otters

[Mark Gaskell]

are otters a problem?i think so and at the moment on the river i mainly fish they seem to be on the increase in your opinons what are the implications of this ,thanks.

 

[Tony Byrne]

i think it could be a big problem on the Ribble with the cormorant's and the odd seal in the winter.A few years back the Ribble was decimated and devoid of small fish,the last few years has seen a big turn around in fortunes so as well as the Barbel fishing the silver fish on the float is second to none so we could do without these predators

 

[Andrew Boyne]

Mark - you need to stop messing about on those crappy posh stretches and get back on the ones with all the fish in!

Otters have always been on the Ribble - a natural population with defined territories for the adults. They take a few fish - so what! So do the mink, cormorants, goosanders, mergansers, herons, kingfishers, pike, perch, chub etc etc. Thankfully the Ribble has healthy breeding populations of many different species of fish to sustain those predators.

 

[David Gauntlett]

are otters a problem?i think so and at the moment on the river i mainly fish they seem to be on the increase in your opinons what are the implications of this ,thanks.

Ugger off Mark, go fish on the river rather than on here, you rascal....I saw your lure coming a mile off

Cheers, Dave.

 

[Andrew Boyne]

Can i just add that as a Minnow specialist i am deeply concerned about the number of Kingfishers i've seen this year.

 

[Paul Hamer]

Can i just add that as a Minnow specialist i am deeply concerned about the number of Kingfishers i've seen this year.

Andy if your a minnow piscator get on the Irwell in Rammy, its crammed with um A couple of pairs of kingfishers which I always love seeing.

 

[Steve Gregson]

I had a badger curry the other night, it was a bit like chicken but otter....

 

[John Young]

Mark - you need to stop messing about on those crappy posh stretches and get back on the ones with all the fish in!

Otters have always been on the Ribble - a natural population with defined territories for the adults. They take a few fish - so what! So do the mink, cormorants, goosanders, mergansers, herons, kingfishers, pike, perch, chub etc etc. Thankfully the Ribble has healthy breeding populations of many different species of fish to sustain those predators.

Hi Andrew,

do I need to post pictures of what otters can do and post why commercial fisheries are having to install otter fences? Unlike all the other species that you mention they actually hunt to eat , the otter can reek utter devastation. Otters tend not to eat the whole carcass but just tiny bits then move onto another fish

Do a search and see the (oooops ) carnage they leave behind on some carp fisheries. only a matter of time Andrew and I will be posting the

regards John

 

[Will Smith]

Cleaner in hospital after giant otter attack - The Local

 

[Pete Marshall]

Hi Andrew,



Do a search and see the carnation they leave behind on some carp fisheries.

regards John

They leave flowers?

 

[David Gauntlett]

They leave flowers?

Either that or tinned milk

Cheers, Dave.

 

[Paul Hamer]

they leave flowers?

:d:d:d:d:d:d:d:d

 

[Steve Foran]

make a nice pie mark

 

[David Hall]

They leave flowers?

roses, with love...

 

[David Gauntlett]

Cleaner in hospital after giant otter attack - The Local

See....I TOLD you they were a big problem....now they are going to take over the world! There will be all these dead people laying around, with only the tasty bits eaten. Still, that should mean I am pretty safe

Cheers, Dave.

 

[Mark Gaskell]

its got a ring to it

tarka on naan, nah it sounds too healthy give me a pie any day,but please bring back otter hounds!

 

[Derek Funcks]

Mark, watching the news last night. The bloke who makes the pies at Morecambe f.c. has been voted the best football ground pie maker in all the land. He,s even started getting orders from " Harrods ".

 

[Andrew Boyne]

Hi Andrew,

do I need to post pictures of what otters can do and post why commercial fisheries are having to install otter fences?

No you don't John but you can try to explain to me where the comparison lies between a commercial fishery and one of the north's finest river systems which, as already mentioned, has always had a breeding population of otters.

 

[John Young]

Hi
i think they include rivers

Otter Predation - The Angling Trust

john

 

[Andrew Boyne]

That'll be a 'no' then!

Quote from your link "healthy fisheries in rivers through controlling pollution, reducing abstraction and restoring habitats. This will make fish populations more resilient to otters, cormorants and other predators."

The Ribble is a healthy fishery - that's my point.