So been on the canal since Tuesday with 1 bream and 1 lost fish to show for my efforts,the guys who I mentioned on the other thread who are harmless but a little drunk said they saw otters further down by bridge 2 adults and at least 1/2 cubs allegedly,I don't know what to think not seen any evidence of otters ie:marking their territory or fish/bird carcasses.
There is a small river (the tame)underneath the canal and under the motorway that runs along the canal(m6) well as it got dark I got up to stretch my legs and walk up to my 2 rods and I saw what I thought was a duck it sat up in the water(my brother said a rat) but they don't sit high in water like a duck I turned round to get some bread that I had finished using and it had disappeared.
Now was it an otter that could explain how quiet the stretch is and I'm miles & miles away from a proper river but have the river tame running under the motorway into a brook like shape, hope this makes sense.
There is a small river (the tame)underneath the canal and under the motorway that runs along the canal(m6) well as it got dark I got up to stretch my legs and walk up to my 2 rods and I saw what I thought was a duck it sat up in the water(my brother said a rat) but they don't sit high in water like a duck I turned round to get some bread that I had finished using and it had disappeared.
Now was it an otter that could explain how quiet the stretch is and I'm miles & miles away from a proper river but have the river tame running under the motorway into a brook like shape, hope this makes sense.
In reply to Post #1
I've carefully read your post ..
There is absolutely a great chance you may have seen an Otter,sometimes when swimming level with the waterways surface ,the head looks like a large dark fist.
They get everywhere, I've seen one recently under a huge wind turbine, there are no proper water courses nearby other than drainage ditches..
All you need to know mate,is they are not rare and if it was a lutra lutra ,then fish stocks and anglers dreams are in the balance sadly..
I've carefully read your post ..
There is absolutely a great chance you may have seen an Otter,sometimes when swimming level with the waterways surface ,the head looks like a large dark fist.
They get everywhere, I've seen one recently under a huge wind turbine, there are no proper water courses nearby other than drainage ditches..
All you need to know mate,is they are not rare and if it was a lutra lutra ,then fish stocks and anglers dreams are in the balance sadly..
In reply to Post #2
Thanks mate for the way it was sitting in water in the moon light made it look like a mallard or drake duck I turned to go back to bivvy to get the bread and it had gone unless it's a trick of light I don't know
Thanks mate for the way it was sitting in water in the moon light made it look like a mallard or drake duck I turned to go back to bivvy to get the bread and it had gone unless it's a trick of light I don't know
In reply to Post #1
100% it could have been. My syndicate is (as the crow flies) 4 miles from any other water and it has a stream of otters.
Canals are absolutely rife with them. They've absolutely destroyed my local canal
100% it could have been. My syndicate is (as the crow flies) 4 miles from any other water and it has a stream of otters.
Canals are absolutely rife with them. They've absolutely destroyed my local canal
In reply to Post #3
Off topic a little but ,I know of someone who eats them when roadkill..I'm 100% serious..
Off topic a little but ,I know of someone who eats them when roadkill..I'm 100% serious..
In reply to Post #5
I've heard of people doing this with other animals isn't it against the law to eat road kill I'm sure I remember a tv programme about it years ago
I've heard of people doing this with other animals isn't it against the law to eat road kill I'm sure I remember a tv programme about it years ago
In reply to Post #6
I've no idea mate about the law on this
But I can say this person ,an ex school teacher wouldn't let that stop him eating protein for free I bet..
I've no idea mate about the law on this
But I can say this person ,an ex school teacher wouldn't let that stop him eating protein for free I bet..
If you flash a headtorch at them and you see a orange reflection from their eyes then its an otter.
In reply to Post #6
Grey area...if yourself kill an animal and took it you could be accused of doing it deliberately.
If you come across roadkill you can take it though that is my understanding.
Many years ago as a child my father was following a car which killed a pheasant he stopped put it in the car which we ate the next day !
It was a fresh kill, I'd be wary about taking anything I didn't know how long it had been there for.
Grey area...if yourself kill an animal and took it you could be accused of doing it deliberately.
If you come across roadkill you can take it though that is my understanding.
Many years ago as a child my father was following a car which killed a pheasant he stopped put it in the car which we ate the next day !
It was a fresh kill, I'd be wary about taking anything I didn't know how long it had been there for.
In reply to Post #9
That's always been my understanding of the rule too. I expect there are more rules for protected species
That's always been my understanding of the rule too. I expect there are more rules for protected species
In reply to Post #5
I wonder if otters taste a bit fishy. I bet the microchips are a bit crunchy though.
I wonder if otters taste a bit fishy. I bet the microchips are a bit crunchy though.
In reply to Post #6
I'm guessing the Police have more important to deal with.
I'm guessing the Police have more important to deal with.
In reply to Post #12
The police around here don't deal with anything
The police around here don't deal with anything
In reply to Post #3
Has the stretch been devoid of water birds recently? In my experience that's a dead giveaway that otters or mink are in the area.
Has the stretch been devoid of water birds recently? In my experience that's a dead giveaway that otters or mink are in the area.
In reply to Post #4
When you say 4 miles from any water do you mean ANY water. Any stream, dyke etc will be used as their highways.
When you say 4 miles from any water do you mean ANY water. Any stream, dyke etc will be used as their highways.