The squeaky wheel

 

Greetings!   A few weeks ago I was beginning to wonder whether I was living out a hellish chapter from Martin Amis’ first novel The Rachel Papers as a high pitched squeak invaded every part of The Mill defying every attempt to locate the source.   In the book a twenty something Amis takes against his elderly village neighbours for some imagined slight, crafting his revenge by positioning speakers along the boundary line, playing music incessantly until the old couple flee from their home, blood oozing from their ears. Now, I have not fallen out with our neighbours, and I cannot imagine they would do such a thing, but incessance plays havoc with the mind.   At first, in the depth of the night, I assumed the squeak/squeak that sounds a bit like eek/eek was our returning family of otters but daylight proved this to be false as I continued to hunt down the sound. When stood outside it seemed like it was emanating from inside. When you stood inside it seemed to be emanating from the outside. It was maddeningly intermittent but clearly had something to do with the mill wheel, now into many months of ponderous turning thanks to the wet winter and spring.

 

 

The mill wheel, a huge cast iron beast dating back to the mid 1800’s, splays off a huge spindle the ends of which sit in bronze castings which hold it in place. It is so huge that the spindle actually passes through a thick wall, the mill race and wheel on one side of the wall and the remainder in what used to be the milling room. Crouching down with my ear to one of the castings I counted down the 45 seconds it takes for a full rotation of the wheel. Nothing. I did the same with the other. Nothing. Then, as I walked away, like a disobedient child sticking out his or her tongue behind the back of teacher, the squeak squeaked. Back in the couched position for some considerable time I definitively concluded the squeak was coming from the mill race side. Or maybe the mill room side. Or maybe both.   But being close up and personal did at least bring one benefit as I spied, which I had never noticed before despite it being in plain sight, a well the size and shape of a matchbox set in the top of each casting. Digging around with a twig, and then more effectively a pipe cleaner, it seemed intended to be some sort of reservoir but was blocked with age old grease. Eureka! Surely this was some sort of lubricating point? I filled each well with oil and settled back for a squeak free night. No chance. So, the following morning I did what any sensible person does faced with a huge, obstinate, inanimate object – I hit it with a heavy hammer.   Peace has now returned to the mill – the squeak has gone and the wheel turns in blissful silence. My mill engineer pal says it was probably a tiny bit of grit I dislodged with the hammer that would have ground away to nothing in the end. He could well be right because, for all my investigations, I never really located the source of the squeaky wheel.      Is 46 tonnes a lot of fish?   The weekend papers carried the story of the EDF nuclear plant at Hinkley Point in Somerset which is set to shred 46 tonnes of fish each year as they are sucked into the giant water intakes that will cool the reactor once it opens in 2031. In some sort of weird offsetting agreement it has been decided that 840 acres of coastal farmland adjacent to the plant, some of which will be compulsorily purchased from the farmers who currently own it, will be turned into salt marshes at the cost of some £50m. This had me ask the question: is 46 tonnes a lot of fish?   At first blush it might seem so but I can think of land based fish farms producing hundreds of tonnes a year. There are individual Norwegian salmon cages that hold 3,000 tonnes of live fish at any one time. The Margiris (pictured below), a super trawler that operates in the English Channel, is capable of catching 250 tonnes of fish a DAY. 640,000 tonnes of fish were landed in UK ports in 2022.

 

I am not sure who decided on the ecological equivalence of shredded fish and salt marsh. It sounds to me like some very expensive PR puffery that will be loved by everyone except the farmers who will be deprived by law of a home and livelihood, whilst taking land out of production forever. And that is all before you even consider the eyewatering cost of the proposal.   Frankly, I think we would be better bunging a few quid the way of The Margiris to stand idle for six hours each year.

 

 

New owners for famous Avington Fishery   Avington is steeped in fly fishing history, the original venue for double figure browns and rainbows. Recently purchased by the owners of Avington Park, the country lifestyle resort right next door, considerable improvements and investment are under way and the recently appointed fishery manager Tom White is breathing new life into this famous stillwater.

 

Firstly, the three lakes will be stocked to offer better choices: one lake with a higher density of good sized trout, the second to a lower density but with double figure specimens and the third lake remaining catch and release.   Fishing on the carrier will still be available but as a joint ticket with the catch and release lake. As in the past there are a variety of day ticket options. In addition, it is possible to rent the entire fishery for exclusive use for small or large groups.   Around the fishery you will see considerable changes, not least with a very smart café and tackle shop where you may rent or buy. Details here ...

 

 

Nigel Nunn flies back for 2024   Our creative and artistic fly tying genius Nigel Nunn has kindly agreed to supply prize flies for the monthly feedback draw. Here is the sample for the April winner to be announced next time.       Nigel Nunn Fly Store

 

 

Our first beaver   I cannot say it gladdened my heart but last week we had the first sighting of a beaver on a Fishing Breaks beat in Wiltshire, the eastward chalkstream migration happening much quicker than even the most pessimistic of us predicted.   This sighting also coincided with the sighting the same week of another species we once regarded as extinct, Liz Truss, the woman who drunk the Kool Aid whilst Defra Minster, signing into law the beaver as a protected species.   I would not like to hazard to suggest which would be more or less welcome tramping along a riverbank near you sometime soon…….

 

 

Quiz   The normal random collection of questions inspired by the date, events or topics in the Newsletter. It is just for fun with answers at the bottom of the page.   1)     Who wrote The Miller’s Tale?   2)     When was the first UK nuclear power station (pictured below) opened? A) 1951 B) 1956 C) 1961   3)     Bronze is an alloy of which two metals?

 

Have a good weekend.  Best wishes,

 

 

Simon Cooper simon@fishingbreaks.co.uk Founder & Managing Directorwww.fishingbreaks.co.uk

 

 

Quiz answers:   1)     Geoffrey Chaucer 2)     1956. Calder Hall at Sellafield that took a mere 3 years to build 3)     Copper and tin