb plus conger.

■ TIBURON: Graham Hannaford, Plymouth, credited with 100lb plus conger.

■ GEMINI: Dave Harrison, Dartmouth, credited with 100lb plus conger.

■ SIZE MATTERS: Graham Hannaford, Plymouth, credited with 100lb plus conger.

■ BOAT UNKNOWN: Roy Slater, Plymouth (Eddystone), bass 18lb 6oz 1975.

SHARKING

■ THE LITTLE ONE: Bill Butters, Looe, mako 352lb, 1955; porbeagle, 271lb, 1957.

■ SWORDFISH: Clinton Powell, Falmouth, mako, 476lb, 1964.

■ IRENE: Raymond Pengelly, mako, 498 ½ lb, 1966.

■ LADY BETTY: Alan Dingle, mako 500lb*, 1971; blue shark, 218lb, 1959

■ LADY JAYNE: Ray Provis, Crackington Haven, porbeagle, 465lb, 1976.

* Nine other mako taken from Looe and Falmouth boats weighed between 400lb and 476lb. The top mako skipper was Falmouth’s Robin Vinnicombe, who accounted for 16.

SHORE CATEGORY RECORDS THAT HAVE DEFEATED TIME.

■ Conger: 68lb 8oz, Devil’s Point, Plymouth, 1991.

■ Electric ray: 52lb 12oz, Porthoustock, 1980

■ Flounder: 5lb 7oz, Teign Estuary, 1994.

■ Gilthead bream: 12lb 2oz, Salcombe, 2017.

■ Ling: 21lb 10oz, Yealm Estuary, 1994

■ Mackerel: 5lb 11oz 4dr, 1982.