Autumn 2002 No. 14

Page 7

________ Estate

3rd September 1965

Dear ________

I have your letter of the 2nd instant regarding otters seen on the Stour.

I am sorry I am unable to give your member permission to carry a gun to shoot them, as the sporting rights are let. I suggest you contact the Courtenay Tracey Otter Hounds who may be able to help you. The Honorary Secretary’s name and address is Major _____, __________.

Yours Sincerely ________

An Angler Delighted By Otters…

Martin Brickell is a keen local angler who recently came across something quite unexpected when out for a day’s fishing;

… I was once again distracted from my musings by a series of small ‘splashings’ coming from the reeds. I was of course somewhat curious and stopped to see what was ‘going on’. The reeds were moving on the opposite bank and my view was obstructed by a great deal of reed not only on my bank, but by large clumps in midstream. Nevertheless there was something. I wondered whether it might be a small dog unable to get out of the stream or perhaps a swan lost. I considered small calves, moorhens, disabled herons and so on but no theory fitted the activity and the noises. Then it hit me like a thunderbolt… I realised that there could be only one thing causing this activity… Otters!

I shook myself, told myself I was dreaming and quietly put down my tackle, took off my other gear and gently slipped back under the barbed wire fence to get as close as possible. I managed to get to a spot giving the best viewing advantage through the two sets of reeds and I could see a small pool. The snuffling, paddling and splashing continued and I was now just twenty feet away. Still not believing my luck I again froze and watched for over an hour until late dusk. It soon became clear that there was more than one otter and I am certain that there were at least three.

It further became obvious that they were ‘working’ this section of the stream and appeared to be foraging the roots of the reeds, paddling and swimming in what seemed to me impenetrable growth, yet they made light of weaving in and out of this tangle and I assume they were searching for their ‘supper’. Of what I do not know but I assume there were frogs, crayfish and possibly small fish within this jungle of weed and reed.

Most of the time I had to be content with just listening to them as I watched the reeds along the section bend back and forth, telling me where they were. It was however, so magical to be so close. I could hear every snuffle, snort and squeak. At one time I was aware of one being very close and could hear it breathing just a few feet away, hidden in the reed. I sensed that it had become aware of me as the splashings stopped for a little while, and another time something else spooked them. There was a definite ‘flop’ in the water as they ‘went to ground’ underwater (if you pardon the oxymoron). Then nothing for five minutes or so. Everything was so still and I then became aware of the other noises of the evening, distant road traffic, the odd crow flying home and calling, the occasional bleat from the sheep and so on. I held post and gradually they reappeared to continue to forage. At one time I saw one surface some ten yards away in a pool upstream, another was foraging about the same distance downstream and yet there was definite activity ahead of me.