I was fishing the river severn at montford bridge on wednesdy and although local dog walkers wer saying how over fished it was I carried on fishing confidently regardless, then around dinner time the well spoke about resident otter started to feed on the opposite bank for around 10-15 mins and I wondered to myself which has the bigger say on our catch rates?

Otters.

Would you be happy sitting down for your Sunday roast knowing that something or someone is waiting to eat you?
Have a look at the link on my post in re-introduction of otters to see what damage they have and are doing in my area.

There was an otter on the Ribble last night. 1st time I have been in the same swim as 1 on that river, although I'd been told they were there a few times.

What stretch of the ribble where you fishing jonny, did you catch much even tho the otter was around? Im thinking of going down to elston soon, that way it saves me goin all the way to the severn to blank when I can do that 20 mins away, :-)

Near brockholes, managed a couple of fish when the light faded. Mr otter was seen not far from bezza brook. The river is very low and clear at the moment too. Best of luck.

My view is they shouldn't have been reintroduced.

The invironment they dissappeared from is totally different to the one they have been reintroduced to.

The idiots that let them go didn't do any form of environmental impact assessment and now as anglers we're seeing the costs of this.

A number of lakes and what little rivers we do have in Essex has been hit hard.

This however is nothing compared to how hard the Wensum has been hit. The area I fish has had otters in residence for about four years now and not only have the chub dissappeared but so have a lot of the other wildlife such as the voles?

I use to be able to catch 4 to 6 chub in a couple of hours stalking and whilst doing so watch the voles or the ducks and ducklings, last time I went I only managed 3 chub in two weeks and one was a repeat capture. The reason I know it was a repeat is due to the fact it had a chunk out of it! I haven't seen a vole on there for a fair while.

The investment should have gone into improving the rivers and fisheries not bunging in an apex predetor to already struggling eco-systems!

Hi lads, i heard that in some areas there are so many otters that they are no longer happy eating all the fish,they have started raiding birds nests and eating their eggs and chicks....lets see what the R.S.P.B. and their counterparts do about that.
Where i fish on the ribble,i've not seen any otters but there are a few mink which in my view do more damage then otters which is why we should all get behind the angling trust and do something because you know the old saying ..."united we stand, divided we fall". This is a very worrying time for angling, what with pollution, cormorants, water abstraction and lack of rainfall in twenty years or so will we have anywhere left to go fishing?.....paul.

The difference between otters and mink is that you can shoot the latter.

I understand that mink don't tend to take the bigger fish but nothing is out of bounds to the otters?

Maybe the government should introduce an annual otter cull,but then again the mighty? R.S.P.C.A. wont like that and they will get listened to because they are far bigger then any angling organization...

There is no way on gods green earth there will be any otter culling. You only need to look at the badger problem and the bovine t.b. Whole herds of cattle have been destroyed and yet Mr Brock still remains a protected animal in this country. Recently, I heard they had started to cull 1 or 2 in Wales. Too little too late. These anti, green types don't give two hoots about fishing, in fact they'd probably love to see that banned as well. The angling trust is a good shout. It's our great sport and we should fight tooth and nail to protect it.