Quiet walk a long the river this morning, saw some movement in one of the runs then up pops a otters head and then another, two of them working my bank, so I stood still and to my suprise, one of them came out and on the bank six feet from me, with the other around ten feet away, didn't seem to know I was there, just turned and looked when the click of my mobile took the photo, wish I had my digital slr with me now, the joys of a out door life style.

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Wonderful when that happens to you! They seem to be getting a lot more confident around people out and about on the rivers! I've had one as close as 3ft, while standing in the river Usk, a big dog Otter sat on a tree stump! I could have reached out and touched him! Wonderful - just wonderful.

Hi Mostyn.

Makes me wonder if they are releasing tame ones back into the wild, as you say they don't seem to be as scared as they used to.

Still a fantastic sight, last year I saw some in one of the pools with pups, shame they were eating my fish but they are cute and not the black death

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It was nice to show u how to fish

I one had 2 cubs come within 3 feet of me up a path,looked at me, stood confused for a few seconds and then tore away as fast as they could.

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An la ag iascaireacht is an la go brea.

Great Pic; but now you know why you should carry a compact Diggie when out and about.

Save for a very few, we don't have these 'critters' in my corner of the World. But what we do have is a quickly expanding population of Beaver. Yes, Beaver!

Fishing partner were out yesterday and I took several pictures of they're current handy-work. Just wish I knew how to post pictures up in a Fora.

Pictures are on my Google Pic3 account under 'the usual:' fredaevans. https://picasaweb.google.com/m/viewA...140001&start=0

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"The problems we face today are there because the people who work for a
living are now outnumbered by those who vote for a living." -- Anonymous

If you believe the coarse angling press then yes they are..........There are a lot of heated arguments going on at the moment as to just how much damage otters are causing to fishing. Carp waters in particular. There are those who advocate an otter cull hot on the heels of cormorants. Sad but true..........they'll be culling downstream nymph fishermen soon.............birdsnest

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Fear not if I steal from your side, as of yore, from paradise streams to fish Teifi once more.
BN based in Wolverhampton

Hi Birdsnest, didn't know that, I wouldn't say they are a problem up here, might see a couple a year and very nice it is a s well, I remember when I was a child seeing the otter hounds on the Severn by Abermule, I didn't really like the idea back then.

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Hi Fred.

I think I prefer otters to beavers, wouldn't want any big log jams.

About three years ago, I was fishing into dark and a dog otter came up in the water between me and the end of a 9' rod, nearly had to change my pants I manged to get the camera out, but the noise of the lens coming out and he was gone, I usuallly walk with my Nikon trying to get a pic of the kingfishers, when I have the camera, nothing, no camera out they come

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Me too..........I do believe that a lot of "otter" sightings by the anti otter brigade are in fact mink. We have a lot around my neck of the woods since the antis liberated them from a farm near Stafford in the 60's (I think). They appear remarkably like an otter if you are looking for a scapegoat Can you imagine the furore in the press (and elsewhere) should a cull be instigated and publicised. I know otters eat fish, so do I and I don't blame them, it tastes great. So I'm a live and let live man, after all they were around before us. I'm just not quite so sure about the reintroduction of a lot of otters and the subsequent pressure on the balance of nature.......they do I believe need a lot of space per family. Interesting topic for a kick around. What does anyone else think?............birdsnest

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Fear not if I steal from your side, as of yore, from paradise streams to fish Teifi once more.
BN based in Wolverhampton

According to the Angling Times they are The End of The World As We Know It- Official. They eat carp in puddles and barbel in rivers where barbel don't belong. Lots of hysteria- my rivers are fishing better than ever(and I have 40 years of records to back it up) despite otters being common.