Remember That Idiot (Me) Without A Clue Who Wanted To Make A Pond?

[DLock]

Some of you may remember some time back I decided to make a pond. I admitted I had no clue and I really appreciated all the advice people gave me on Thai Visa, so I thought it warranted an update so they know there advice went to a good cause.

For those that didn't read that post, you can read the initial post here but basically, I started with a flat piece of garden and no idea. I wanted to have fish to catch and eat and build something that was reasonably in tune with my garden.

I made a few mistakes, but overall, I am really pleased how the pond turned out.

Here are some update pictures.

This is the pond as it looks today.

[DLock]

One of the earliest concerns I had was that I had made some of my early banks too steep and that they would erode and not hold any ground cover.

I surrounded to pond with Ya Faek (Kings Grass) which took hold very quickly and held the banks. I also used some ground cover (small yellow daisy like plants) that covered the ground and held everything together. I also used the advice to plant scented lemongrass around the far border of the property to keep snakes away and I have only seen 1 grass snake it all that time near the lake and more than 10 cobras closer to the house.

So, although it was an early problem, today you can see how well the plants took hold.

[DLock]

I will take some photos over the next few days of some of the fish that can be caught - Pla Duk, Pla Sawai, Tubtim and some fish I have no clue what they are. Some are well over 1kg (my scale stops at 1kg) and put up a fun fight. I personally dont eat the catfish, but I get a lot of local credit when I deliver them to some of the locals. They say they taste great.

Surprisingly, although I put in quite a lot of Pla Nin (Tilapia), I dont see them and I dont think I have ever caught one.

But here are some pictures of the baby fish that cruise the surface of the lake in schools. There might be 5-10 small schools of fish in the shallow end of the pond or in the plants. I guess that means my pond ecosystem is doing ok.

Clearly there are a lot of Pla Nin in the schools...but where are their parents? And are the little orange fish TubTim or something else?

[GarryP]

Great update. As soon as I saw your name, your pond thread sprung to mind. It really looks well established now, like it has been there years, when really it was not that long ago that you dug it out.

Had any more catfish barbecues?

Edited December 28, 2010 by GarryP

[DLock]

I particularly like this photo.

Do you think the little orange/black fish at the end of the school knows he's different from all the others?

[DLock]

Thanks Garry.

My wife and her family regularly have catfish BBQ's and I have Tubtim in sweet chilli sauce. She comes from Sukhotahi, so my place has become a regular fishing stopover when anyone is visiting Chiang Mai - they all want to catch some fish.

Does anyone know what fish this is?

Caught 2 decent sized fish yesterday and gave them to my Gardener and she said they were great eating. This one is small version.

[DLock]

...and while we are playing "Guess that fish", does anyone have any idea what this little fish will become?

He is about 2 inches long and was a single fish in the plants.

I watch Discover Channel "River Monsters" and the only thing it looks like is an Alligator Gar - I know its not, but what is it?

[DLock]

One of the real pleasures of having a pond is the ecosystem it creates. Not just the fish, but the birds and insects it attracts.

I really enjoy just sitting by the pond in the morning or evening and watching what happens.

There are Kingfishers and a White Heron (who is too flighty to get a photo), dragonflies, frogs, lizards and I'm sure...snakes.

These are probably boring to most peope, but here are a few pictures I took this morning.

[DLock]

I will add some more pictures of fish I catch over the next few days just to show how quickly they grew.

But in summary, maybe an idiot without a clue can actually make a pond...so if I could do it, pretty sure anyone could do it.

Again, thanks to everyone who gave me some advice. It was all considered and much appreciated.

[caf]

Well done. Our builders dug out a pond last April when they started the house build. It filled slowly but then drained away. Now we have moved in and I have allowed a daisy like weed to populate the banks and planted a few trees on the edge which may help in a few years time. The water is holding at the moment.

[GarryP]

Definitely not boring. I could spend hours just sitting by a pond watching life ticking by. Love watching insects, birds and fish and any other fauna passing through.

