Has the mania about otters died down?

[OldBoy]

As per topic,

So much stuff a few years ago about otters, gone very quiet now, guessing it's not a big thing anymore??

[yonny]

Seriously?

Almost every decent water in the country has had to be fenced. Most that are not have been decimated. The effects of otters on carp fishing have been beyond comprehension. 

[kevtaylor]

They're everywhere, I think we're just done talking about it coz nothing will change.  Numbers will just go up and up and lakes will continue to be fenced.

My syndi isn't fenced and obviously we have otters to contend with, it's a constant threat.

I've fished two fenced lakes and both still had otters getting in and out, once they smell the fish they come back every night looking for weaknesses in the fence, it never stops!

My uncle has a lake, stocked it with carp in the 80s, nowhere near a water course and now he has just a handful of tiny baby carp and small roach left thanks to Mr Otter.

I'm NOT a fan - it's disgusting how land owners are being treated!

[Carpbell3]

To make it worse otter fencing is being cut couple of reports on twitter, not surprised by that either but different topic.

Anglers are being steered into pollution being the biggest threat that's pollution from farms producing food if the angling groups stick to script they won't get bullied by... see above topic.

[jh92]

A lot of my waters have been ruined by otters tbh, there's not many being caught from the tidal anymore.. we've seen otters swimming about and found dead fish in the hedges and reeds etc, wasn't long ago we found a big mirror all chewed up in the hedge, was probably a 20+.

The canal has lost a few old ones as well, it does get restocked by the local club but a lot of the old fish have gone.

A local pond has got a fence up now but lost most of its original stock. They were really old fish, owners estimate were around 40 years old. I cant say for certain but they were apparently priory fish? I'm not too clued up on that though lol

We've got otters on the reservoirs as well. They seem to be on all the unfenced waters around here 🤷‍♂️

It's a shame but tbh a lot of these waters I've stopped fishing, I still like a go on one of my reservoirs as there's still a good stock there and still some bigguns left, but I mainly fish a fenced complex now on a season ticket and moving forward I'm gonna spend most of my time here 👍 

[salokcinnodrog]

6 hours ago, OldBoy said:

As per topic,

So much stuff a few years ago about otters, gone very quiet now, guessing it's not a big thing anymore??

It's still a big thing. Waters that can't be fenced are under threat, even a water that is fenced, the fence needs regular inspection.

A fallen branch, a hole, otters soon get in.

 

Like @kevtaylor my water isn't fenced, and I have seen otters on there, although the fish we lost were pike, one common had tail damage. A syndicate member was playing a pike and then just got reeled. I found his trace around 50metres away from the lake in the meadow, and I have found pike heads and skulls on the bank.

The only protection is the gamekeeper!

 

[Carpbell3]

Best bit is the RSPB have also fenced some waters they also use terriers and shooters on their land otters are over protected think the longterm plan is to introduce a animal that will compete with the otter, same people that think foxes do vermin control by feeding on rats, the level of denial is frightening.

[salokcinnodrog]

57 minutes ago, Carpbell3 said:

Best bit is the RSPB have also fenced some waters they also use terriers and shooters on their land otters are over protected think the longterm plan is to introduce a animal that will compete with the otter, same people that think foxes do vermin control by feeding on rats, the level of denial is frightening.

They had to fence the area in Norfolk that Springwatch was filmed on. Quite amusing seeing on television an otter raiding and killing a coot and it's nest on a bird reserve.