NOW I know why my fish keep disappearing.

LOL Snapple! And exactly what Snapple said... just string the fishing line across the entrances or boundaries of the pond, like trip lines.

Brenda

The herons don't need to stand in the water to fish. Mine was caught standing on the deck next to the pond. That's why the triplines work.

Something got tangled up in the net on the small goldfish pond last night or early this morning. It's pulled off, ripped, bunched up and in the water along one side. No casualties though! The big back koi pond appears untouched. Whew! Whatever this chunk of wildlife is, it is persistent.

And I thank each and every one of you for all your advice and concern. You saved my fish and my sanity.

Good, Snapple, it's working!

Good! I was getting worried for you. How frustrating, I feel for you! Glad everyone is safe.

Pixy- that sure was a gorgeous fish- I'm sorry for you losing her.

Carolyn, I hope you get it figured out. When I lost my fish I was sure they were hiding really well from me, but after a couple days I was convinced otherwise. I'd be interested to see how the bobcat urine goes.

Is it weird that since that one attack I haven't had any other predatory activity in my pond? My fish are still a little skiddish a month later (maybe something is going on?) but no one is missing. Is this common for an isolated attack? I still don't know for sure that it was a heron. But if not, it would either have to be a really long armed kitty or a really graceful bear or raccoon. lol

Great snapple! It does appear that you've 'trapped' something that got away. Maybe it will learn its lesson. Reminds me of the second year I had the pond set up. In the deep end I had a large flat rock up on a stack of bricks. It gave the fish cover and provided a place to put plants. I had racoon activity that year and they had been knocking over plants and generally wrecking havoc, although they could not get to the fish. So I made it really easy for them to get into the pond without knocking anything over, knowing the fish were safe from them (because of the depth and the steep sides) and getting tired of cleaning the pond every day. I came out one morning and the large rock and the plants thereon had been knocked over and there was a path out the other side of the pond where something had evidently left the pond in a hurry! I started laughing when I realized that a raccoon had likely tried to stand on the rock, thinking it was the pond bottom, and ended up in the drink. Since that time I have had 0 raccoon activity in my pond. I guess they have a good memory! LOL!

Thanks for the sympathy, art..., she really was a beauty. In terms of your fish's behavior, I think mine have long memories. They are just now coming out from under the rocks, and they wait until the middle of the day to do so. Around here herons hunt in the early morning and in the evening.

Hi Snapple! I'm sorry to hear about your fish problems. If you lived closer I'd loan you my dog Amy. Amy grabbed a heron the second week we had the pond. She didn't hurt it but made contact with one of it's legs and it flew off never to return. Amy is a hunting dog and this was so up her alley.

My husband is from England and my Mother-in-Law (Dorothy) has had a pond now for about 25 years. . In England, Ponding is big as is gardening. They sell a product to support that fishing line. It's just a simple plastic piece that you push into the ground and has a hook or an eye (I can't remember which) to thread your fishing line through as you circle your pond. Dorothy had her own version of the fishing line many years ago that my Father-in-Law made but she acquired these plastic pegs a few years ago and it has made the job easier to manage during clean up times as well as keeps the herons out 100% whereas her homemade version wasn't 100% foolproof to predators. (maybe I will get her to post a picture to me about these pegs (or I'll get information from a UK pond shop).

My MIL's pond is very different than any I ever saw or heard of. First, she has only emptied it and cleaned it twice in 25 years . . .!!!! She never tests the water, has never had a massive disease die off, doesn't feed the fish. The water isn't clear but the fish are friendly and come up to greet you. All her fish are goldfish and recently she had to give away a few of her first fish she bought in the pond and kept the runt (his name is Jaws3) to a pond supplier for his show pond. She has no clue how many fish are in the pond but I have easily counted 15-20 in a smallish but very deep pond. It probably measures about 10 by 6 feet but is about 6 feet deep and virtually no shelves. When I tell her about the chemicals I added to my pond at the start and then all the disease I have had lately she just doesn't understand why (except she is aware of the mess Koi make).

Anyway, I thought it would be interesting to share about my MIL's pond.

Snapple: I went to the attached Garden Center with MIL and saw their heron supplies. I thought it odd (years ago before I had a pond . . .) that so much space in a store could be devoted to heron control. Now I understand!

To see some of the heron products being used in the UK click the link:

http://www.stapeleywg.com/department/pond_accessories/

Seeing the heron guard tripwire system is very helpful. I think I can fashion something like that to install around the pond. It would be better than my netting 'sausages', although they apparently are effective. Thanks for posting.

You bet the sausages are effective Pixydish! If the tripwire thing works though it would be more convenient. It's intriguing but I'm afraid to mess with success.

Yeah, that's why I haven't changed them yet. But I think the tripwires would be more permanent and less obtrusive in the long run.

There was another attempt to get into the small goldfish pond last night! The netting was torn up and partially dragged into the pond. The fish ( I restocked plus two originals) are all just fine. In fact, they are starting to relax and come out from hiding a little bit. I've got to figure out what creature is so stubborn.

"I've got to figure out what creature is so stubborn".

It must be my husband . . . I'll tell him to lay off your pond and actually GO to the store to get his sushi!

Oh please, would you? Otherwise tonight I'm staying up with a spotlight and an aluminum baseball bat. There's either going to be a racoon with black eyes for real or a heron short of a lot of feathers. I've had it. What happens at the pond after dark stays at the pond after dark.

LOL Snapple, you tell 'em!!

I believe you have the right to be fed up. Are you kiddin' me!?? Whoever, whatever...that thing is persistent!

I'll warn my husband to wear some sort of head protection . . .

My money is on the racoon. I don't think herons hunt in the middle of the night. Dusk, yes. Full night, I don't think so. But your sausages are working!!