I hired a guy to move one of the dug in downspout popups from behind a retaining wall (obviously a bad location) to the water way. Had to cut thru what will one day be under asphalt so I had him run schedule 40 instead of the cheap 4 inch black corrugated stuff. Came out great....he called me today and said, "Ah Bill, yesterday when we moved that downspout I hit the side of your house with the Bobcat and cracked/broke several of the stones."
Now the happier note, first he admitted it and didn't wait for me to find it, A lot of the other contractors I have worked with in the last two years would have just denied it. Second, he had already contacted a mason to make repairs. Luckily, I have extra stone that was left from the original construction so materials are not an issue. Otherwise, he would have had to buy and entire pallet to just get 3 or 4 pieces. YES! There are still honest folks out there!
Update...No rain in the forecast. I put down another 200 feet of erosion mat today in the areas below the popups for the dug in downspouts from the house. We can't water everything but started watering all the areas with erosion mat installed in an attempt to get some grass established in the erosion hot spots before the fall rains begin.
Update: The red fescue in the grass mix is coming up good in the erosion hot spots. Perennial rye is just starting to show. Bluegrass is still probably a week or two away.
Local weather man provided tonight that we are in the driest October on record. Sheesh! Can't catch a break! Good news is looks like there is a very heavy .05 inch rain on the way!
For those following along on my little Mutt Pond thread....
In a month or so I will be stocking:
20 CC 6 to 8 inch - to replace those harvested this year 25 YP 5 to 7 inch - to ladder stock last years 50 YP
Newcomer to Mutt Pond:
10 WE 6 to 8 inch - want to get them in at this size while I still can without worrying (too much) about predation. Bigger WE are a lot more expensive
Picked the fish up today and, after acclimating, dropped them in. I am happy to report zero mortality as of this evening. I can happily report I have now stocked the pond on three different occasions and, to my knowledge, have not lost a fish. Wish I could take all the credit but I suspect 90% of the success is do to the very healthy fish and careful handling by the folks at Keystone.
BTW I screwed up and only ordered 10 CC instead of 20. May be a good thing. If I think I need more I just will make a quick run to Keystone for more in the spring.
Edit: I need to find something to stock every fall. Beautiful 45 minute drive for me to Keystone and the folks there are awesome. I actually thought my bride was going to jump in one of their trout ponds to grab one!
Thanks to Robert for backing me up when I told her they would not live thru one of our summers!
Bill, I'm right with Scott on this one. There is something magical about having trout in the pond, even if they won't over-summer. I have a serious problem however. 2 years ago I put 14 BRNT and 3 RBT fingerlings in my pond. I cannot catch them any longer! They cruise by, taking pellets off the surface but will no longer eat ANYTHING with a hook and line attached. I've resorted to gluing floating pellets to fine wire dry fly hooks. The buggers refuse them and eat the pellets floating right by them. This is all well and good except the trout are pushing 25" and on days when I don't or cannot stuff them with chow, I just bet they are eating my YP! The few I've eaten have had crawfish in their stomachs and nearly digested unrecognizable fusiform fish. My next plan is to shoot some of them as they feed. I've always wanted to try shooting fish in a barrel....
I may be ready to resort to snagging. Ha ha. Pink worm used for steelies might get a follow or a take. Last weekend I did get one RBT to follow a Beetle Spin with one of those Power Bait Orange Peel Trout Worms on it.
Yep, I'm over 100 days with no moisture. bring it on.
We had a nice gentle .3 tonight, not great, but I will take it. Forecast is good chance Tues, Wed and Thurs this week for a little more. If we get that, it should kick start the grass seed and I will hope to see green whiskers by this time next week.
Don't worry about the trout not living through one of your summers. There's your reason to drive to Keystone every Fall.
Pick up 25+ trout and stock them. Catch them all out by the end of May/June. Repeat next year.
So I got an e-mail from Keystone today and they have Brook, Brown and Rainbow still available for stocking. If I was to go ahead and stock a few, which species, size and qty would you guys recommend for my little 1/3 acre+ Northern Illinois pond?
Don't worry about the trout not living through one of your summers. There's your reason to drive to Keystone every Fall.
Pick up 25+ trout and stock them. Catch them all out by the end of May/June. Repeat next year.
So I got an e-mail from Keystone today and they have Brook, Brown and Rainbow still available for stocking. If I was to go ahead and stock a few, which species, size and qty would you guys recommend for my little 1/3 acre+ Northern Illinois pond?
Leaning that way. Weather and work commits make a trip to Keystone out for this coming week but if they still have them available the following week, I think so.
Well made the executive decision no trout this year.
1) Got clobbered by 15 inches of snow. 2) Now mud and snow to the pond makes getting there a total disaster on the new grass. 3) Fish farm does not bag fish that big and I have no way to tank haul them. 4) Expecting 1 inch of rain tomorrow