That small thin fish looks like a needlefish. They do not grow very big so do not worry about them eating your other fish.

[Nawtier]

Great pond......good success.

That little skinny fish looks like a fresh water variety of the garfish that you get in the ocean, we have some in the pond at the back of our house also.

[DLock]

I went fishing late this afternoon and here is what I caught.

I think the silver fish is a Barb, the orange one I am not sure. My staff like to eat them both.

Me...not so much.

[DLock]

I used floats today to keep the bait off the bottom and away from the Pla Duk (catfish).

The Tubtim was a great fight on 2lb line and he is a great thick fish and perfect for the pan. I let him go as tonight is Taco night.

I was really happy to catch one of the Mekong Catfish. Haven't caught one in a while and he was a blast to land. Very strong fish and fights till the very end. I have never eaten a Mekong or Pla Sawai - they are such lovely fish and I'd like to see them grow into some decent sized fish.

In the next few days I'll fish for some Pla Duk as they are big and impressive.

Small fish I know, but something special about sitting on your own bamboo dock, catching a whole variety of fish, as the sun sets. Magic.

[GarryP]

Looks ideal for whip fishing. Seriously jealous, I am.

Sawai needed to be treated carefully if you are going to eat them. They have a bit of a strong smell to them. However, if your missus knows how to cook them you should be okay. They have a thread like gland/organ (not sure how to describe it) that runs down both sides of the fish which needs to be removed before cooking.

Alternatively, boil the fish until partially cooked, remove the fish from the bones, then use a knife the finely dice up the meat and throw in a wok full of very hot oil. It will froth up nice and crispy. Remove from the oil and let the oil drain from the fish. Add spicy Thai salad ingredients, including green mango and salted peanuts and you have Yam Sawai Foo. Delicious.

But I would wait until they get a bit bigger.

[RedBullHorn]

...and while we are playing "Guess that fish", does anyone have any idea what this little fish will become?

He is about 2 inches long and was a single fish in the plants.

I watch Discover Channel "River Monsters" and the only thing it looks like is an Alligator Gar - I know its not, but what is it?

Pla Kiam... Literally Needle fish, very common in stream and any waterways, max 2 inches.

[bannork]

Great photos and lovely views, I remember being in Sukhothai in December and the hills were bare,was that first photo taken recently or in the rainy season?

I agree about pond life, the butterflies, birds and fish make for fun viewing. We have a problem with cherry snails, the bstards eat all the green vegetation, even the lotuses, but our pond is filled by water from rice fields and I'm not sure I'll ever to get rid off the snails despite swimming around and collecting them.

[DLock]

Bannork, I am actually near Chiang Mai. The Sukhothai connection is the wifes family and friends who swing by the pond to fish whenever they are passing.

Went fishing this evening and not a lot of bites today.

Did get a better picture of that Barbel or Jungle Perch - not sure. Maybe someone with more experience can tell me. But for a little fish, they fight above their weight.

I did put the bait on the bottom and caught a decent catfish, probably 1.2 - 1.5kg - as he topped out my kitchen scale easily and thats 1kg.

Still want to catch the elusive Pla Sawai (striped catfish). Hard to catch...or maybe some of the others are just easier. I see them in there. Only a matter of time.

[Nawtier]

[ max 2 inches.

we have several 6 inches plus, so certainly not max 2 inches.

[teletiger]

Great update Dlock. Thanks.

Regards.

[Scully]

Bannork, I am actually near Chiang Mai. The Sukhothai connection is the wifes family and friends who swing by the pond to fish whenever they are passing.

Went fishing this evening and not a lot of bites today.

Did get a better picture of that Barbel or Jungle Perch - not sure. Maybe someone with more experience can tell me. But for a little fish, they fight above their weight.

I did put the bait on the bottom and caught a decent catfish, probably 1.2 - 1.5kg - as he topped out my kitchen scale easily and thats 1kg.

