Fish stories are traditionally exaggerated, and fishermen understand and even embrace this reality. Anglers will spin yarns of massive beasts that got away or epic battles to land an especially stubborn fish. The other side of fishing, however, the one that involves hours of nothing and the occasional old boot or bike tire caught on the hook, rarely get reported.
Pipe bombs do get reported. And as far as things stumbled upon while fishing in any body of water are concerned, a pipe bomb is most certainly one that finds its way into an angler’s set of stories. In this case, the first person the hapless angler told was an emergency dispatcher.
On September 7 along the Merrimack River in Concord, New Hampshire, the angler called 911 after he discovered a steel pipe bomb in the water.
The device was about six inches in length with caps on both ends, bound in electrical tape and with a fuse still attached, according to the Concord Patch. Most certainly displaying all the traditional signs of a pipe bomb, and obviously sticking out in the otherwise placid waters of the Merrimack.
“I almost stepped on it,” the angler, who does not wish to be named, told the Patch.
Witnesses reported the bomb looked like it had washed ashore. Police checked other areas along the trail for other pipe bombs or similar items, but none were found. Barring any notion of terrorist activity, which is not likely, the aged device was more than likely a failed attempt by some kids to detonate a home-made device, or possibly the ineffective efforts of some lazy fishermen attempting to blast their catch out of the water.
Authorities are keen to find out where the device came from and why it was there.
