Steve Potts from Sunderland won the first leg of the Edinburgh winter shore angling league at Portobello Beach with 16 fish and nearly 400 points.
Second was another Tyneside angler, Gavin Owen, with eight fish for 198 points while Edinburgh-based Chris Cooper was third with six fish for 178 points.
Conditions were much better than expected after several days of easterly winds.
There were only a few drops of rain and light winds during the three-hour match which attracted over 30 anglers. Others came from as far afield as Arbroath and Falkirk as well as all over the Lothians and Fife.
The longest fish was a bass of 39cm caught by third-placed angler Chris Cooper from Edinburgh. His brother David, the defending champion, finished down the field in 17th spot on the night.
Ian Campbell, the organiser, was delighted with the turnout and confirmed that he is now taking names for the next match at Newhaven, Edinburgh, on November 3. Registration from 6pm to 6.15pm at Western Harbour Way EH6 6PG with fishing from 7pm to 10pm.
Some of the fish were caught at long range and others short distance but Campbell confirmed that the best pegs were at the Cat and Dog Home end of the match and not at the Amusement End where a number of anglers blanked.
Species caught in the match sponsored by Cox and Rawle and the Edinburgh Angling Centre/Fishing Megastore included dab, flounder, whiting, codling, coley, rockling and bass and fish baits and worm worked well.
RESULTS: 1, Steve Potts, 16 fish, longest 28cm, points 393; 2, Gavin Owen eight fish, longest 25cm, 198 points; 3, Chris Cooper six fish, longest 39cm, 178 points; 4, Stevie Souter (Edinburgh), seven fish, longest 28cm, 169 points; 5, Ryan Venters (Edinburgh) seven fish, longest 22cm, 157 points; 6, Ian Campbell (Falkirk), six fish, longest 21cm, 149 points; 7, Neil Cutler (Sunderland), five fish, longest 24cm, 133 points; 8, Chris Empson (Dunbar), four fish, longest 32cm, 113 points.
Other anglers were: 9, Gordon McLeod, five fish, longest 25cm, 113 points; 10, Steven Barret, five fish, longest `17cm, 106 points; 11, Gordon Lyall, four fish, longest 26cm, 102 points; 12, Thomas Slow, four fish, longest 20cm, 95 points; 13, Kevin McNish, four fish, longest 20cm, 91 points; 14, William Stafford, three fish, longest 28cm, 82 points; 15, Chris Anderson, three fish, longest 20cm, 67 points; 16, Stevie Burns, three fish, longest 17cm, 64 points; 17, David Cooper, two fish, longest 18cm, 44 points.
Also: Ian Boyd, Graham Meadows, Gus Brindle, Jim Farrell all had one fish.
PICTURE: Scottish international Chris Empson from Dunbar on the beach at Portobello in the gathering gloom. Picture Nigel Duncan
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