The Fish Pond is Dead

[@TheWoodedBeardsman]

*Complete NEW FISH POND PLAYLIST:* kzbin.info/aero/PLDg2Qmw9pKidyb4i41XtKUhop40BUcL8_ *Rebuilding the pond from scratch:* kzbin.info/www/bejne/imfMiJV4bd9rq9k

[@alexrhoton1329]

I looked it up and it would seem that those are gill lice Gill lice are tiny, parasitic copepods, a type of zooplankton, that attach to a trout's gills, mouth and fins,” the post states. “A minor gill lice infection can generally be tolerated, but a heavy infection can have a negative impact on a fish's ability to breathe

[@baker4570]

I fought the trout pond for 7 years. I live in northern Michigan and finally gave up. My pond just got to warm and not enough dissolved oxygen. I finally switched to bass and bluegill. I then started fighting herons and that still continues today. I have now switched to channel cats which can handle the warmer water and are very tasty. The herons can't get the bigger cat fish but they do scar them up and have killed some. I wish you the best.

[@AlphaQHard]

Not to mention the herons spread a bunch of nasty parasites to freshwater fish. I hate those gross birds

[@deandredunbar9618]

Nice I'm interested in raising channel cat they really are sturdy fish. We had a pond in Michigan for two years. Bass and panfish in their they did great and grew massive I never thought about raising trout or how hard it would be.

[@genghischuan4886]

I know a bunch have commented but your pond needs to be oxygenated. You have a lot of nitrates, and what you can do is a simple aquaponics type system. Get a solar water pump and then make a concrete grow bed you can pump the water into and it drains back. That will give you some food crop as well as keeping pond fresh

[@Runner-Boy]

Lily pads will help

[@larryhutchinson4271]

If it is raining quite frequently then your not hurting for oxygen, and with the aerator you should not be O2 deficient. Now with 3 inches of rainwater flowing in the other half of Genghis statement could be the problem, to much nitrates in the water. But my question is: It only looks like you have a couple of fish that died, isn't that normal to loose a couple now and then with over 60 in the pond. The little parasite looking things in the gills does need investigation.

[@TheWoodedBeardsman]

It's spring fed, and quite cold as per the thermometer.

[@alexriddles492]

All that clover growing on the banks could be contributing to the nitrification, as it is a nitrogen fixing plant. There is a natural balance of carbon and nitrogen in the soil. Adding charcoal to the soil will shift the balance and might improve the nitrogen level in the water.

[@thebrownthomascrown917]

Too stagnant I think...I would put some sort of air pump in there (solar powered) to keep things fresh.

[@TheWoodedBeardsman]

It's got an aerator and it works well!

[@thebrownthomascrown917]

@@TheWoodedBeardsman maybe just survival of the fittest then. Small pond can only support so many top dogs 😂

[@EdTheMole]

It really should have a way to get water exchange in the pond it looks like this one is fed with rain.

[@DeeHermanson]

I was gonna say that is exactly what it's got

[@micahestep7679]

If you can get a well truck anywhere close and run power from the solar panels run a pump to the pond on a timer and feed well water 10 min per hr during the hottest times in the day. Just let the excess run off. Once the pond is doing well dig a second pond nearby at least 10 times the size and 10' deeper. The spawn will migrate to the big pond through a shallow channel between the two that you can dig. This is all tongue in cheek btw. I'm from Texas and we use two lb fish as bait. You do need deeper water though and cover whether natural or artificial because it will keep the water cooler. You have too much sun on the pond and the algae is out of control. Don't use an algaecide because the fish will swim sideways and I wouldn't eat them.

[@Deninex]

I love how you narrated and explained the amazing footage of the Heron. You didn't look at the Heron as a nuance but rather showed appreciation for the work and effort of the predator.

[@TheWoodedBeardsman]

Amazingly patient animal. Much respect.

[@seanharrison8284]

If the depth of the aerator is close to the 10 foot mark, the temperature will be about the same through the water column. The aerator lifts the cooler water and creates an inversion. Glad you are getting better and posting some new videos. I always go back and re-watch the older ones to learn, some much good content.

[@TheWoodedBeardsman]

Yup, that's what I found, top and bottom are the same, and still comfortable for trout. One good thing anyway.

[@troybing6665]

I read through the comments first and many great ideas like the waterfall with a filter system for better aeration and some water plants to help with clarity and oxygen, maybe add some bottom feeding fish that eat algae,get some more seed that you used and reseed with a garden rake and add a bunch of clams from your local area. As many others said I think you have to many fish🤷‍♂️Great video as usual Chris and I am glad you are doing better and can’t wait to see what you come up with-and I look forward to your next videos👍

[@joshuajackson6442]

I am so sorry to hear about you living/ surviving with GERD, I know what that is like. Kudos to you. I helped my Father build a 6ft tall waterfall, 25ft long winding stream through the Aspen forest into a pond half the size of yours. We lined it with 1 millimeter thick pond rubber liner, installed a pump intake behind a screen. Lined the stream with chunks of petrified wood and planted cattails. Now if you want a plant that helps clean the water and stabilize banks, then plant Phragmites Australis sub-species Australis. It is also a sustainable farming plant. It grows all-year round, so you don’t have to work about die off. But, for you’re ice skating rink in the winter, you can cut down the stalks and it would only be along the shoreline. Just some thoughts and suggestions. Keep up the great work!

