I had always heard that birds transported eggs from one pond to another, but I didn't think that was rational. After spending a lot of time in west/central Texas (Sonora area), I now think it is the idea is more believable. Like others have witnessed, I have seen landlocked ponds with no possible outside entering water source have species of fish that were never stocked. In one case, a rancher friend of mine who owns 15,000 acres laughed at me when I brought a rod & reel, saying that his "tanks" were never stocked. This is a remote area already, and being in the middle of 15,000 acres with no vehicle access (for those not expected) is a tough way for a two-legged friend to help stock a pond. In one tank, I caught over 20 bass 2-5 pounds. In a separate incident, my dad made some money based on the bird theory. He bet another guy that he could catch catfish out of a pond knowing that it had never been stocked with them. Like the rancher, the guy laughed, until about 20 minutes later my dad hooked into a 10 lb. channel. I've seen too many examples lately to negate the bird theory. (These are just 2 of the more humorous ones). Both ponds mentioned were completely landlocked and too remote to get help from outsiders, and in the case of the first pond, it had never been stocked at ALL. The rancher's family have owned the place since the late 1800s and he swears no one has ever put in fish. However, it should be noted that while the area is very remote and the spreads are big, neighboring ponds are close enough that it is feasible that birds may have been the culprit.
