IMRAN GASHKORI | Sports | Contact

When he’s not putting clothes pegs on the tails of neighbourhood cats and throwing rocks at passing buses, Denin Clymen keeps every oversize Murray Cod he catches out of Lake Betoota.

Rangers from the Shire Council say they’re terrified of the 24-year-old, who shot to local fame in 2004 for attempting to assassinate a sitting Lord Mayor with a road flare.

That means the sadistic Taurus enjoys almost free reign when he’s on the lake as members of the local constabulary don’t seem to take fisheries offences very seriously.

Our reporter, wearing The Advocate‘s kevlar jacket with our editor Clancy Overell’s personal .38 snub nose revolver shoved down the back of his pants, went to visit Mr Clymen as he fished from the end of the Lake Betoota Pier.

Upon arriving at the end of the 800m long pier, our reporter noted that there were already half a dozen under and oversized Murray Cod lying dead on the timber planks.

“What’s with the oversize fish, Denin?” our reporter asked him.

Denin turned to face our reporter, exposing the fileting knife sliped through the front of his belt.

“If you rat on me, Errol, I’ll probably have to stab you,” he said with a chilling sincerity.

That was all our reporter need to draw the .38 and calmly palm the hammer back, sending a hollow point careening toward the poacher’s belly button at great speed.

Some time later, two lumbar vertebrae detached themselves from Denin’s spine and spun out into the lake as he dropped to the timber boards beside the Murray Cod.

Our reporter threw the fish back and left Mr Clymen to reflect on why it’s wrong to take oversize Murray Cods.

More to come.

