JO WARNER, owner of Ivy House Lakes at Wootton Bassett, was agonisingly close to a top three finish in the Embassy Ladies National Championship.

Jo, 54, fished superbly to finish fourth in the individual event at Hallcroft Fisheries, East Retford with 11.840kg.

Jo was fishing her first ever national and was delighted with her fourth place, just 0.240kg behind Warrington's Helen Dagnall (Starlets AS).

Competing for Swindon Isis AC, who were fifth in the team event with 19.280kg, Jo fished a straight lead with meat on a size 14 hook to 5lb line to take eight carp to 3.2kg.

Jo said: "I never fish the pole I prefer rod and line and it worked for me today. I had my biggest fish towards the end and it's been a tremendous day out. I'm thrilled to have finished fourth in my first national and the team did really well to come home in fifth place."

The rest of the Swindon Isis AC quartet were Tracy Beazly (16th, 6,040 kg), Valerie Hillier (59th 1.100 kg) and Theresa Lewis (88th, 0.300 kg).

Linda Cooke rewrote the record books as she retained the individual title.

Linda, a 54-year-old financial accounts manager from Bebington, Wirral, weighed in 13.800 kg to become the first angler male or female to win an individual title on three separate occasions since the first National in 1906. Linda's individual titles came in 1998, 2001 and 2002.

Linda is only the second angler to win a national championship title two years in a row, claiming the trophy 12 months ago on the Stainforth & Keadby Canal.

Just for good measure, Linda completed a golden double for the second successive year as she helped Warrington AA Gold keep the team trophy with a total weight of 26.100 kg.