[@jonpomerance-trifts6113]

So these are some things you might consider to do to fix your problem. 1. You need significantly more depth. I know you already dug it out...but it was not enough. The deeper the better. You'll have clearer water up top and cool water to save those fish on the hit summer days. Next, you need two aerators for a pond that size. Alternatively, it in addition, your water needs to flow. If you cannot feed it with a fresh source, you can get a solar pump. Build up a rocky area at one end.and have the water run over the rocks as it flows back into the pond. The inlet of the hose should be from the far side. Next, you really need a riparian strip along/around the pond. This will help with reducing siltation, but not importantly will provide some shade. A lack of shade is almost a cruelty to your trout, especially given how shallow the pond is. In terms of keeping the heron out, you can get netting to put across. You can try decoys. You can use scarecrow tech. (Boom canon) The bigger problem with herons is that they will injure more fish than they catch. This will make them more susceptible to infection, parasites, fungal problems, etc. Getting back to the shade, in the short term if you felled a couple trees and piled them up over the pond in a deep corner, you could create instant shade. A floating dock will also provide a bit of shade of you don't like the tree idea. Good luck. I know how disappointing it is to lose fish (I used to do aquaculture with the DFO decades ago).

[@jonpomerance-trifts6113]

Ps, the tendency will to dig deepest in the middle...but if you can make one end/side deeper, they're happier chilling near a bank.

[@jonpomerance-trifts6113]

Also, some pond plants around the perimeter. They'll further reduce sedimentation/siltation, but more importantly, they'll improve your water clarity. Some algae eating fish (some Carla/koi) can help.

[@TheWoodedBeardsman]

Great suggestions, thanks! I didn't think about shade, but that makes sense.

[@haydenfarner5929]

The only running water I have in my pond is the well that spits out 30 inches of water, I also have two big aerators running in it and it’s about half an acre with a maximum depth of 14 feet. Do u think I haven’t have a massive kill of my trout because of the well water acting as running water?

[@NorthernRetreat]

@@TheWoodedBeardsman what about shade cloth over the pond which will shade and dissuade herons too.

[@jeanetteswalberg6166]

You have an old home site on your property! Cool! That's a trash heap Kevin is pulling stuff out of. Look uphill from that point for the old site. There may be non-native flowers and a flat stone indicating a door step.

[@wagr9824]

Trout like and thrive clean water, unfortunately your pond looks stagnant. Good luck on fixing the problem.

[@aarondavid9471]

I work at a local salmon hatchery here in WA, If the heron knows it can get fish they won't leave. Every morning I chase a few off, it lasts a hourish and they all come back. They're smart our fish runs are completely covered by nets and it will still make its way around the net. I watch the Heron come in and snag up 5 to 10 fish real fast before we chase them off. real pain in the butts. Fish look to have ICH you'd need a fish biologist to run a couple tests should be treatable.

[@caylaeaster8314]

You can take a small test tube and get the water tested at a lab they'll tell you exactly what you need and quantity I built a small bass pond also I would have put a large amount of bait in to see how they survived before adding fish and so the fish can feed and it's better to add fry fish and cheaper

[@TheWoodedBeardsman]

Good idea.

[@craigculver1933]

Great to see you feeling better ! Happy to see ya out there enjoying the outdoors. Thanks for the video and continued good health.

[@barrymayson2492]

I used to be close to a heron sanctuary we had a small pond we try lots of fish killed. We tried many things even netting over but they still got to them. In the end we stopped it by just running a small netting around the the perimeter. They can't get close to the water but you could enjoy the fish as the fence was only a couple of feet tall. You still could fish by stepping over the fence.

[@NorthOntarioDave]

That heron, or possibly herons could be bringing anything into the pond from other water bodies it fishes. Relatively new ecosystem you’ve created, so it’ll be a while before it starts to balance itself out. Nice to see you fly fishing a little more!

[@SwaySkits]

Try a water filtration system like what’s used in fish tanks or add bottom feeding snails or bottom feeding fish. Also planting something directly in the water that can filter the water and clean the water up. The plants will feed on the waste that becomes a fertilizer. I would suggest an edible plant that you can harvest. Maybe cattails which can possibly create a hiding spot for the fish to hide from the herring. Also is the bottom lined with rocks or something? I don’t remember how the pond/lake was built. If not maybe add rocks or something to the bottom so the clay and silt doesn’t come up easily. Just a thought.

[@TheWoodedBeardsman]

Kevin insists there is rocky or gravel bottom. The edges are clay, and if water runs of it, it runs the clay unfortunately.

[@SwaySkits]

@@TheWoodedBeardsman I would look up something like how to stop clay from building up in a pond. I mean worse comes to worst when you have the time and money line it with one of those plastic liners many people and businesses use for a backyard pond or something like that. I’ve also heard that adding gypsum helps reduce clay in a pond but I’m not completely sure myself. I’m sure there are plenty of ways and cost effective measures to get the result you want. We’re actually Facebook friends my name is Josue Mercado. If I find something I’ll give you a message. But keep up the great work.

