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Depends which rivers they mean. The Cherwell is mostly a muddy ditch through an average summer now. Stretches such as Heyford and Somerton used to have strong flows over thick beds of streamer weeds. Now they are running at half the flow/volume & are murky and lifeless. So the EA must have...

Very good explanation Terry. Some people assume pointing out the damage otters have done to the smaller rivers is automatically demanding a cull. It isn't. It's being honest and not afraid to speak the truth, however unpalatable "the public" or otter lovers find it. Some do refuse to admit there...

Sorry Mike, I just can't see any sane political party aligning themselves with an agenda to ban angling, no matter how well organised the anti group. We'll have to agree to disagree on that.

I don't see Angling being in trouble from that type of propaganda myself Mike, the general public isn't that stupid. I don't see the likes of Chris Packham taking that stance either as it would do a lot of harm to his credibility. Sadly, I don't see Packham highlighting the otters more predatory...

I grew up in Wales where buzzards were plentiful and believe me the swooping and mobbing in spring time was not uncommon. I used to fish a small stream for trout and you could hear the buzzards wing beats accelerating as it almost vertically dived straight towards anyone in the vicinity of it's...

I take a less pessimistic view Mike and your description of angling is exactly out of the antis text book, though I appreciate that is why you used it. I disagree that the non angling public will be up in arms, they are largely indifferent. Scare stories like you have mentioned have been around...

That was also an answer given to a former member on here (I think) when talking to somebody involved in the release of otters on the Upper Thames.

It's a fair point that all issues are in fact part of the same problem so logically can be included in the same discussion. The problem has often been the total denial by otter lovers that they are, in fact, at least a part of the problem, never mind whether they may or may not be most of it. I...

Where do you get your 6% is immune from Richard? Are you talking about natural immunity or vaccinated induced immunity?

The image of angling? In whose eyes? I don't particularly care what non anglers think of angling. As a person who also shoots I am used to negativity towards that as well and remain indifferent to it. The average non-angler/shooter doesn't actually give as much thought to these activities as...

I'd rather be stuck behind the hunt, at least they are just totally inconsiderate. I get the feeling cyclists set out with the sole purpose to piss off as many motorists as possible.

Water abstraction and quality is obviously a massive problem and certainly so in the Thames region. For quite a few years now the Cherwell has run a muddy brown colour throughout the summer, due it would seem to a number of factors. It was noticeable how clean it was last spring when the...

Damian, those anglers who have seen no discernible decrease in their catches are likely to be on big rivers like the Trent and Wye which have held up a lot better. Or they are anglers who seldom caught any great amount of barbel anyway, so again might not notice a problem. Try asking anglers on...

It would be surprising if all who voted for Brexit had the rivers anywhere on their agenda, let alone at the top. Equally true for remainers as most people saw bigger issues at stake than angling.

You caught otters on the fly? That's ace angling Richard :D:D

Quite so Chris. Back in 1981 I think it was, the Water Board found a very large barbel dead, that they think was hit by a dredger, on the Cherwell at Kirtlington. A photo was taken and a friend, who worked for the water board at the time, saw the photo and said it was a huge fish. The picture...

Not heard this story Mark, but his recording studio was in Shipton on Cherwell. I think his actual house was in Kidlington but not sure. Somerton now has a couple of resident otters I believe.

You are generalising a bit here Damian. The Windrush was full of small young barbel, it was not uncommon to catch them under a pound, and I'm sure many rivers were the same. In fact, fish population apart, the Windrush still is a healthy river. Some rivers, e.g. the WA have admittedly been...

For all those commenting on the otters being pre-occupied with big fish, use a bit of common sense! Obviously, a big barbel is not going to have the speed and agility of a smaller barbel and is therefore much easier to catch. The biggest of barbel are not going to present a problem size wise to...

I used to fish the Windrush regularly around Ducklington area. The barbel and chub weren't big in that stretch but they were plentiful. As were trout, both stockies and a very healthy population of good sized wild brownies. Spinning for trout often resulted in a two pound chub every other cast...