Still want to catch the elusive Pla Sawai (striped catfish). Hard to catch...or maybe some of the others are just easier. I see them in there. Only a matter of time.

Pla Sawai are either very clever or have the best eye sight of any fish. I bought small amount of the large fish food balls and wet one a littlle and planted one on my fishing rod hook (bamboo stick with string on) as close to the bank as possible. Sprinkle some fish food around the area and these brave little buggers are the only fish apart from other catfish that will eat close to the bank, I found this out while feeding before we started feeding maggots.

You can see their whiskers at the bank side, I did it and caught one in five minutes I was only messing about but the father in law came over in astonishment and in his limited English "how did you do that" he has been trying for years. Maybe I was just lucky?.

[RedBullHorn]

[ max 2 inches.

we have several 6 inches plus, so certainly not max 2 inches.

Never seen one in the natural habitat (stream)...6'' plus !?!! Show me please (picture)

[RedBullHorn]

Bannork, I am actually near Chiang Mai. The Sukhothai connection is the wifes family and friends who swing by the pond to fish whenever they are passing.

Went fishing this evening and not a lot of bites today.

Did get a better picture of that Barbel or Jungle Perch - not sure. Maybe someone with more experience can tell me. But for a little fish, they fight above their weight.

I did put the bait on the bottom and caught a decent catfish, probably 1.2 - 1.5kg - as he topped out my kitchen scale easily and thats 1kg.

Still want to catch the elusive Pla Sawai (striped catfish). Hard to catch...or maybe some of the others are just easier. I see them in there. Only a matter of time.

Any Big Oui catfish that has a head measuring 3 fingers width and more is at least 300gm onward for sure , just like your fingers next to the fish in your picture

[leisrus]

Mr DLock, your lake sure makes a great background on my computer screen. I'm really looking forward to retirement now.

[DLock]

Mr DLock, your lake sure makes a great background on my computer screen. I'm really looking forward to retirement now.

Glad my picture was useful.

Highly recommend a pond to anyone that has the land space and the inclination.

I travel a lot and one of the things I really crave when I am away is being able to dip a line at the end of the day in my own pond.

[caf]

Any tips on stopping too much soil erosion and maintaining water levels

caf

[DLock]

Any tips on stopping too much soil erosion and maintaining water levels

caf

Caf,

I am fortunate in that I have a Klong that runs most of the year right along side my pond, so I have a permanent pump that I can turn on when it needs it, and my pond does suffer with seepage quite a lot. I also have my well pump close to the pond and if I really have to I can use that to maintain some water levels.

If I didnt have both of those, I'm pretty sure my pond would dry out.

As far as erosion, Ya Faek (Kings grass - easily available everywhere) was the best thing I ever planted. It took quickly and help stabilize the soil and gave some protection for the ground cover to take hold - I went with the recommendation of my local plant guy for ground cover. Now as you can see in the pictures, the soil is very secure.

Something else that I did that might help, is that there is a slight slope away from the top of the pond away from the pond. That stopped the runoff eating away at the banks causing gorges, which did happen in the first few months.

Sorry I couldn't be much help.

[bannork]

...and while we are playing "Guess that fish", does anyone have any idea what this little fish will become?

He is about 2 inches long and was a single fish in the plants.

I watch Discover Channel "River Monsters" and the only thing it looks like is an Alligator Gar - I know its not, but what is it?

The missus said it's Pla siap tong, sorry no Thai keyboard here.

[glomp]

Looks sweet. nice pics.

[markt7081]

For the Pla Nin, I have seen the natives catch them by tying a net on to the end of their line, the net is about 2 feet long and is formed in a tube shape, then tied on.

So its also adout 2 feet in diameter, if you open out the untied end.

Then they mould that smelly bread dough type stuff around where the net is tied to the line & cast out.

the fish get their spines snagged in the net & they wind in.

I have seen upto 3 Pla Nin caught in 1 go.

I B/S not. No hook at all.

Next time i go I will take a pic.

Not very sporting, but it works.