[@Marc_D_Young]

@@TheWoodedBeardsman Definitely plant some cattails or equivalent reeds on the banks where silt flows in from. I recommend researching how artificial stormwater catchment wetlands work; they are a series of ponds where the water flows in and slows down, allowing the silt to filter to the bottom, before passing through reeds that act like filters. If you planted a wall of reeds a foot or 2 thick on the worst banks and as SWAY Skits says above, it's all about developing an ecosystem. Native snail species will be a great addition, but also things like copepods, seed shrimp, etc. It's great that you've got the tadpoles in there too. Filtration is the key if you want to keep species like those trout and have them flourish. Introducing several other species that fill different niches or roles in the community will see success, if you can keep the herons away :P

[@GrayAreaMedia]

Oh damn. It sucks, but it’s all part of the learning process brother. You’ll figure it out just like you guys always do! Love from Southern Ontario

[@Thorogrimm]

There are things you can use that remove/reduce silt like Hydra Silt-Less, which contains bacteria that improves water clarity and encourages aerobic activity. So that might help if you can get something like that? Aquascape in Canada will have something to treat your pond.

[@HeroinesHeroH]

All the pond stuff is great content. Would be really interesting to see more "budget" minded solutions for greating a better trout pond with some flowing water, better banks etc.

[@fmpentertainmentmedley3338]

If u have a pump creating a waterfall u will have a nice feature bit also keep ur pond oxygenated

[@TheWoodedBeardsman]

That would take a lot of power...it's off grid so we can only use solar...to move that much water would need more power than we could get.

[@fmpentertainmentmedley3338]

@@TheWoodedBeardsman hmmm im really not sure what to advise then my friend but after watching your content for years i KNOW you will figure something out and i wish you all the luck in your ventures 😊

[@TheWoodedBeardsman]

@@fmpentertainmentmedley3338 Kevin is working on a few things right now!

[@andrewsha4843]

I have GERD as well. Took me a long time to figure out what was going on with me. Glad to see you back on KZbin and wish you luck with the future! Keep moving forward

[@TheWoodedBeardsman]

Sorry to hear that...it's an aweful disease.

[@andrewsha4843]

@@TheWoodedBeardsman it truly is. Unless you have it, you’ll never know what it’s like.

[@luke58945]

Through a little bit of digging it appears that those parasites are commonly called gill maggots (Salmincola edwardsii) and are a problem typical to trout in your region. Warmer temperatures in spring lead to higher intensity of infections and are a particular problem for stocked fish. It usually comes from areas that have access to the sea or other water sources so perhaps the recent extreme rain caused water from other areas to flow down and mix with your pond, infecting it. Also I think the heron could have had eggs of the parasite on it and when it landed in your pond the eggs shook off into the water, causing an infection but that's pure speculation on my part.

[@trishleet2760]

Should they NOT eat those fish with the parasites? I'd not want to eat them.....

[@luke58945]

@@trishleet2760 From what I can find, there is no human health concern if these parasites or their eggs are consumed by people, so Beard has nothing to worry about in that respect. As for the fish themselves, they can usually survive well enough if the infestation is minimal and are unlikely to die to the parasite unless the infestation is severe or the fish is already suffering from one or more issues.

[@pnuttheclownh2254]

fully cooked parasites are food too!

[@pnuttheclownh2254]

@@trishleet2760 fully cooked parasites are food too!😆

[@pnuttheclownh2254]

@@luke58945 fully cooked parasites are food too!

[@Talonthir]

So glad to see you making new content Chris! Love love everything you've ever done. Keep it coming brother!

[@luke12]

Yes some form of parasite cuz the water is too warm and stagnant. Also I definitely think that pond is way too small to be raising trout. From what I can tell it’s more of a pet fish pond for gold fish or something. Is the pond fed by a spring or creek? Also have you thought about possibly building some kind of filter system? Love your vids man hope your back for good 👍

[@TheWoodedBeardsman]

Spring fed.

[@haydenfarner5929]

@@TheWoodedBeardsman it’s definitely big enough to hold a few trout

[@mjberta7319]

@@haydenfarner5929 not deep enough to keep temps down, it's super small with no aeration, its gone stagnant a

[@MrAtrophy]

@@TheWoodedBeardsman those are gill lice, a known problem in Trout farms. many anti parasite treatments work. your trout guy would know what works best.

[@jerryjansen5325]

Gotta get deeper for some temperature control if the waters not moving

[@luster5497]

You would expect the trout to die off in warm water anyway, Test your water equality, you might have to filter the pond and aerate mechanically. Any dead trout build ammonia spike will kill everything.

[@07Hawkeye]

to improve water quality you guys really need some plants in that pond, maybe even a small stream that you guys can build that recirculates the water so there is fresh oxygen in the water, the fish would thrive on both, the plants would clean up and use any waste from the fish as plant food/fertilizer. if you want healthy fish, they need a healthy environment.

