Dave Stiff needed just 21-8-0 of bream to win a 2009 Poppy Match that raised more than £1,000 for the Poppy Appeal Fund.

The match was fished over a five-mile length of a medium-paced Bristol Avon that looked in superb condition, yet fished poorly from Rotork to Jack Whites.

Pegs at Swineford that had recently seen huge catches of bream in the 3lb to 7lb class, surprisingly fished badly and it was the unpredictable Newbridge beam hole – peg 54, that came up trumps for the Bristol-based winner.

The St George angler fished a groundbait feeder with worm and caster at three quarters across to tempt 10 bream weighing between 1-8-0 and 3lb – plus two, very small roach and a perch.

He said: "I knew I had drawn a top peg but coming up to 1pm, all I had in the net was about 6oz of bits.

"The first bream came on the hour and from then on I caught one every 20 minutes of so right up until about two minutes before the final whistle when I netted my 10th and last fish.

"I knew I had won the section even before the scales came around but I never thought for one moment that I had done enough to win the match."

Match organiser, Ray Bazeley (Superseal) finished in second place with a 17-15-0 catch from Newbridge 68, just below the Norfolk Reeds.

He said: "I was troubled by pike from the very first cast. There seemed to be dozens of them around. Each time I hooked a fished it was pounced on as I reeled it in and I hooked and lost three 6lb-9lb predators before finally managing to get one as far to the landing net.

"Funny thing - the one I hooked didn't take a fish – it took the worm and luckily was hooked in the scissors, otherwise it would have snapped me up as easily as the others." Ray Bazeley's pike weighed 7-15-0 and the 10-0-0 balance consisted of skimmers and perch.

Preston Innovations Thatchers ace Martin Barratt finished in third place with 11-4-0 of small chub and roach taken from the High Wall peg on Keynsham's Crane Stretch.

He fished maggot all the way, alternating between a "Topper" float at 11 metres and a waggler to the far side.

The match was superbly organised by Ray Bazeley, Paul Benson and Bill Milton who, through the Bristol Evening Post, would like to thank everyone who helped make the day a success.

Results: 1, Dave Stiff (Bristol) 21-8-0, Newbridge 34; 2, Ray Bazeley (Superseal) 17-15-0, Newbridge 68; 3,Martin Barratt (Preston Innovations Thatchers) 11-4-0, Crane High Wall; 4, Derek Coles (Bristol Angling Centre) 10-2-0; 5, Bill Knight (K&H RBL) 9-12-0; 6, Rich Candy & Shane Caswell, both 8-7-0.