Otters the return of the king

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adam martin 2

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Ive just read the artical on otters on Wintles world,which was great.

I fish the lower Itchen in Hampshire for Chub Roach & Grayling. Last Sunday at about 6.00am i had the the pleasure of watching a pair of otters playing and fishing within 10 feet of my bank.

Anyone who truly cares about our sport and our counrtyside could not be unmoved by the grace and presence of these `kings of the stream`. I for one am glad to see them back.

I understand that the otters are at present cauasing some grief to the commercial carp fisheries, but instead of moaning celibrate these creatures, help them, and best of all use them against the anti`s.

Tell people about them and the enviroments weve created and helped for Tarka, the public will love it.

In thee same week ive had my first 6Lb Chub and watched otters, magic.

Adam Martin

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Graham Whatmore

Graham Whatmore

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A very interesting article Mark, I look forward to part two. Being the secretive creatures that they are they don't impact on most peoples lives including mine, though I have seen a couple on the Teme. Its more about what I read than what I see, so yes, very interesting.
 
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Bryan Baron 2

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Glad you seen your first wild Otters. I am still waiting. I have to feel sorry for the comercial owners they are running a buisness. If he were a chicken farmer and they were Fox'es. Help would be at hand.

I feel the anti's have alot to answer here fighting for the re-introduction with no thought as to what they are going to eat. the eel populations urgently need looking at as this i belive is there favourite food.

And well don on your first 6Ib Chub.
 
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adam martin 2

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Thanks Bryan,

maybe the Enviroment Agency could step in with a scheme to recompense fishery managers who could prove otter predation
 
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Bryan Baron 2

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That would be fine in the short term. I think a grant to help protect the waters. I believe the EA are researching otter deterents at the moment. This work needs speading up as with most of what any goverment dept does they are bound in red tape and prtocols they have to follow.
 
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John Jones

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I was fishing on the Teme a couple of years ago when I heard a commotion in the water. Looked up and to my amazement saw an otter with a small barbel in its mouth. I watched spellbound as the otter swam upstream with its meal and then disappeared under the bank. That was the first otter I had seen in decades and isn't it just wonderful they're back.

Any angler that resents otters taking fish should remember. The otter is indigenous to our waterways, unlike mink, and is a natural part of the ecological chain. This lovely creature has to eat and can't pop up to Sainsbury's!
 
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Steve Hammatt

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Bryan - you might already be aware of this, but the SAA has been working on behalf of the NAA the issue of protecting fisheries from otter predation for some time now. There's a small article of it in the current (June) issue of The New Specialist Angler (the SAA mag).

It says that the EA are "funding research to properly define the most cost-effective methos of fencing, ready to advise fisheries on the best methods of preventing fish deaths".
 
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Nigel Moors 2

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Couldn't agree more John. That's why commercial fisheries are like showing kids the Woolies pic n mix. It's hard to feel too sorry for the fishery owners, a lot of them are running overstocked waters trying to make a killing out of anglers while the demand is there.

On the subject of otters being released - does anyone know what body it is that's been behind the scheme. I read recently that the scheme had been suspended but didn't notice who the body was. As far as I knew it wasn't "anti's" that released them. Even if they had shouted loudest for just that they weren't the only ones, being alongside many nature minded folk.
 
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jason fisher

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in our area nigel i think t's called the thames otter trust or something like that.
 
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yoggy

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I"m fully aware that alot of anglers have a dislike of otters for obvious reasons and i"m not gonna get involved in the politics of the subject but i"ve been blessed with a sighting of a pair of wild otters whilst fishing 4yrs ago i watched in awe at these fantastic creatures,they kept their distance but were fully aware i was there,it was a fantastic sight which i shall definatly cherish and i doubt i will never witness again,,,wild creatures in a wild enviroment,,may long it continue.
 
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Chris Bishop

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I've only ever seen one wild otter, in all the years by the water. This was on a pit where you had to wade out to get past bankside trees, one day it was raining hard and the Niks were in the car.

All of a sudden there's a big swirl and an otter pops up right under the rod tops. We stared at each other for a few secs then it swam off and ran off up the bank.

The pit's a few hundred yards from the Nar, so I daresay it came from there. There are now more of them around than there were when they banned hunting them in the 70s.

Love to see another, maybe in another 20 years.
 
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