[@07Hawkeye]

also stocking the pond with small fish like baby shiners and some tiny crawfish would really benefit the fish. the craws will clean the water as well as eat/remove most parasites that bother fish. same with the small shiners, theyll eat the small bugs and parasites. frogs will as well, after introducing plants to the water, introducing a population of dragon flies will keep bugs above the water low as well as give the fish something else to feed on. a couple shelters that provide shade in the water wouldnt hurt either, would give the trout who love cold water a place to hide when it gets hot. there is tons that can be done but some of it will cost a little bit of money.. but it would make for good videos like reviving the pond... title it correctly and im sure the views it would get would pay for the pond improvements

[@magikk17]

I'm almost positive those parasites are a species of Salmincola (Gill Lice). They can cause death and disease so could be the reason for those dead fish. There are treatments for them for home aquariums but I'm not sure if they'd be effective for such a large pond.

[@ahrubinow]

Salmon Cola sounds delicious lol

[@TheWoodedBeardsman]

Interesting. Looks like it's not usually fatal at least. www.adfg.alaska.gov/static/species/disease/pdfs/fishdiseases/salmincola.pdf

[@alexrhoton1329]

But if the lice get worse it can affect their breathing and in the long run many more fish will die

[@angelunderwood6932]

Wonder if maybe the few that died just came to you that way unnoticed?? Guess it could happen through no fault of anyone

[@MrAtrophy]

yup, question is did they come infected, or get it there ? either way anything else you put in there would be at risk to get it.

[@darinp02]

Rod tip always high unless the fish becomes air born then you lower the rod tip to the water and bring it back up once the fish has landed. Also another good tip is to give opposite pressure of the way the fish is pulling that way you keep contact with the hook so the fish can slip off. Good luck out there !

[@TheWoodedBeardsman]

Solid tips!

[@bornagainwierdo]

Looks kinda stagnant. I’ve created lots of trout pools for breeding and one of the first problems your hit is ammonia rich oxygen depleted algae filled stale water. Chlorine is obviously off the menu so some thing that will work is to introduce more shoreline plants to oxygenate the water. Create a canopy are in part of the pond to create a cooler area of water for fish to thermoregulate when it’s too warm, and also introduce a moving water source that’s turbulent enough to oxygenate the water. Certain bivalves can help maintain the water quality of a pond as well. But I’m not sure which types you have in Canada

[@TheWoodedBeardsman]

We have a very common freshwater bivalve around, usually up North. That might be something. They like mud bottoms.

[@bornagainwierdo]

@@TheWoodedBeardsman so after this video I spent about two hours studying what type of freshwater bivalves you have in North America and as it turns out your in the midst of an environmental catastrophe period in terms of drastic decline in freshwater bivalves. So actually introducing some would be extremely beneficial to both your pond and the the greater conservation efforts taking place right now to try and stop numbers falling. In particular your two best water cleaners are the fresh water snail and the freshwater mussel which have both rapidly declined in number due to the drastic rise in temperature so again I can only re emphasise the importance of having a cool shaded area in the pond perhaps with large rock crevices like a Little Rock reef in order to doubly ensure cool areas for these types of creatures to shelter from over exposure to the sun. But I think a good way to always do it that I find really effective but a little more time consuming is to wait and try to establish a stable water eco system first before introducing fish. Then on top of that and forgive me for not remembering the name of the equation but there is a calculation that indicates roughly how many fish wil balance or unbalance the pool depending on the volume of the pond. For example bass should be introduced at approximately 75per acre of water. And require a stable presence of smaller bait fish in order to prevent them rooting around to much for bugs and getting rot in there hills from ground parasites etc. it’s actually a really dynamic process to make a sustainable pool and it’s never really the same with each pool but you sort of learn to read and recognise which environmental factors really play into the fishes survival and ability to thrive. Hopefully some of the tips people have left here will help guide you to success much quicker than going it alone. But I’m excited to see the progress. Also I would recommend checking out bamabass,d channel building his five acre bass pond. There are lots of really good examples on KZbin of people taking on very difficult pond builds and all the problems they encounter. Could definitely be good research material for you. Anyway all the best luck from scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@Migs-jn6vz]

Absolutely love these videos at the ends of each day! I unwind and relax watching! Excited to see a new video my man! Prayers lifted for you, your family and your pond my man! Even for that pesky bird

[@anthonyzimmer5032]

I love your content!! I hope you get to feeling better!! Much love from my household in California...

[@phyllthetyger5576]

Take the dead fish and a sample of the water to an ichthyologist to analyze so that whatever is killing the fish can be determined before it spreads or stays in the pond and infect future fish.

[@Adam.Rushing]

I used to be on the Spill Response Team with the Oil Company I worked for. We used two things to keep all birds out: 1) Wildlife Propane Cannon and 2) we'd put those wiggly, googly eyes on Mylar balloons - like you get for someone in the hospital. The propane cannon does not use much propane at all...a single 20 lb bottle lasted for a couple of months. The balloons, make sure they have a face of some sort and also have some silver shiny parts. The movement of the eyes make them look real. For these, make sure you get the ones you can refill, they should last a week or two before needing a refill.

[@db.mc2]

Thanks Chris 👋appreciate you my friend, stay safe and take care 🙏✌️

[@normsweeney3116]

Put in an air-rater and somehow create water flow !! Also put mess netting around the water line like you would a fence.

