'The Riddle of Pipehill Fishery'
Sometimes, everything is not what it seems. If only we could see the blindingly obvious, things would be much clearer.
But before I go on, I must bring something to your attention. TK would never mention it himself.
This match nearly didn’t go ahead at all. Tense negotiations were conducted in the early hours, involving the local constabulary, Scotland Yard & MI5, with TK being the only Cashmore representative. Not an easy task with a good few beers inside after the Friday night out.
Three mystery anglers had been spotted practising in the lead up, wearing balaclavas, resulting in the pool becoming subject to a ‘severe’ terror alert in the final hours.
Wide ranging anti-terror powers had been invoked, with TK only being notified after he'd been
'up the club’.
It took many personal assurances by TK as to the character of individual Cashmore members and further promises of an orderly match before the alert level was reduced, down from ‘severe’ to ‘slight’, finally allowing the match to go ahead.
If you thought TK didn’t look his usual self at the draw, now you know why.
Much to his eternal credit, and for which we owe him a debt of gratitude, he had demands of his own.
Only after he finally secured the removal of the machine gun from the observation post, on health and safety grounds, did he allow members to fish.
Moving on, I feel it my duty here to tell you all, that I was one of those practising incognito anglers, which also explains my mid-match walk round to TK, to confess my sins. The balaclava was borrowed.
As to the identity of the other anglers, I have no idea. The police would only say that they are looking for a ‘red, post office van type vehicle, with windows’ in connection to one suspect, but said it had completely disappeared off their radar. The third mystery angler is as yet, also unaccounted for (?).
As a side issue, the local chief inspector has asked me to enlist the help of Cashmores members in what he described as an altogether more pressing matter, namely the theft of the local station lavatory. An officer was quoted as saying ‘they have absolutely nothing to go on’ and asked for anyone with information to come forward.
Returning to the match, it was a poor day, results wise, personally. My unofficial trip to the pool had been a rip-roaring sucesss with everything tried, coming off spectacularly. When I drew, left-handed again and pulled out a peg next to my practise one, I could not believe my luck ! I already knew of the underwater gravel bar (!) and that it was stuffed with fish !
Shame they didn’t show.
I struggled and plugged away with my previously successful methods, convinced the skimmers and carp would show, whilst all around me were picking off small fish. I had such no luck. Let it be a lesson to you all !
In the last 15 minutes I had three small carp to add to my few bits and plenty more indications that convinced me fish were now, at last, present and gave me the impetus to stay on, amid mumbled references of ‘nutter’. The ensuing couple of hours though, were a much more uplifting experience, but that’s another story.
As I walked round the pool at the end of the match, I crossed the large connecting pipe running under the path and that joined the two bottom ends of the horsehoe shaped pool. The very pipe that the winner had dragged his carp out of !
Sitting across from the pipe, on the hill was ‘YAMO’ (PJ)..
Put together the PIPE, THE HILL and MASTER ANGLER, PAUL JEFFERY and there was only ever going to be one outcome !
Riddle, what riddle ?
Next stop, Spring pool.
.
Lesson learnt
was obviously present with a number of members, I don’t think we saw the true potential of the venue………ok so it’s not a southern ton up venue, but I ‘liked’ the place, it’ll look a lot more picturesque in a month or two………….and I’d certainly give it another go……….
