Wow, the turn this thread has taken! lol
I should have posted much sooner. A piece of steel leader did the trick. The only thing that came out was a tiny piece of calcification (salt), but when I fired up the engine the stream began immediately. I can't believe that what came out could have caused a more or less complete blockage, so I'll be keeping a very close eye out for another stoppage in case there is still a larger piece stuck up in there. Not ready to try the ssiredfish method.