[@magovenor]

Oh well. I remember that the initial plans for the pond was to provide fish for self reliance. But over time I personally thought that you guys were building up the property as a place where people could book time away from inner city life and like the seasonings provide future income for your families. Perhaps catfish might actually work better.

[@love.wildly.live.fearlessly]

Before my dad passed he lived where a family had made a pond. I’m 32 and this pond was made dug out when I was about 2 and it was 3 times this size. It was dug very deep 2 docks and trees all along one side. They did have a huge pipe that was attached to a pump and they were able to make it run fast and pump hard or just very slow of then pond was full but it was always running. They put bass, perch, and a goldfish that got huge lol they had tournaments there with actual pro fishermen ( gotta add at about 9 I won one of tournaments with the biggest fish out fished those pros lol) well those were great memories and ones I’d like to make with my kids but no pond around here for easy picking. Good luck with the pond and getting it clear and healthy.

[@love.wildly.live.fearlessly]

We never needed to heat the one we swam in. But it was sat in the sun all day and then about 4pm the tree shaded it and that caused it to warm up by then but you can always throw a metal sheet on top as a lid and the metal would retain heat from the sun and warm it faster. Think of a lid for a pot and the sun is the fire.

[@Runner-Boy]

Also put some lily pads in theirs good oxygen natores and filters and grow well

[@chrishall9208]

Glad to see you out there my friend! About the smell of fish when you handle them I use barbasol shaving cream to wash my hands. Takes the smell away and is better than smelling like fish.

[@rjshirey2692]

I know trout need cold, fresh water. Natural spring fed ponds work as well as stream fed ponds. If it gets too hot, I know where I live they do get parasites and usually die. The only place to find trout healthy in summer is where the fresh cold water streams dump into another body of water. If there isn't that cold, fresh water they will die. I used to have my own trout pond and they lived year round. Had it fed by a stream and they grew large and were healthy!

[@francisbaker9366]

Heron like to walk into the shallow water. I had the same problem and what I found most effective was to put a couple of strands of fishing line on fence pole's around the easy entry points

[@DesertBloomBettas]

as someone who raises and sells fish... all of that fish food is probably not helping you out - a fish the size of those trout probably doesn't need more food in a day than what would fit in the last digit of your thumb each... and all that uneaten fish food just sits in the water or turns into extra fish waste, raising the ammonia levels and feeding bacteria and parasites, and contributing to the cloud up. given the tadpoles and bugs in the water already, you probably don't need to feed them at all. the air pump probably also isn't required, though it doesn't hurt - the point of the air pump is just to break the surface tension of the water so that it can oxygenate - but wind and any sort of movement of the water will also do that. Now if the water is very warm, then yes, definitely... because the warmer your water is, the less oxygen it holds, and the air pump would then be very very necessary, but if your water is cool.. probably not so much. Since you're raising cold-water fish, i'd recommend introducing some plants around the pond to help shade the water - that will keep the temp low and also discourage algae growth - since that needs lots of light to flourish, and it'll help keep your water clearer. Long term, if you wanted to keep the pond stocked year-round (which i understand you aren't planning to do at the moment) i'd recommend some water-plants to provide places for the fish to breed and hide from the heron, and also help clean the water.

[@jaketallorlin223]

I have a medium sized creek that runs through my woods in NW PA. Every summer there's a week or 2 during the high heat and low rains where it stops running. A heron or herons absolutely feast on the large minnows trapped in pools. Pretty cool. Sorry about the trout! That's a bummer.

[@leonardcavaretta905]

Another great video. That sandwich looked scrumptious and made me hungry. I have trouble eating trout though, because growing up I caught and cleaned so many that the fishy smell got to me so much I could smell it constantly. I can still smell it just looking at a trout. But, I will try it again, and can't wait to get some Maple Woodobo.

[@TheWoodedBeardsman]

Hahaha, that'll do it! You'd have to try to cook a few trout the wrong way, like battered or something, just so you didn't get the full taste :)

[@danielpowers5946]

So glad to see you've been back and feeling better man! I'm sure it's tough

[@cyranodemylakai9145]

There's a type of Asia catfish that doesn't need aeration. They grow about 1" per month & to be 24" fully grown. That might be an option for you. I think the fry were around a dollar a piece.

[@warren50ithstation5]

if he puts catfish in his pond, catfish will be the only thing in the pond

[@davidfrye5461]

I was fishing with an old timer this week. He heard of someone who owned a trout hatchery and had to shoot some herons because of the damage they would do. Apparently the old timer Mainers call great blue herons "$hitpokes" which I guess either comes from them poking around manured fields for frogs and mice or simply is a name coming from hatred of the birds.

[@TheWoodedBeardsman]

lol

[@avidhunter6169]

Free floating decoys that move around the pond like Swan decoys. Realistic looking floating Alligator decoys. Spinning Heron stop decorations. Motion activated sprinklers aimed at the areas that you see the Heron's activity. Large reflectors designed to scare off the Heron as it comes in for a landing. Motion activated moving Owl decoys that hoot when they "come to life". Lifelike Coyote decoys, preferably ones that move and are motion activated. If electricity is in short supply, solar power. Bird of prey decoys that are native to the area, like Falcons, Hawks, Eagles, etc.. Those are just the ones I know of or have heard of as being effective. I'm sure a good farm and/or pond supply store would have more suggestions. Good luck, I know you'll figure it out. BTW, I used to make up my own trout, steelhead and salmon bait using the fish food that is fed to fish in ponds and at hatcheries and tying it up in small pieces of neon colored nylon netting then just hooking the little bag on a hook and fishing it under a bobber or on the bottom.

