BRAINTREE Sea Angling Club members have had a busy week.

Five of them made the annual pilgrimage to fish the EFSA Wales Cod Championship in the River Mersey estuary.

On day one, the anglers were plagued by whiting and only few cod were caught, but Braintree's Barrie Senior managed a couple which put him into third place.

Day two was unfortunately cancelled due to bad weather so Senior’s third place was not challenged and gave him the bronze pin.

The last club boat match of the year was then held, fishing out from West Mersea on the charter boat Enterprise.

Whiting were the main catch with some dogfish, thornback rays and pout, but no cod.

Senior won the match with 51 points, while second was Graham Nash with 41 points and third spot went to Paul Hart with 28.

Third place, together with wins from the previous boat matches, was enough to secure Hart the Bolduc Cup for best boat angler.