| Its always sad to lose fish especially when you have had them for years and they literally disappear from one day to the next. This is a sad story |
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Sunday January 29, 2006
We got a call last week about a pond missing 11 fish (8 - 12" inches in size) disappearing in only 1 night. There was no evidence of the remains and although I suspected a weasel, 11 fish was a lot to lose in an evening. Could it have been a theft? That was doubtful due to the logistics of the site and the fact that catching 11 fish in the dark without making a sound with poor visibility did not seem viable
Bottom line - the fish were gone and this was the clients first season with the newly constructed pond. The fish had been with her for 10 years but previously taken indoors for the Winter. In my experience in Toronto, weasels seem to attack in the Fall and Winter and in more often in rural areas. Obviously the fish are sluggish and easier to catch in colder waters. I have seen 3 of my clients lose fish due to weasel attacks over the last 4-5 years with one client having a weasel visit 2 successive Autumns
We constructed a modular cover which unfortunately ruins the aesthetics of the pond but is a necessary evil to protect the fish. It took about 4 hours to build 3 modular covers. We felt that 3 covers would allow for easier handling and storage. Cedar was chosen for longevity and covered with 1/2" galvanized steel mesh. We built 2 doors for access to both the pond for feeding and skimmer for cleaning. The pond was then covered with greenhouse poly to keep it warmer
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