When my wife, Ginny, and I started building our home in 1976, one of the first things on the agenda was digging a farm pond and using the resulting dirt to fill in around three sides of the house.
I can remember there being nothing but a large, empty crater in the ground. The first water into it actually came from our new well, and the well-digger had recommended doing so to ensure that all the pipes were clear of sediment and any metal fragments.
I had a long hose going from the hydrant at the well to the empty pond when a load of lumber arrived for the house. The deliveryman began laughing right away when he saw the hose at work and let me know it was going to take quite a while to fill the pond. He then told a number of folks in town about my obvious folly, and a couple older gents came out to see if it was true and had quite a laugh as well.
Since my making sure the well-pipes were flushed clear was none of these folks’ business, I made no effort at an explanation and let them have their laugh. I had grown up on this land, knew it intimately, and there was a reason for the pond’s location, which was in a basically shallow ravine that funneled the runoff from over 30 acres on the higher ground.
I had gotten stuck with a tractor in that location a number of times due to this fact. A couple days after the “hose incident,” some heavy-duty rainstorms hit, and as I had hoped, the new pond quickly became over half full.
I had another load of lumber coming a week later and made a point of running the hose back out to the pond. Let me just say the deliveryman was a bit speechless, especially when I told him that I figured the hose would have the pond topped off in another week! I never heard any more rude comments after that.
The pond, now being nearly full of water, soon required fish, and I had permission to catch bluegills at a local golf course pond. Due to an overpopulation, the fish were all stunted, and they were also quite hungry.
It didn’t take Ginny and me long to fill a large cooler and transport and release the fish into our pond, where they did quite well in their new home and quickly doubled in size, much to my amazement.
The following year, we purchased fish from a hatchery, which included trout, channel catfish and largemouth bass, as well as golden shiners for a food base.
The trout did fine in the pond, but didn’t reproduce and were eventually fished out. The largemouth bass, catfish and bluegills, however, did a great job at reproduction and I wouldn’t have to purchase any more fish for the next 30 years.
Dealing with the pond during the first 20-odd years had its challenges due to that 30-acre high-ground runoff which came from tilled farm ground. While this provided plenty of water annually for the pond, it also contained fertilizer and other chemical residues which caused the cattails and various pond weeds to flourish.
I was surprised at what water depths cattails can actually grow in, and they began to overwhelm certain parts of the pond. So I had to resort to using chemicals to control matters.
When I put the majority of the farm into the Conservation Reserve Program 20 years ago, I learned the importance of how prairie grasses literally filter and clean the runoff water going into my pond. It truthfully proved to be a dramatic change in water quality, but I would soon experience some other dramatic changes to the pond.
I had planted quite a few trees around the pond’s perimeter and they had matured to the point that each autumn, plenty of fallen leaves would land and eventually sink into the water and decompose, which depletes the water’s oxygen supply.
This, in turn, is very detrimental to fish, especially when the pond is completely iced over. I experienced my first total fish die-off about 15 years ago.
I didn’t realize this was happening at first because there were no dead fish floating around at ice-out time. I only noticed there were no more fish and was quite puzzled about what was happening. I soon discovered that the fish, like the leaves, would completely decompose and break down under the ice by the time of the spring thaw.
Since I didn’t want to cut down any of the trees I had long watched grow, I went and bought more fish, which entailed largemouth bass and hybrid bluegills, and they did quite well, at least until the next hard winter came along. I experienced three complete fish die-offs, with the last being the brutal winter seven years ago, and buying more fish on a regular basis was getting a tad costly.
I have considered getting an aerator, but am a bit hesitant because the pond sits right in the middle of what I call prime “rabbitat,” and rabbit hunting with my dogs is a favorite winter pastime. An aerator could cause soft spots in the ice which would support a fleeing rabbit but not a pursuing dog. I am, however, still pondering the issue.
Six springs ago, figuring I had no more fish in the pond, I asked my son Jake to purchase about three dozen “comet” goldfish and a half dozen koi from a pet store, which we released in the pond. We even threw in a couple “fancy” fantailed goldfish. I wanted fish of some sort to help naturally control matters by eating mosquito larvae, and the goldfish were a cheaper option. I assumed they would only die off during the winter, anyway.
Well, folks, I sure assumed wrong. Recent winters have been relatively mild here in the Thumb, and the goldfish, not to mention the koi, have done quite well and have multiplied in amazing fashion. I have even discovered that goldfish and koi will crossbreed, and the resulting hybrids represent some amazing color variations.
Ginny caught an absolutely splendid hybrid last summer which was about 18 inches long, a brilliant metallic yellow color, and featured a wide, “angel-wing” fantail. According to some research I’ve done, the goldfish/koi hybrids are supposed to be sterile, but I’m not so sure about that!
Having grandchildren who love to fish, we now all naturally go after the goldfish. This typically entails a cane-pole, bobber, and a bit of worm on a small hook. We’ve found that what works for catching bluegills also does quite well for goldfish, koi, and goldfish/koi hybrids. This has been a catch-and-release endeavor so far, because I have yet to figure out a “goldfish recipe,” although I am still contemplating it.
Most of the fish caught are plump and perch-sized (6-14 inches), and I have discovered that those small comet goldfish (commonly referred to as “feeder-fish”) can readily get to be over a foot long if living in the right habitat.
To help control the steadily expanding goldfish population, fish we now catch are frequently transferred to a shallow wildlife pond nearby to assist in ridding mosquito larvae. As summer progresses, the wildlife pond typically begins to recede, causing the goldfish therein to really group up, which is a gourmet delight for great blue herons, who go on a literal feeding frenzy. So, in a way, this is nature working in a full circle.
Last summer, we also began catching some fair-sized largemouth bass from a friend’s farm pond and releasing them into our farm pond. I’m pretty sure those bass aren’t going hungry, and it will certainly assist matters, too!
One thing I have noticed since creating a “goldfish pond” is that I have had no algae issues for the past three summers. Normally, I have to treat the pond to control the algae and certain weeds, but obviously the goldfish are having an impact. Goldfish and koi do feed on certain algae and plants, and this might be causing matters to be in my favor. We’ll see if this trend continues.
The fact remains, for better or worse, I have unwittingly created a genuine goldfish pond. The key to all this, I believe, is to thoroughly enjoy what it has to offer.
It sure beats having no fish at all!
Email Tom Lounsbury at tlounsburyoutdoors@gmail.com
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Tom Lounsbury: The creation of a genuine goldfish pond - Manistee News Advocate
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