[@kodiakriver6297]

trout pound, is shad, solar oxygenator pump, oxygenator water plants, 8-16fts water dept.

[@graemewhalen40]

After you cast please keep your rod tip low to keep tactile contact with the fly. No slack in the line means you feel what is going on at the fly. I have never seen any parasites like these but I have only ever chased trout in moving waters.

[@caylaeaster8314]

And natural vegetation will help provide food and oxygen for the pond lime n fertilizer will help water clarity

[@AlChafeMYBACKSTEP]

Great video hopefully the fish do alot better, maby theirs a way to make some kind of river and pump to get the water moving and natural filter, help clean it out some,

[@AdventurousTherapy]

The most common reason for fish dying in a pond is overfeeding and overpopulating. Both will wipe a pond right out due to lack of oxygen, and a bigger aerator doesn't help either as the ammonia levels are too high with overpopulated ponds. Remove tadpoles and any other excess food source and only feed the fish accordingly.

[@Mjones8383]

Bingo!!!!

[@matthewtalich9989]

You should try introducing floating duck weed. I believe it's native were you live. It will improve water quality while providing the fish with more cover. Ultimately Rainbows probably won't do well in that pond. Domestic Hofer strain rainbows might be able to persist in that pond. The conditions in that pond are more typical of warm water then cold water. Bluegill or Yellow Perch would probably do better in that pond. Also Brook trout which tolerate living in beaver ponds (kind of nasty if you've ever been on one) might be able to live in there. Also ponds that size tend to freeze over in the winter so fish that are more tolerant of a low dissolved oxygen content would probably survive. I don't know how long you've had that pond but it's at risk for a freeze over. Many natural lakes have more vegetation or water flowing through beneath the ice. Of you install a pump to keep water flowing upwards into the air it will prevent ice completely freezing over.

[@Gawonii1Austencao]

Researching for a Blue Heron Deterrant, I found: A Scarecrow is a motion activated sprinkler that shoots a stream of water to deter Blue Heron. The Scarecrow is connected to a water source and when motion is detected in a contained area, it will shoot a stream of water in that area, thus scaring off the Blue Heron. This is a very effective way to deter a Blue Heron as well as other predators. You just need a water source to connect it to.

[@duxdawg]

Plus a solar pump to pressurize the water.

[@reedrichards9589]

When trout are in a small pond like that they don’t do well in the summer heat unless it’s a spring fed pond the water gets to warm and they start to die off many of gun clubs and fish clubs in Pennsylvania experience this when they do fishing derbys for kids and stock them in their ponds

[@TheWoodedBeardsman]

It's spring fed, water temps are alright so far.

[@reedrichards9589]

Oh ok well then it should be fine for trout all year long sorry you are losing the fish they are very fun to catch

[@kuzinit2374]

Put a line up with some old Cd's hanging on it , put new hole it the edge of the CD and hang it from a string so it flutters in the breeze, reflecting the sunlight, put a Owl decoy around somewhere it can be seen

[@ShellyAnn1a]

Put some American bullfrogs (Lithobates catesbeianus) into the pond, ten let them get big. They are mighty good eating. Dip the pieces into some scrambled eggs, then roll them in or put in a bag seasoned cornmeal, seasoned to taste, shake them until well coated, then fry them in butter until done. I serve them like fish and chips, carefully select the seasoning, so they do not overpower the mild flavor of the meat. I use a size 14 (8mm) Eagle Claw treble hook wrapped with small piece of bright florescent orange yarn. Cast it right in front of the frog or behind the frog so the light line falls between its eyes and the frog will go for it 98% of the time. Sometimes it goes for the small BB shot that you to give the lure some weight to get it near the targeted animal. I love them, even though they are an invasive species, there is or was a 12 frog per day limit on them, were I live. Too bad you do not ave a spring feeding it, good luck on future attempts. have recently found your channel and enjoy your outdoors content. Thanks for letting this old lad enjoy the outdoors a little longer. Stay Safe.

[@lindathomas5462]

Water has an already bloom because of heat, to many fish for small pond and you need to add a heavy aerator stone u can use solar power for that and way to much food added to pond turns to nitrate no way to filter out. Love idea of pond but not large enough for alot of trout. You can add pond plants water heathen looks like cabbage floats on top roots help filter water they r cheap and they multiply quickly. Hope the herin is 😱 away they will eat them all.hope this helps.

