Defending champion Davie Cooper hooked into 36 fish during leg two of the Edinburgh Winter Shore Angling League but he could not keep pace with the leaders.
The self-employed Edinburgh-based painter and decorator was fifth in the field of nearly 30 with 928 points, just ahead of his brother Colin who accumulated 917 points from 38 fish.
The winner on the night was Gordon Lyall, an employee of the Edinburgh Angling Centre, one of the sponsors along with Cox and Rawle, with a staggering 51 fish at Newhaven breakwater for 1,220 match points with Neil Cutler second with 43 fish for 1,106 points.
Third was Gavin Owen with 42 fish for 1,100 points and fourth Stevie Souter with 37 fish for 970 points.
Chris Empson from Dunbar, a Scottish international, was seventh with 37 fish for 908 points and nobody n the 28-strong field blanked on the night with 697 fish caught.
They included codling, dabs, flounder, whiting to 35cms and two haddock at 32cm and 35cm and conditions were favourable with light rain stopping soon after the start of the match.
Anglers from Tyneside and Arbroath as well as Central Scotland were in the field and Ian Campbell, the organiser, said there were multiple bags of over 30 fish and if you did not catch 30 fish you were not in the top ten. He added: “This was only a three hour match.”
The longest fish was shared between Chris Anderson with a 35cm whiting and Chris Empson with a 35cm haddock.
The next leg is at Newhaven on November 17.
Other results: 8, Stevie Burns 33 fish, longest 27cm, points 803; 9, Gordon McLeod 31-29-782; 10, Gus Brindle 33-25-778; 11, Ryan Venters 27-30-678; 12, Stuart MacFarlane 28-30-643; 13, Ian Campbell 25-31-617; 14, Steve Potts 22-32-577; 15, Steve Richardson 24-29-560; 16, Dave McKervail 21-27-518; 17, Steven Barret 21-25-476; 18, Scott Emmerson 19-25-466; 19, Chris Barret 16-29-393; 20, Alan Haggon 15-29-363; 20, Grant Ewing 14-33- 354; 21, Chris Anderson 13-35-323; 22, Mike Gilbertson 13-25-299; 23, James Johnson 11-23-268; 24, Ian Boyd 11-26-263; 25, Stewart Falconer 11-26-256; 26, Buffy McAvoy 10-24-238; 27, Kevin McNish 10-24-235; 28, Ian Ferguson 5-19-119.
PICTURE: One of the entrants baiting his rig at Newhaven before the match on Friday. Picture Nigel Duncan
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