Mike Hodgkiss
Senior Member
Not strictly about Barbel but I couldn't think where else to put this question . On my last couple of trips to a local small stream I have noticed a number of fairly neat piles of fish scales [ chub] left at the waters edge . Now I immediately thought of otters / mink as the culprits ,but in my experience they are messy eaters leaving bits of carcass and fins lying about , here there was nothing just scales .I couln't detect any footprints, however the area had been rained upon recently which didn't help . I thought maybe rats had polished off the leftovers , but even so I would have thought they would have left some trace . The only thing I could think of was humans catching fish , despatching them , doing the messy de scaling on the bank and then having them away for tea .
I hope I am wrong with this but can't really think of another explanation . Do any of you have any thoughts on this ? Perhaps Yorkshire Otters / mink are just particularly tidy eaters . It's all a bit worrying and has me puzzled . Please note this is not some oblique attempt at starting up the otter debate I think that has been well and truly done to death
I hope I am wrong with this but can't really think of another explanation . Do any of you have any thoughts on this ? Perhaps Yorkshire Otters / mink are just particularly tidy eaters . It's all a bit worrying and has me puzzled . Please note this is not some oblique attempt at starting up the otter debate I think that has been well and truly done to death