[@haydenfarner5929]

I put out a Herron decoy in an attempt to keep the Herron out of my bass pond but the decoy didn’t help

[@Erik-vj7if]

The parasites are super common on stock rainbow trout. We have them in our area in smaller lakes that are heavily stocked. They don’t usually infect the meat. Usually just the skin and the gills. Pretty sure there’s something to do with the density of fish in an area. Kind of like when farming animals and you have too many grouped in an area and disease can spread quickly. Then it’s hard to manage. Add in the fact that hatcheries dilute the genetics of the fish by mixing all the eggs with the milt together in one concentrated area. Which in return fertilizes all the eggs when in nature only some of the eggs would be fertilized. Then as they hatch and grow they would go through a “survival of the fittest” process by battling disease and pests which make the ones that survive stronger and more resistant to parasites. There’s a great documentary about the topic on salmon hatcheries called “Artifishal”. Glad to hear you’re doing better man! And we’re all stoked for more of your content!

[@fmpentertainmentmedley3338]

U need to keep it oxygenated... a pump or a constant drip into the pool will do it... its gone stagnant

[@StealthMoustache]

Maybe the sous vide things for cooking could be used to heat the pool? if it has very good temperature control.

[@mrhalfstep]

I know less about pond management that you do, so this is just a suggestion. If you put your thermometer's cord through a chunk of Styrofoam with some sort of slide stop on the cord, you can set the depth that the thermometer reads the temperature. Some more cordage will, of course, let you throw it further out in the pond. Graphing the temp at different depths may reveal something that helps you manage the health of the pond. I'm curious about whether you guys are going to use rotting road kill and the maggots that they produce to feed your trout. I've seen some of your vids on doing that on small waterways and thought it was genius!

[@TheWoodedBeardsman]

I'm working on that concept. Got to sell it to Kevin though as he's got the pool running down there for swimming, so it smells pretty bad, ha!

[@mrhalfstep]

@@TheWoodedBeardsman I can see where that could be a problem. I have a friend that sets up Japanese Beetle traps over his pond. The pheromone bait patches lure the bugs in and they fall down a tube that he added to the bottom of the trap. Instead of the bugs accumulating in the trap, now they fall down the tube, which ends just above the water, and hit the water, struggle and then disappear down a fishes gullet. Maybe you could rig something like that. You guys have a little compound there that looks like it would be great fun to hang out at.

[@evry1tookem]

Can you redirect some flowing water? That will keep it pretty clear

[@fishingwithdavid]

To much exposure to sun can cause your pond to have a bloom... with deflating oxygen levels. Get a bigger aeration system, one that turns over quicker. If not get a big fountain that cycles water. Ammonia spike will be the cause to your other fishes death!

[@jakesandel628]

I suggest adding gravel to the bottom of the pond. Would help with water clarity

[@Mjones8383]

No it wouldn't, water needs to be filtered by mam or plants gravel will be a temporary thing until it sits in

[@jakesandel628]

@@Mjones8383 yes it would delete my comment again dummy

[@UTFapollomarine7409]

i would expand the pond a bit more and add like either bluegills or carp to the pond so you can have a fish that can naturally clean it, even consider crawdads.

[@austin4x]

That shot at 11:40 where you watched the heron hunt for 20 minutes just for one strike and he misses, he didn't miss. Watch the neck. I didn't see what he caught but he swallowed whatever it was. Before the lunge his neck was maybe as big around as a beer bottle neck but when he comes back up it's more than double that size and you can actually see the prey right in the crook of his neck closest to his head.

[@larrybeatson6352]

I noticed in the beginning of the video where the Blue Heron missed that fish it had a stagnation ring form in the water. I'd almost go the easy way and chlorinate the water very lightly! Too much will destroy everything! We did that in our pond years ago and it cleared up and everything lived and thrived!

[@TheWoodedBeardsman]

A lot of it might pollen. It's been really bad the last few days. You should see it now, it's almost yellow at the top!

[@larrybeatson6352]

@@TheWoodedBeardsman That could definitely be true! It probably is Pollen then.

[@larryhager7109]

I grew upp on the Mississippi river in Wabasha Mn spent a lot of time on the water never ever seen one take down a fish that big before

[@snirtgonzo354]

You need some airation going through that water like a couple fountains would work or a couple pipes to blow water back in just to circulate it

[@ackscratchers6648]

Looks like gill lice to me. But I don't get to do much trout fishing so I could be wrong. But glad to see a new video. Thank you

[@norwegianguy9480]

Those are gill lice it seems. I don't know the english term for them. Salmincola salmoneus perhaps. The fish were heavily infected as well. Oxygen and nitrogenous waste, such as ammonia, will be a problem in that pond. What temperature is the water in summertime?

[@fishawk90]

One of the least resilient fish to survive in warm temp with no creeks flowing in that pond to oxygenate the water. U should try putting some largies in their. They survive in some of the most weedy warm lakes.

[@pkenny7772]

My guess is your health issues happened like right after those clams or mussels.Same thing happened to me years ago and still messed up I think it screws the gallbladder. Good luck, Godspeed

[@scottcarter2914]

Need to give up on the trout and go to catfish and sun fish , crappie bass bluegill and get a aerator for the middle . Need to have water circulation if ya don’t have a source of fresh water flowing in the thing . The fish will use up all the oxygen ! It’s just like a big mud puddle right now . A 12 volt fountain pump for oxygen will help a lot but water will never be too cool for trout imo good luck

[@trishleet2760]

OMG! LOLOLOL!! Heron's don't have 'belly buttons'!!!! I love real ponds, so watching people try to make them...very interesting. I really hope you guys manage to figure out, what you haven't yet, and make this pond real. Good luck!

