Trout pond construction
Trout pond design
Several times recently, we have been asked to consider the requirements for the construction of a still (enclosed system) lined pond (or mini-lake) for trout.
As life-long fly fishermen, we consider that the creation of an artificial, lined, still pond large enough, deep enough and oxygenated enough to keep trout (a demanding fish) in conditions in which they will thrive is not realistically possible in our normal area of operation - the stocking rates would need to be kept at an absolute minimum and stock fish (rainbow trout) would probably not be expected to survive more than one season without the installation of oxygen pumps and so on - it would be a good "living larder" and an attractive feature - but not much more.
We would much rather build a sustainable lined "river with pools" emulating the highly oxygenated rivers and streams in which brown trout are naturally found. Landscaping the newly created river into its surroundings guarantees that the fishing is a bit more difficult - but that's the challenge!
