A carp angler has broken the world record for the longest ever cast while fishing during Storm Eunice.
Danny Longchuck, 28, set the record while halfway through a 172.5 hour session on his local syndicate during the fiercest storm that the UK has witnessed in over 30 years.
Speaking exclusively to Carp Smart, Danny explained his reasons for fishing during the storm, and his happiness at being able to break the record.
“Some of my mates made fun of me for not joining them for a 96 hour social in Siberia during December, so when I saw on the Met Office app last week that this storm was coming, I made the decision to bivvy up for a week or so and show them that I’m a real carp angler”.
“I know it sounds sad, but I headed down to my syndicate on the morning of Valentine’s Day. I was supposed to be spending the day with my girlfriend, but she dumped me last week for another carp angler who is a consultant for a local bait company. He gets a discount of £1 per kilo, so she is probably after him for his money”.
“I arrived at the lake at around 10am and had a good look around. I saw a few fish show just off the gravel bar, and instantly recognised one of them as the Big Common. It hadn’t been caught for nearly 5 years and I had been after it since lockdown began, but Rich Pickings caught it just before Christmas at 17lb 10oz, so it probably won’t be seen for a few years again now”.
Talking about the world record cast, Danny could barely contain his excitement.
“It got to Friday morning and I hadn’t had so much as a bleep, so I decided to bring the rods in and change my tactics. I re-positioned 2 rods in the margin and put 12kg of chops over each of them, and decided to go long with my middle rod. I picked my spot and gave it everything that I could”.
“As soon as I released my finger, the wind picked up and caught hold of my lead and sent it flying into the distance. It went so far that I didn’t even see where it landed. I knew that it had to be close to being a record cast, so I called Bob the bailiff to come and witness it”.
“I clipped up and started to retrieve my end tackle. I was winding in for what felt like ages and finally my lead and rig were back with me. I got my distance sticks and began the long process of measuring my cast. Bob and I were both completely stunned when we saw that my cast had gone a whopping 117 wraps!”
“I immediately phoned the WRCC (World Record Casting Committee) and they confirmed there and then that I had broken the record! It is an unbelievable feeling to be a world record holder, so I am going to celebrate by staying on the bank for a few more nights. I haven’t caught a fish since the start of the pandemic, but I know it is only a matter of time”.
We wish Danny the best of luck for the remaining few nights of his session.
