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Otters again

well, put it this way
if i ran a lake and found otters, they wouldn't be there very long.
 
Well, as long as the only action anyone from the angling community takes is words on here and other forums they most definitely are here to stay and the problem will only get worse...............
 
Adam Ditchburn said:
More found in Newbury, River Kennet RIP

http://www.newburytoday.co.uk/News/Article.aspx?articleID=14877

Always a picture of them looking so lovely and fluffy aahhhh and a spokesman from the EA saying at the end of each article.

The presence of otters is a very good indicator of the environmental health of a river.
“It reflects good water quality, habitat and food supply.”
Click to expand...

It angers me somewhat that these people keep on spouting their "reflects good water quality" mantra. Obviously there is an ellement of truth in their claim, but otters being mammals that breathe free air are far more able to withstand polluted water than fish, which are only able to breathe oxygen disolved in water, for obvious reasons. Of course it goes withoute saying that if the fish eaten by otters contain toxins harmful to them, then they will be indirectly affected that way. However, as I gather that the number of substances that remain and build up in fish and are capable of harming otters ingesting those fish are relatively few, then even that is a slightly dubious offering.

The fact is that a healthy fish population is a far more reliable pointer to good water quality, with certain species such as grayling or trout being particularly useful indicators. But then, who cares a hoot about cold, slimy, wriggly things that they rarely see anyway. Sadly, it is true to say that the average member of the public...and crucially, many women in particular, actually view fish as slightly repulsive. Little wonder then that these people seize on the cuddly, furry otters as heaven sent fodder to offer up as evidence to back up their lies that all is now well in our waterways.

I guess it would have been really useful if otters had the power of speech...perhaps even they may have questioned those responsible about the decision to place them in an environment that was clearly quite some way off from being ideal for their long term wellbeing. They may also have pointed out that healthier rivers bulging with fish and eels would also have saved them from the bad press they received when hunger drove them to eating even cuter fluffy little ducklings and the like in front of very shocked little old ladies :D

A wicked thought crossed my mind recently when pondering this 'cute and cuddly' reputation otters now have....what if someone were to capture a wild otter, and offer it up for a little 'cuddle' to passing perveyors of this notion. Some might even pay good money to watch that...providing it was stopped before any serious harm was done, of course :D:D Alright, alright already...I was only joking for heavens sake!...but it was an amusing daydream :p

Ok...I know...most of the above is slightly biassed and OTT...but actually, it doesn't even come close to being as guilty of those sins as much of the stuff we have had thrust down our throats for years by those with vested interests in avoiding expenditure on improving our environment....many of whom just happen to be the very same people now offering up the lie that is otters being the living proof of the success of their 'tireless efforts' :rolleyes:

Cheers, Dave.
 
Last edited:
The Chairman on the cusp of Saturday

Subject: Everything fluffy


- including women and children wearing Pink - must be hunted to extinction. Only then can we sensible sorts return to a perceived Glorious Year Zero in which servants and animals knew their place, never answered back and, if they knew what was good for them, didn't go out much. Book a Hamster Valley Workshop for the Historically Deluded (includes a never-bettered All Species Eradication Seminar by our Head Keeper, Kevin), NOW!

PS - Corporate discounts available.


As ever,

B.B.
 
Sign me up Paul.
We only have 5 years before freshwater fishing is completely wiped out! We've no time to lose!
 
As anglers in pursuit of a challenge we should welcome the otters, yes they eat fish but all species need a predator to keep the population healthy.*

If the rivers can support otters then the population will survive and the fish stocks which survive will be leaner, fitter and a better quarry for us as anglers than some of the beaten up, blind, bloated, pellet fed monstrosities we are so keen to protect.
If however the river is not a healthy environment then the otters will loose condition, fail to breed, the young wont reach maturity and ultimately certain colony will die out.
The problem we have now is this apex predator has been introduced into a managed environment with a falsely high population of old slow fish and it's having a beano....Given time the predator/prey ratio will balance itself out and we anglers, at least you younger ones, will still have your sport, they just won't be so many 'big old girls' around.
As anglers we will just have to alter our expectations or be prepared to do as many of us already do and travel to more prolific rivers or rivers which still contain a few specimen fish.
I regularly travel to the Dove (100 miles round) for larger fish or the Trent (212 miles round) for numbers of fish despite having the middle Severn 15 minutes away.
The bottom line is the furry little monsters are here to stay so we may as well get used to it.


*As proof of this you need look no further than the fox population. Since the ban on hunting, the fox has gone from being a fit young healthy population to a mangy (literally) flea bitten, worm infested old population which is having to move ever closer to our urban areas to survive, While it was being hunted the old ,sick and weak were the first to be caught and poor genes were not passed on, since the ban this has not been the case and the whole population is suffering.
 
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