Angler Saul Page used his local knowledge to triumph in the national final of the prestigious Penn Championship, which was held at Dover over the weekend.

The event was the culmination of more than 500 shore competitions fished across the UK and Ireland where anglers bid for points to qualify for the final, and 33-year-old Page (pictured) from Deal was one of 40 anglers to make it through to the two-day climax.

The first day was fished at Samphire Hoe, and with an overnight gale pushing waves over the wall, it was touch and go for a time whether the day's fishing would have to be cancelled.

But the match went ahead and Page, who lives in York Road, drew a favoured peg at the Dover end of the wall, where he landed a mix of dogfish, wrasse and pouting using a rotten bottom rig and baiting with crab and ragworm to head the first day with 385cm.

A less favourable draw on day two from a blustery Admiralty Pier saw Page's hopes dip as he struggled for several hours before he landed two dogfish and pouting to secure the Penn Championship trophy plus £1,000 worth of fishing tackle.

He said: "I have been taking part in the Penn Championship for the past 10 years or so.

"I finished third several years ago and I'm chuffed to have finally won it because qualifying takes places over a whole year and then, when you get into the final, you've got to produce your best to win it."

The Deal 1919 Angling Club member is now looking forward to representing England again in the World Championships in Holland in October.

Page was a member of the England team which won a silver medal at the worlds in Montenegro in 2010 and said: "My big ambition in fishing now is to help England win the World Championships, and if we do it in Holland it will round off a pretty good year for me."