[@jeannelocke8852]

Great video once again. You’re a superb story teller/videographer. That sandwich looked really good too. Keep em coming Wooded. And feel better. I’ll be praying for you. Jesus loves to heal.

[@RiverbendlongbowsOutdoors]

Finally got a chance to watch . Really glad to see you back at it 🙌 Yah ,flyfishing is definitely for suffering 😂 Last Tuesday I flyfished for 5 hours and I'm not sure I can edit out all the swearing. Great video Full stop ✋️

[@pkenny7772]

String fishing line above and across pond in grid pattern or just get fruit tree netting like what they use on cherry trees.

[@cerescop]

Birds are very visual and skittish. Some strips of mylar with reflective coating on one or both sides blowing in the wind will flash and make the Heron nervous and keep it away.

[@eatwhatthemonkeyseat8161]

In your last video there was a clear bio-film on top of the water which prevents the oxygen transference.

[@TheWoodedBeardsman]

Lots of pollen on there now.

[@eatwhatthemonkeyseat8161]

@@TheWoodedBeardsman I would suggest some kind of water feature to break up the surface tension, even a few of those solar floating water fountains might help short term.

[@av8scuba]

I also have Blue Heron problems in my 1.5 acre pond. I bought a life-like decoy and it seemed to help for about 2 weeks. Then a heron was seen standing/fishing right next to the decoy. You can't shoot them as it is a Federally (US) protected bird. You also can't trap or harass them. My state Department of Conservation says about the only thing you can do is put a chicken wire fence around the entire pond at the water edge so they can't walk from the land to the water. I won't do that, as it would make fishing a pain. I've seen a Blue Heron grab a 3 pound channel catfish and toss it on the bank. I ran the bird off and put the catfish back in the pond.

[@debramorris7646]

Oh crapl!!! What did the fishery guys say about it?

[@hardbrocklife]

Solar pump running into a reusable filter tank? Just something for sediment, and you can just dump the sediment periodically? Like a fabric kind of canvassy material that will just grab silt? I kinda want to try to design something now.

[@Shaboynga]

Possibly one of those motion sensing sprinklers that shoots at whatever moves. If that doesn’t work…12ga. Would water plants provide some shade and keep the water cooler?

[@TheWoodedBeardsman]

Oh, I like that idea lol

[@tvsf]

I would invest in some kind of sprinkler aerator type of thing looks like you definitely need to get have the pond oxygenated…. They sell kits that are powered by solar that can do the job

[@AmandaSparkle]

I remember there being a solar powered aeration system. How often does that run? Maybe needs more air?... My uncle keeps his aerator on all the time so that's what made me think of it... The heron is a beautiful thief (haha)!

[@TheWoodedBeardsman]

It runs all day as long as it's a bit less than full cloud. It obviously doesn't run at night. We're thinking of setting up a charging station to keep it going all night.

[@Runner-Boy]

@@TheWoodedBeardsman get lily pads in the water trust me

[@AmandaSparkle]

@@TheWoodedBeardsman so excited you replied to my comment! Thank you!

[@TS-vr4xq]

Throw a couple of bales of barley straw in the center of the pond and in about 2 to 3 weeks you will see a big change . This type of straw works against most algae as it releases hydrogen peroxide as it decomposes, which will kill the algae. I've seen the results and it does work .

[@jtr6554]

Lilly pad and other water plants may help cool the pond as well as clear the water.

[@leifpersson9192]

you have something we call in sweden "classic small pond effect" theres some different solutions. Make the same things you do in aquarium but scale it up like a million times like either change water out if possible or else get some type of aquaponics type system or get a big silo of sand and a water pump on timer connected to solar power but you will need to change the sand out, could be smart idea if u put the silo at the rock side and let the water splash down and oxygenate the water at the same time + make a small current if pump is big enough, i used to work on a fish farm that had sand filters so it works but its kinda messy job with the sand. I hate to say it but the smartest thing to do is sell the property and buy a new one with a small creek or something that dosnt dry out and dig a new pond there.. have to add a thing, fish has a immune system agienst these parasites but if the immune system is weakend for etc reasons they will die, like us humans, if our immune system us weak we could die in a simple cold..

[@MrAtrophy]

before you can diagnose any issue you need water specs. without that going after the cause is wasted. most problems start as water issues.

[@ritaisland]

Water is not moving, trout is a type of fish that requires more oxygen due to their high movement activities like swimming up streams and even jumping over waterfalls. Living in a small pond without moving water basically change their lifestyle and stress them out

[@nicknoname1383]

maybe adding sand and gravel to the bottom of the pond might help with the clay dont know if this will help but might be worth a shot

[@StanTheMan709]

Dude, when you hooked that big one that was actually amazing. I need my own trout pond

[@StanTheMan709]

whats the size of that pond

[@patriciastultz2190]

I would put a bunch of basil in to help the fish be healthy. Basil is a natural antibiotic. They use it on chickens in the big chicken lots instead of regular antibiotics.

[@Rockhead81]

Hey Chris ✌🏽 Good To See Ya out and About My Guy...