Today the pond is a wee bit more clear than yesterday. We haven't had rain in a few days and I believe the rain washing down through the grass and dirt and fertilizing the pond was a part of why the pond was so murky for these past few years. I've only lived here a few years so I can't say what went on before that.
Another problem I had was that I allowed livestock back there and they would keep the grass eaten but they were animals that didn't want to get their toes wet so they didn't ever damage the sides of the pond. They kept everything around the edges nice and trimmed though and I suppose, although a golf course may look pleasing to the eye, it's no place for wildlife. I sure never kept things trimmed like a golf course back there but you get my meaning. I'm sure the manure washing into the pond didn't help a bit either.
I have a few of my neighbor's nice horses living on my land now and they loved the pond. I liked to watch them back there and they'd wade and splash around. I didn't want to ruin their fun but when it got muddy the horse's hooves would tear the sides of the pond away and it was eroding badly. I just had to lock them out. They are drinking out of a trough now but I often catch them peering over the fence wistfully gazing at the pond, remembering a better time when they could cool off and roll in the water. Makes me sad but what else could I do? Maybe one day I can make some area for them somewhere. They need a cement pool!
Since my big changes this year (no livestock, no grass cutting and very little runoff) I have seen drastic improvements back there and I love it! The bass are flying through the air at the rate of about 1 every few minutes. Baby fish are all over and bluegill are in abundance. Bass patrol the banks tilted on their sides with an eye to the weeds looking for that fat dragonflies. Oh what fun to sit down under my green umbrella and watch.
While I was down there today I had all my usual visitors and a couple more. I brought a loaf of bread and a pound of hamburger with me and I keep commercial fish feed in a galvanized trash can under a big tree by the gate at the pond. My old dog and I hopped on the old golf cart and off we went (well, I don't hop anymore but that sounds good).
The pond is tinted a bit like tea now (I believe that means the oxygen is a bit low but I'm not sure). I have a few concrete blocks down in the pond where I feed now stacked up two high and they are just up to the top of the water. I feed at a very shallow point so I can see everyone down there. Meanandlean comes just about everyday but never eats anything I throw in. I've never seen him take a bluegill or another fish either. It appears that he only wants dragonflies. He was a bit agitated today as he had a buddy fish that he didn't want - a small bass was following him that was about 8 inches long or so. It looked like it just wanted to pal around with him but he sure didn't appreciate it and kept turning around and running it off. The smaller bass would always come back much to the distaste of Leanandmean. Leanandmean finally got so grumpy and aggravated with it all he just chased everyone. I've gotten to really like that fish he amuses me so. He always takes the time out from his busy schedule to come over to where I'm sitting and just look up and hang out with me for at least ten minutes or so. I don't know what he wants - I've tried to feed him everything. I took a photo of him today lying in wait in one of his favorite spots. Be sure to click on the photo so it will enlarge.
Another problem I had was that I allowed livestock back there and they would keep the grass eaten but they were animals that didn't want to get their toes wet so they didn't ever damage the sides of the pond. They kept everything around the edges nice and trimmed though and I suppose, although a golf course may look pleasing to the eye, it's no place for wildlife. I sure never kept things trimmed like a golf course back there but you get my meaning. I'm sure the manure washing into the pond didn't help a bit either.
I have a few of my neighbor's nice horses living on my land now and they loved the pond. I liked to watch them back there and they'd wade and splash around. I didn't want to ruin their fun but when it got muddy the horse's hooves would tear the sides of the pond away and it was eroding badly. I just had to lock them out. They are drinking out of a trough now but I often catch them peering over the fence wistfully gazing at the pond, remembering a better time when they could cool off and roll in the water. Makes me sad but what else could I do? Maybe one day I can make some area for them somewhere. They need a cement pool!
Since my big changes this year (no livestock, no grass cutting and very little runoff) I have seen drastic improvements back there and I love it! The bass are flying through the air at the rate of about 1 every few minutes. Baby fish are all over and bluegill are in abundance. Bass patrol the banks tilted on their sides with an eye to the weeds looking for that fat dragonflies. Oh what fun to sit down under my green umbrella and watch.
While I was down there today I had all my usual visitors and a couple more. I brought a loaf of bread and a pound of hamburger with me and I keep commercial fish feed in a galvanized trash can under a big tree by the gate at the pond. My old dog and I hopped on the old golf cart and off we went (well, I don't hop anymore but that sounds good).
The pond is tinted a bit like tea now (I believe that means the oxygen is a bit low but I'm not sure). I have a few concrete blocks down in the pond where I feed now stacked up two high and they are just up to the top of the water. I feed at a very shallow point so I can see everyone down there. Meanandlean comes just about everyday but never eats anything I throw in. I've never seen him take a bluegill or another fish either. It appears that he only wants dragonflies. He was a bit agitated today as he had a buddy fish that he didn't want - a small bass was following him that was about 8 inches long or so. It looked like it just wanted to pal around with him but he sure didn't appreciate it and kept turning around and running it off. The smaller bass would always come back much to the distaste of Leanandmean. Leanandmean finally got so grumpy and aggravated with it all he just chased everyone. I've gotten to really like that fish he amuses me so. He always takes the time out from his busy schedule to come over to where I'm sitting and just look up and hang out with me for at least ten minutes or so. I don't know what he wants - I've tried to feed him everything. I took a photo of him today lying in wait in one of his favorite spots. Be sure to click on the photo so it will enlarge.
I don't know how long Meanandlean is but he's a bit longer than a concrete building block. He's a bit thinner than a lot of the other bass but he's a very picky eater... I'm standing about ten foot away when I took this photo and he's about two feet from the block and about a foot down in the water so you can't really see his full size. But when he's right next to the block he's a bit longer.
I've written more than I thought I would today and I haven't even gotten to El Torpedo or Diamond Jim... I guess I'll have to save them for another day. I've been asked if there is some way that people can be emailed every time I update this silly blo... blahhhhhhhgggg coff coff that word... Sounds like someone is regurgitating.. JOURNAL I still don't know the answer to that but I'll try to find out.
Until tomorrow - I'm..... off to the pond...
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