Otters Force Out Fishing Club

[Steve Walker]

Last carp I caught were on (fake) maggots, the lousy beasts barged in on my tench fishing session leading me to believe I had hooked that elusive PB tench. Since one of them was a 24lb PB and the other was 17lb, I forgave them, but I'd have rather seen something beautiful and tenchy than a couple of "bucket of guts" mirrors!

[Jeffwill]

Yeah, and eat fish. They're probably the type that use earth worms as bait, too!

 

I'm not a 'carp angler', but I'm an angler that has caught a lot of carp - and my most successful bait has been bread! I also catch a lot of Chub on it.

 

Wouldn't know what to do with a boilie. Feed the dog with them, I suppose.

 

 

White bread is very fattening.....thats why carp like it, partly explains the beer belly's

[Worms]

Yeah, and eat fish. They're probably the type that use earth worms as bait, too!

 

I'm not a 'carp angler', but I'm an angler that has caught a lot of carp - and my most successful bait has been bread! I also catch a lot of Chub on it.

 

Wouldn't know what to do with a boilie. Feed the dog with them, I suppose.

I use worms as bait oddly enough

 

Feed the dog with boilies? Why not, I understand carpers use dog biscuits as bait (probably only in muddy poodles.......groan!)

[Jeffwill]

Worth reading: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/envi...icle7012716.ece

 

With Otter studies recording only 1/3 of suitable sites are so far occupied, (and otter numbers are increasing), its only logical to conclude a large number of virgin area's will be affected in the near future and media headlines increasing.

 

A number of anglers up and down the county at the moment are unaffected. Fingers crossed.

[arbocop]

I don't get this.

I have a business (a family business as it happens)

As part of that business I have to store stock so I have a small warehouse.

If I kept my stock laying in a heap in a public car park I would not be too surprised if the local "predators" cleaned me out.

To avoid this I rent the building. I pay rates on the building.

I install very good (and expensive) locks on the building.

I spend large amounts of my families money on security for the building.

It is necessary to do this to run the business. It is part and parcel of the overheads connected to running the business.

I received no grants for doing this, so why should a fish farmer or fishery owner do nothing, spend no money and then when it goes wrong start crying like babies and asking for a government handout.

As for the **ick who claims that he has had his fish wiped out 3 times, well, if my warehouse had been robbed three times I might think about closing the door sometime

 

 

Nicely - if bravely - put Sir.

[watatoad]

White bread is very fattening.....thats why carp like it, partly explains the beer belly's

 

In view of this comment, do you think I should I should make a bread paste using beer and if so which beer do carp like?

 

What about soaking the bread in Guinness or would Barley wine be better?

 

Or perhaps Stella Artois for specimen carp, I guess mid weight carp are not fussy and just like any larger.

 

I suppose I must use a single malt for chub...

[Steve Coppolo]

In view of this comment, do you think I should I should make a bread paste using beer and if so which beer do carp like?

 

Doesn't matter which beer, as long as you leave the empty cans on the bank when you leave.

[arbocop]

Doesn't matter which beer, as long as you leave the empty cans on the bank when you leave.

 

 

Gentlemen. Given the fuss being kicked up about the aforementioned Lutra lutra currently, and the public nature and popularity of this thread - meaning it will be picked up by a google search - can we not start a new thread for discussing whether bread or worms are the optimum bait when mixed with beer?

[Guest Culshan]

Yeah, and eat fish. They're probably the type that use earth worms as bait, too!

 

I'm not a 'carp angler', but I'm an angler that has caught a lot of carp - and my most successful bait has been bread! I also catch a lot of Chub on it.

 

Wouldn't know what to do with a boilie. Feed the dog with them, I suppose.

 

I've read this post with some interest as I have personally had to deal with Otters on my fishery. Contrary to what has been said they are surprisingly large animals and will certainly eat in excess of 1lb fish per day. They also have a habit of selectively feeding, i.e. taking a bite out of a large fish! I have had to erect an Otter proof fence at considerable expense and this seems to have solved the problem, although just recently there was evidence of an Otter having climbed over! They will decimate a fishery, make no mistake about that. I had lost thousands of pounds worth of fish before I erected the fence. I don't think that a cull is either a good idea or realistic, given that my fishery is artificially stocked. after all, it's only natural that Otters see places like that as veritable larders! I suspect that part of the problem is that there seems to be a high number of Otters around at the moment and perhaps a population balance has not established itself. I have seen six Otters feeding together at one time on a Bream shoal in Loch Ken and I am constantly coming acrosss eveidence of them whilst at waters. Overstocking of fisheries means that the larder is basically even more attractive. My own fishery is not over stocked as I believe there are welfare issues involved in this. I don't know what the solution is and I don't think we fully understand the problem yet. All I could recommend is taking whatever measure you can (within the law) to deter them. I personally don't like the idea of looking for public money for the erection of fencing for a private business.

[Rusty]

whether bread or worms are the optimum bait when mixed with beer?

 

Kingfisher beer and Nan bread work for me.