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Otters and barbel

Since i started seeing otters many years ago on my local Bristol Avon the river has died where i fish on the middle to lower reaches.
I went to limply stoke area and stick float fished for about 3 hours and had one bite, 3 or 4 years ago you could catch 20lb of silver fish in an afternoon now there only seems to be odd pockets of fish and the barbel are few and far between.
Well the furry buggers are going to eat there self out of a home at the rate there going and the only word that comes to mind is good bye and don`t come back.
Andy
 
Ben the eel parasite theory belongs in area 51. It’s a fob put about by researchers paid by the elver fishers. Eel decline is due to massive over fishing by the Sustainable Eel Group members both elver and silver and the changing currents in the North Atlantic. This year the currents have changed back, (global warming my arse) and massive elver harvesting is happening again. With a bit of luck a goodly few of the horrible wriggly snotty things will get through and the otters will resume their preferred diet.
Sorry Stevo but it’s true the dammed things are grim
 
Chris Jones said:
It's very simple, Alex. Moaning that the otter has been unnaturally introduced is fine and dandy. It's just a bit difficult to justify when the root reason for your moans is the protection of a single species that has been unnaturally introduced. Double standard? You bet your arse.

Ultimately, it's very simple. **** and moan on a website and do nothing. Alternatively, keep your traps firmly shut and actually do something.
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I wasn't aware that I was moaning Chris. I was merely expressing an opinion/question on what does or does not classify a certain species of fish as indigenous
 
Tail damage can also be because of poor water quality, the wound is very similar to what one would presume as a close encounter with an otter.


If you havent already, Id try and get over the fact that otters have repopulated river systems. Its happened. It’s a conservation success story. There are lots and lots of conservationists doing lots and lots of work to help otters. Whilst anglers moan on web forums these guys are building holts, building barriers to stop them getting run over etc. When angling crops up on 'their' forums these guys are most surprised that anglers have let rivers fish populations get as skewed and unbalanced as we have. They carry on regardless.
 
So while these people are building holts etc. what should anglers be doing Ash? As know yourself, there is not a lot that can legally be done about otters.

A lot of anglers do work in the way of work parties etc. or other areas; just because they post on forums does not mean they do nothing. You must remember that the holt builders get every help and encouragement possible in their pursuit of otter heaven. Anglers get every obstacle put in their way, or so it seems, in their attempt to protect fish from over predation.
 
I wonder how many reading these are signed up to the Angling Trust?It is good moaning about predation,pollution and poor recruitment want we really need is to combine our voices under one banner and then we can be powerful enough to lobby Parliament and force change.
 
Richard Longmuir said:
I wonder how many reading these are signed up to the Angling Trust?It is good moaning about predation,pollution and poor recruitment want we really need is to combine our voices under one banner and then we can be powerful enough to lobby Parliament and force change.
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Richard, for every million anglers in favour of killing otters (as that is what is meant by control), there would be ten million people against it, this is a battle we could never win in a civilised society.

Of course we should still join the AT for many other reasons and to fight the battles we can win
 
Kevin Daly said:
Ben the eel parasite theory belongs in area 51. It’s a fob put about by researchers paid by the elver fishers. Eel decline is due to massive over fishing by the Sustainable Eel Group members both elver and silver and the changing currents in the North Atlantic. This year the currents have changed back, (global warming my arse) and massive elver harvesting is happening again. With a bit of luck a goodly few of the horrible wriggly snotty things will get through and the otters will resume their preferred diet.
Sorry Stevo but it’s true the dammed things are grim
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Kev, I assume by 'Horrible wriggly snotty things' you are referring to the backers of the SEG? I must say though, I had no idea otters were fond of eating those guys. Every cloud, silver lining and all that.

Cheers, Dave.
 
Ian Crook said:
Richard, for every million anglers in favour of killing otters (as that is what is meant by control), there would be ten million people against it, this is a battle we could never win in a civilised society.

Of course we should still join the AT for many other reasons and to fight the battles we can win
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I would agree Crooky, but i would say the same about the Badger culls that are now going ahead if you conducted a Poll of the general public, but i don't see many, apart from the usual protest groups up in arms about it.

By the way i'm not advocating Otter culling, but i do feel, at least in certain areas that the population should be controlled, and brought down to natural levels, though i think it's a bit late in the day now ! ... the horse has bolted ! :(

The EA, in fact the government were wrong to just stand by year on year and watch unatural levels of introductions of Otters into certain waterways, in fact crimminaly wrong in my opinion.
You know i have no problem with populations of Otters that i believe were natural, and have thrived because of better habitat, and water quality, but what happened in Norfolk, and Bedfordshire, makes me Rage ! :mad::mad::mad:

The people involved in it should have done time, exactly the same as the animal rights activists that released the mink, no difference whatsoever in my opinion, but as i said the horse has bolted now !

Ian.
 
Interesting reading - but too much anger and energy expended on something you can't change .
The most salient point was - are you a member of the Angling Trust ?
If not , join - NOW .
For the price of a weekends bait it is the ONLY way we can influence anything in our favour .
As far as the expanding otter population goes - you won't stop it - but take heart from the fact thet it isn't just anglers who have started to notice an imbalance { I can only speak for my local Dorset Stour } as I have on my wanderings started to come across bird watchers who have seen the reduction in bird life { some have been RSPB and have been open about their concerns } - I have noticed the silence of a river with no clucking moorhens for one .
It won't stop the number of huge barbel being in decline { but they were only there for a few years realistacally } but it may help get at least a count done of otters . As far as I can find out , there was never a proper plan to monitor the numbers of such a protected top end predator , strange ?
The other group who seem to be best allied are the ornamental / koi owners - they are understandably upset to find their pets chewed up on the lawn .
Let's not forget the lovely proposition of otters running around town - have heard it compared to foxes - but they are rather less the scavenger than foxes , so when tibbles gets let out at night and doesn't return ????
We can't predict , but I think in 10 years time otters won't be thought of as quite so cuddly .
It matters not for now .
Go out and enjoy fishing - just adjust your aims .
But certainly , join the AT --- NOW .
 
they thought cormorants were safe from change.
NOW THEY AINT, because so many anglers were complaing on web and press media that eventually the politicians stopped counting their perks and their cash and got off their backsides before their jbs wre jeopardised
 
Richard Lee said:
The most salient point was - are you a member of the Angling Trust ?
If not , join - NOW .
Click to expand...

Richard Longmuir said:
I wonder how many reading these are signed up to the Angling Trust?It is good moaning about predation,pollution and poor recruitment want we really need is to combine our voices under one banner and then we can be powerful enough to lobby Parliament and force change.
Click to expand...

I like the idea of the AT in that angling will have one true voice - however, i decided to hold back on my membership to the AT after the error by their PR/Medi dept (or whoever it was) that , in my opinion, recklessly released a statement about shooting the seal that is causing havoc in my beloved Teme and Severn. The backlash against the angling fraternity in the local media was massive and still is (check the Worcester News) following these statements where all the non-fishing folk lambasted all angers as evil for wanting to shoot the seal. Whilst this is a separate point to what this post is about, the AT by releasing this statement actually managed to damage the interests of fisherman and not protect them as they intend to do so. This is the reason i have not signed up yet as i was a little bit disgruntled at having to defend my favourite hobby to every Tom, Dick and Harry that moaned about how evil fisherman are!
 
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