Visitors from the Mediterranean are beginning to arrive ahead of schedule.

Alan Hobbs, of Plymouth's Roving Rods SAC, was fishing in the Tamar estuary when the unexpected gilt-head bream of 5lb 6oz took his bait intended for a grey mullet. It required a mix of skill and luck to land the fish that has a mouthful of razor-sharp teeth and two sets of rasping strips that should have made short work of 8lb test monofilament.

This early success may be heralding a very good season for this exotic and much prized species, as it was five years ago that Cornish anglers in particular had one of the best bream season's since the species first appeared in the early 1970s.

Five-year cycles are not unusual in sea fishing and so enthusiasts are due for a re-run. It was in 2006 that Chris Wills of Redruth SAA set the Cornish record with an outstanding specimen of 9lb 1oz 6dr, but there is plenty of scope as the European Record stands at a massive 16lb 4oz set in the Brest area of France, no more than 100 miles from west Cornwall.

The chase is on for the Cornish Federation of Sea Anglers Shore Championship. Simon Toms of Truro City SAC leads with a five-species percentage of 458.620, and the boat category is in the hands of Looe SAA's Bob Pollard, who has a score of 463.511 per cent achieved with four species. This is well clear of other contestants.

Camborne AA's Open Festival over the weekend of June 11 and 12 will be the first qualifier for the Western Morning News Championship Trophy and this will be followed on July 16 and 17 by the Grenville Arms SAC Open.

The next substantial competition is the annual Dartmouth Plaice Festival to be fished over the weekend of April 23 and 24.

Catches should be top class, considering the large number of plaice currently being taken at the Skerries Banks. Enter on the Friday evening or on both competition days from 7am to 8am at Dartmouth SAC Clubhouse in Oxford Street (to the rear of the Cottage Hospital on the seafront).

Plymouth's older sea anglers were shocked to learn of the death in a diving accident off the Devon coast of Roger Dadds, who was 66 and one of the city's most talented and successful members of Plymouth SAC and the British Conger Club.

At the age of 19, he was the second winner of the BCC's premier award, the Angling Magazine Cup, presented for what was at the time a monstrous eel of 60lb caught at the Shagstone Reef off Bovisand in 1964. It was a battle I witnessed, and vividly recall.

Taking up recreational diving, he went on to become one of the world's most experienced divers, and took part in expeditions to wrecks lying in very deep water far from British shores. What lies behind this tragedy is as yet not known.

Emperor Lakes' big carp proved very active and gave full accounts for their weight. Chris Rogers had his third 35lb-plus common of the season and Steve Burgess accounted for three commons the best weighing 36lb 8oz. This latter example will probably be a 40lb specimen by the end of the season, so fast is it putting on weight.

On the day-ticket water, Andy Buchanan had a mirror of 26lb 4oz, this one coming off the top. Scott Farrer had a personal-best sturgeon of 43lb 8oz.

Richard Voisey recorded the venue's first catfish of the year that was a personal best of 29lb 8ozm while a personal-best sturgeon of 45lb 8oz fell to Martin Lamburn.