A factory worker fishing from an anchored paddleboard has landed a hefty carp using ultra‑light tackle.
And he says a simple mistake made his personal record-breaking haul possible.
The 21lb 8oz carp, caught on the River Yare in Whitlingham near Norwich, was reeled in by Gareth Daniels on a set‑up typically reserved for much smaller fish.
But the 33‑year‑old from North Walsham, who has been fishing since he was seven, believes he would never have landed the carp if not for forgetting his maggots and having to go back home, putting him on the water at just the right time.
He was fishing from an anchored paddleboard at about 7pm on July 3 when he caught the carp.
"It's quite a funny story, really," he said. " I went with my dad and we left at about 3.20am for first light and got to Norwich.
"Then I realised I had forgotten the maggots and we had to go all the way back to North Walsham.
"If I had remembered them, I probably would not have been there at the right time to catch it.
"I've been on lakes and never caught anything this big before."
The angler says his anchored paddleboard fishing often draws amused looks and sneaky photos from passers-by on the Broads, but he swears by the technique.
In the winter, when it gets colder, he will fish from the riverbanks, but still enjoys getting out on the water as much as he can.
"I was fighting both the fish’s powerful surges and the river’s shifting tides and flow to land it safely," he added.
"The fish was in perfect, prime condition and was returned unharmed."
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