John left with £27,000 bill

Plans by the owners of an award winning Mid Wales holiday home park to extend their coarse fishing lake to provide an added attraction for caravan owners were going swimmingly until a master ‘poacher’ struck under the cover of darkness.

John and Jane Metcalf of Maes yr Afon Holiday Home Park, located on 35 acres alongside the River Rhiew in a wooded valley near Berriew, invested £4,000 on stocking the lake with fish only to discover them all killed.

John’s park manager came face to face with the culprit - a large dog otter – whilst fishing in the adjacent river. Sadly, the otter was not content with capturing enough fish to feed his family; he killed the lot and left them scattered around the pool.

Now, to protect the fish in the restocked lake, John has erected a high, otter-proof fence at a cost of £20,000.

“It’s lovely to have otters on the river but I wish I had erected the fence in the first place to keep them in the wild and the fish safe,” he said. “I feel sick because this project has ended up costing me £27,000 more than I had planned.

“We take great pride in maintaining the park to the very highest standard and have previously won the prestigious ‘Best park in Wales’ award. Our unique blend of stunning wooded valley seclusion together with a wonderful relaxed riverside location makes Maes yr Afon a wonderful location for caravan owners and also wildlife, including otters!”

Picture caption:

John Metcalf with the new otter proof fence around the fishing lake.