Otters

[Malcolm]

I was out last night on the River Leven, again. I blanked as usual, again.

The highlight of the night was watching the otters. I see them virtually every time I'm down there. Usually it's the ducks that give me warning they are around. Sometimes I get fooled into thinking a big seatrout has head and tailed but they don't fool the ducks. Ducks hate them. The first sign of an otter and amid wild cacophony they're off. I love the way they whistle and whuffle around you and if you stay still they will often surface within feet of you when you're in up to your armpits in the water. They stare and whuffle and then they're off again. All this around a bridge with people and cars within feet of them - and no one except we fishermen notice them.

Am I alone in thinking they are becoming very common. I used to think seeing an otter was a once a season occurence. Now I know of three groups of otters that I can see any time I want. Sadly I normally only see them at night and I don't want to put the flashgun on them so no photographs. 

One other thing. I'm pretty sure that a lot of the sightings of the Loch Ness monster are in fact otters. When  they ae travelling they swim nose to tail with the one in the lead having head up much more than the others. Have a look at this picture I took earlier this year

[attachimg=1]

[fishindaft]

I think you are right in saying theyt are alot more common Malcolm. I have seen a very large mail otter a few times this summer at the mouth of the Lossie directly opposite the ice cream shop, huge crowds standing at times watching it and its as bold as brass, right out the water and sometimes close enough to touch, its no even scared of the dog anymore.

[burnie]

What's a "whuffle"         :lol:

[Fishtales]

What's a "whuffle"         :lol:

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=whuffle

[alancrob]

There is no doubt that otters are becoming more common. I think we should all appreciate the hard work and honest endevours of SEPA. It is clear to me that they, and they alone, have cleaned the rivers and streams to allow this to happen.

I suggest 3 hearty cheers and possibly a small collection.

A.

:getcoat

[Fierybroon]

had an otter pup swim into my legs then it looked up at me with a puzzled look and swam off into a small bay and fished for a bit.I just sat and watched for about ten minutes then left him to it. That was at Loch Eigheach

[River Chatter]

A few of them on my local river. I released a fish a few years age only to have a otter emerge in front of me holding my fish!  Cheek!