JOHN COOK RIP

JOHN COOK.

It is with great sadness we report the death of John Cook, past Secretary and Treasurer of PDAA, after a long illness.

The following is from Ted Eadie:

“I first met John Cook at Lower Scone, Goldcastle. I had not noticed John as I fished the upper part of the beat around the fishing hut. However, as I was driving homeward past the Hawkey Stone, at the bottom end of the beat, I observed a mad splashing in the water, by a fisherman out in the middle of the river. As the disturbance in the river calmed down, I could see John casting a fly and scaring away any fish that may have been in the vicinity! I hung around and eventually John came ashore, and I talked with him. John, at that early stage of his salmon fly casting  life, showed his passion and enthusiasm, with an iron determination to improve and become a ‘master caster’. Spey casting was to be his specialty.  John said to me that fishing was his only hobby, and he intended to be the best. He certainly proved this to be correct as John progressed into Spey casting left shoulder, right shoulder, snake rolls, lower hand, upper hand, and with his B&W 16-footer, became a very proficient caster and caught many salmon. This also meant he attracted a lot of photos. John liked Upper Delvine and the solitude of the place, as he often had the place to himself, and became an authority on it.

Such was John’s charm, personality, passion and enthusiasm, it would be hard to envisage a more deserving winner of the Jimmy Steele Trophy. If a more perfect model of a PDAA member could be found,  I would find it hard to beat John Cook, who acted as Treasurer, and doubled as Secretary, for many years. John was a joy to fish with and to be associated with.  

He will be very sadly missed.”

Ted

John’s funeral will be at Perth crematorium on 24 December at 1030am. All are welcome (depending on Covid restrictions on the day). It will also be live streamed and we will inform the membership when we have the link.