Otters

[Guest Jan V]

Have seen river otters both in the wild and at the zoo. They've never bothered me and put on quite the show at the St. Louis Zoo.

[captain cojones]

wonder if they would be any good as livebait?

[Guest tigger]

I've only ever seen three, I managed to shoot two of them and the dogs caught the other one as it made it's escape to it's holt. I've kept the skins which I may use for making some gloves. Their not in very good nick though as I shot them at close quarters with a 12 bore so smashed them a bit and the one the dogs got was needless to say ........a bit ripped up.

[Andy Macfarlane]

Whilst on a camping holiday a couple of years ago, we were fishing with a crab line off the jetty in Mallaig

 

That's a smashing part of the World. It beats me when folk talk about the scenery in places like New Zealand, when we have Mallaig, just a train journey (through places like Rannoch Moor) away.

You were right to pull your lines as quickly as possible. Seals have a habit of taking the mackerel and podley (a saithe, coalie or young pollack), right off your line. It amazes me that they never get hooked and then they have the cheek to surface in front of you and beg like a dog, waiting for you to catch another for them. Still, you can't buy that kind of entertainment so I normally keep it up as long as they do.

[Janet]

That's a smashing part of the World. It beats me when folk talk about the scenery in places like New Zealand, when we have Mallaig, just a train journey (through places like Rannoch Moor) away.

You were right to pull your lines as quickly as possible. Seals have a habit of taking the mackerel and podley (a saithe, coalie or young pollack), right off your line. It amazes me that they never get hooked and then they have the cheek to surface in front of you and beg like a dog, waiting for you to catch another for them. Still, you can't buy that kind of entertainment so I normally keep it up as long as they do.

 

You're right Andy. Mallaig, Loch Morar and the whole of the west coast of Scotland is one of the nicest, and most dramatic places I've ever been. I lived in Fort William for a while, then down in Helensburgh and Gourock. I spent over 20 years living in Scotland, and there is no place like it on earth. The drive over Rannoch Moor has to be seen to be believed. It's such a shame that people don't realise what delights we have, literally on our doorsteps.

 

I wish I was back there.....

 

Anyway, enough memories....let's get back to the original point of the thread!

 

Janet

[JV44]

Customer of mines family has a large estate at Applecross on the west coat opposite Skye and we have often stayed up there and around that area ,as has been said the west coast is stunning and the drive over the Balach na bah [spelling] is an adrenalin inducing rush with amazing views at the top just look out for the locals as they drive like there is nothing on the road bar them scary esp on the above mentioned bit of road .

One of the cottages we stayed in had a resident Pine martin that would visit every evening if you remembered to put out his jam sandwich on the table outside the house,Great mackrel fishing off the rocks at the end of the garden and otters visited early most mornings if you were up and about.

Another place we stayed had a 14` boat that we could use and we went round the headland to where there were seals on the rocks and in the water Gannets diving into the sea and if you got up early enough the Red deer Stags and there hinds were down off the mountains feeding right by the roads on the strip of lush grass.

Love the place my only complaint is that it takes 12 hours door to door from down here to drive there Steve.

[Kappa]

I've only ever seen three, I managed to shoot two of them and the dogs caught the other one as it made it's escape to it's holt. I've kept the skins which I may use for making some gloves. Their not in very good nick though as I shot them at close quarters with a 12 bore so smashed them a bit and the one the dogs got was needless to say ........a bit ripped up.

 

Is this a joke?

 

Rich

[Elton]

Is this a joke?

 

Rich

 

Nope. Tigger was actually mentioned in The Compleat Angler and is, in fact, even older than Vagabond and Leon (not put together, obviously, 'cos that would make him as old as Jesus. Probably).

[Emma two]

Only ever seen two but TBH I was pleased to spot them on the river, can't be that common these days.

 

 

I saw them as a child, then gave up on seeing one in the wild as they became so rare. Now the species, locally at least is making a big comeback. Perhaps this shows that conservation and habitat improvement is working.

[Guest tigger]

Is this a joke?

 

Rich

 

 

Why ?