Otters

[Kevin Massey]

2 Waters by me have been hit very hard this year with otters decimating stocks. Anyone else experiencing this in your area?

[Worms]

No, all of the waters by me have bulging otter populations and equally bulging fish populations.......no artificial stocking just a good healthy natural balance.

[Kevin Massey]

2 Waters by me have been hit very hard this year with otters decimating stocks. Anyone else experiencing this in your area?

 

 

I think on the Derwent there has been a big re introduction project....they seem to have moved onto the ponds

[arbocop]

Anyone read the very interesting and thoroughly balanced view of otters in' Coarse Angling Today'?

 

Pete Reading, Research & Conservation Chairman of the Batrbel Society describes prolific times and less prolific times for barbel, and also suggests why they were so. He points out the large number of barbel and the large number of otters on the Hampshire Avon. He also describes the reasons muted for the loss of fish on rivers, and compares these to other influences - bad spawning years combining with floods, large fish dating from hot summer years with very successful spawning, the lack of nurseries for young barbel and many other factors affecting fish biology. He also states that otters eat barbel and suggests- dare I say it - that he has also had several large fish from a river with known otter populations. He also suggests - he doesn't say much categorically because he is assessing everyhting from years of evidence that he has gleaned from his own experiences - that the large old fish caught by otters are exactly that.

 

He concludes by saying that barbel are not the only species of fish in the river, and they are nalso not the only form of wildlife that requires fast clean healthy water. He suggest that we should not jump to what may be seen by none anlgers as selfish conclusions about fishing, and makes the very valid point that the ususal suspects and the apparently obvious cause are rarely the reason. There are many other factors involved.

 

However, the editorial at the front suggests that otter populations are higher than they have ever been for over 200 years. How does he know this? He says he has based it on conjecture. It certainly is.

 

No-one can say categorically that their water has been decimated by otters as the sole reason for the demise of the fish without full knowledge of all the facts.

[Ken L]

I think on the Derwent there has been a big re introduction project....they seem to have moved onto the ponds

 

Unlikely. Otters are doing very well thank you now that it's illegal to kill them and don't really need reintroduction schemes - but if people will insist on having overstuffed, unatural and unfenced ponds in the rage of otters, that's where the otters will go for an easy feed. Fence the fishery or accept the otters and allow the fishery to return to a natural and sustainable stocking level.

[Worms]

I think on the Derwent there has been a big re introduction project....they seem to have moved onto the ponds

29 re-habilitated injured and orphaned otters re-introduced into the whole of Yorkshire in the early 1990s by the Vincent Wildlife Trust. None since.

 

I wonder how many fish have been introduced, native and non-native?

[Worms]

Anyone read the very interesting and thoroughly balanced view of otters in' Coarse Angling Today'?

 

Pete Reading, Research & Conservation Chairman of the Batrbel Society describes prolific times and less prolific times for barbel, and also suggests why they were so. He points out the large number of barbel and the large number of otters on the Hampshire Avon. He also describes the reasons muted for the loss of fish on rivers, and compares these to other influences - bad spawning years combining with floods, large fish dating from hot summer years with very successful spawning, the lack of nurseries for young barbel and many other factors affecting fish biology. He also states that otters eat barbel and suggests- dare I say it - that he has also had several large fish from a river with known otter populations. He also suggests - he doesn't say much categorically because he is assessing everyhting from years of evidence that he has gleaned from his own experiences - that the large old fish caught by otters are exactly that.

 

He concludes by saying that barbel are not the only species of fish in the river, and they are nalso not the only form of wildlife that requires fast clean healthy water. He suggest that we should not jump to what may be seen by none anlgers as selfish conclusions about fishing, and makes the very valid point that the ususal suspects and the apparently obvious cause are rarely the reason. There are many other factors involved.

 

However, the editorial at the front suggests that otter populations are higher than they have ever been for over 200 years. How does he know this? He says he has based it on conjecture. It certainly is.

 

No-one can say categorically that their water has been decimated by otters as the sole reason for the demise of the fish without full knowledge of all the facts.

I haven't read the piece but how refreshing and, in my mind entirely right. Almost exactly my thoughts on the subject. I would also add the repeat capture/stress issue as a possible factor on some waters.

 

Funnily enough I found an article by a well known "professional" barbel angler the other day. He fishes for barbel for 10 hours a day 5 days a week (hopefully not in the close season) and doesn't understand why he's not catching the same fish every day from the same few waters. He also claimed the complete disappearance of barbel from a water I know very well which has loads of barbel in............and otters. Some people will say anything for money. The EA should bring in a hefty commercial licence fee for "professional" guides

 

Im not sure about the otter population at present but I would suggest that it is nowhere near that claimed and I seem to recall claims of around 37% carrying capacity!

[gozzer]

I think on the Derwent there has been a big re introduction project....they seem to have moved onto the ponds

 

Judging by your location I assume you mean the Yorks Derwent Kevin.

Here's a link to some info on otters in our area.

 

http://www.harrogate.gov.uk/pdf/DS_P_BAP_Draft_OtterSAP.pdf

 

 

John.

[Kevin Massey]

Judging by your location I assume you mean the Yorks Derwent Kevin.

Here's a link to some info on otters in our area.

 

http://www.harrogate.gov.uk/pdf/DS_P_BAP_Draft_OtterSAP.pdf

 

 

John.

 

Cheers John

 

The one pool is at Kexby...its been there for years and have never had a problem until winter just gone (mind you a hard winter it was) The other is a new pool at Laytham that should have opened this season... The opening has been delayed because of the need to put in fencing and re-stocking... I have no doubt there can be many factors hence my asking on here....

[Chris Goddard]

Let me say right from the start I have no pre-conceived ideas about Otters as such, but having seen all the evidence they are much the same as we are. And are VERY much the same as ANY carnivore? They will take an easy meal where it is presented and will never go after something which is going to give them grief? Unless they are YOUNG and THINK they are able to do so! Bit like teenagers chasing girls......or dogs chasing cars? So by that I mean to say they will chase something when inexperienced while older more wiser animals will only go after something they have a chance of catching. But a Barbel??? I think not!!! BLOODY hell I have only ever caught three fish myself in 40 years and one of those twice in around an hour! And if ANY Otter could catch a fish that fought like that even after being caught only an hour before it is a bloody fit animal!!! It took me I reckon 10 minutes to land the second time! And it only weighed just under 4Lb!! A big fit Barbel?? NO WAY JHOSÉ!!

 

Take a point in question, anyone watched "Halcyon River Diaries" on the BBC shown recently? There the guy amongst other animals and wildlife had a young otter on his "Patch" the otter too a young duck or two and a moorhen at the least. He also showed a scene where two Kingfishers were fighting over territory and an otter took one of the kingfishers!! But that was a one off as it was an opportunist thing. But that to me typifies Otters. Good luck to them I say. We are NOT the owners of all and sundry in a water or river we are merely the GUARDIANS!!! We CAN report and incidence of pollution etc. And personally I really do not think we have the right to interfere with nature itself.

 

What DOES get me is MINK! They have been introduced by stupid woolly hat wearing idiots and they probably do a LOT more damage to a water than any other single creature could ever do by destroying the eco structure of the rivers etc. They are one thing and one thing alone, KILLING MACHINES!! Now whilst I don't really have an agenda for Otters that is NOT the same for Mink! Kill every last one of the little B's!! Now there is an animal that is worthy of debate!