It had been a year since I had seen an otter. Really seen one, I mean. I know where they live, where they hunt and where they like to eat. Retrospectively, I am surprised that an individual in possession of such knowledge has not stayed out late with the objective of watching them. It is not that I haven’t wanted to; life has a way of sweeping us along on a tide of inconsequence.
I had not gone fishing that night, I had merely taken my fly rod with me – after all, who would go to the lakeside unprepared? The inevitable happened; a trout poked its nose through the ripple to cast that cursed web and out-for-a-walk turned to sneaking along the bank. I knew the fish wasn’t big enough to eat, but I had to have it, to pull it from its home, to look at, to touch, like an unhungry cat with a view of a bird…..The Mayo News….23/05/12…..read the full article….

http://www.mayonews.ie/nature-close-encounters-of-the-otter-kind

Inland Fisheries Ireland has won a circuit court case against a man from Co. Louth who appealed a district court case for illegal salmon fishing

The appeal was heard and Mr Smith was ordered to pay two fines totalling e600 and costs of e2,369 to Inland Fisheries Ireland at Dundalk Circuit Court on Friday, May 11 last.

The court heard that Mr Smith was found to be illegally fishing in September 2010.  Fisheries officers Thomas Duffy, Dermot Wynne and Ronan O’Brien from the Dundalk district apprehended him with a fixed net at the shores of Annagassan, which is the tidal section of the Dee and Glyde rivers, and initiated court proceedings……Dundalk Democrat……23/05/12…..read full article…..

http:/man-loses-fishing-appeal-and-is-ordered-to-pay-costs-of-inland-fisheries