First of all, let me say what a great and educational community this is. I've been spending a lot of time recently submerging myself in the massive (sometimes overwhelming) amounts of information here. So many people willing to help.
Please allow me to put my current thoughts and plans into writing, where any feedback from readers would be most welcome.
So, I have two ponds on a hilly chunk of property in the 'mountains' of North/East Tennessee: a 2 acre runoff fed and a half acre spring water fed. Of current interest is the half acre pond and my dream is to stock a self-sustaining habitat for the fish I am most passionate about: the Rainbow Trout.
This is what I know: The freshwater spring flows all year, there is about 1,300 feet of stream running between the spring and the pond, the pond is clear and clean in the winter, a bit green in summer, thin ice sometimes forms over the pond in winter, an abundance of fallen leaves enter the pond in fall, there are catfish in the pond.
This is what I need to learn: Max temperature in the summer (always below 75F?), what besides catfish also occupies the water, depth of the pond, Ph.
As I am currently contracting in Afghanistan, unfortunately this new information will have to wait. But here is my plan, and again; please let me know if you think there is something left out.
1. Monitor temp during summer months, ensure 75F is never reached
2. Seine pond and remove any other fish besides catfish (I have not seen any signs of others)
3. Install aerator
4. Kick-start ecosystem by stocking scuds (who eat dead vegetation, leaves, ext.)
5. Map depth of pond
6. Make stream more accessible to trout by deepening it (if possible), removing leaves/obstacles, creating pools, adding gravel to pools, adding rocks and logs for shelter, ext.
7. Wait for fall and stock Rainbow Trout
My hope is that I can walk away for months at a time (working overseas), come back and still find a healthy ecosystem. If I'm REALLY lucky, the trout will decide to spawn in the little stream. To any who have taken the time to read this, thank you and please feel free to fill in any gaps. I am new to this.
The pond in winter:
The pond in summer:
Scud food:
The stream:
A marshy entrance from stream to pond:
Pond outlet:
