A fishy problem

[Doggone]

I have a small lake by the house that's crammed with roach and rudd, probably too many small ones. However I still don't want them killing by animal or animals unknown! This afternoon I was outside with the dogs and found five dead roach, all within a square yard, four were whole and one was in two pieces. They were at the top of a gravel bank, twelve feet from the water. I have herons visit occasionally, once saw a cormorant on the water, shot a stoat this morning near the lake coming out of a rabbit hole. We do have mink in the area, but I've never seen one at my place. Whatever got the fish out of the water must have made several trips up and down the bank and left the fish in one place, presumably for eating later, behaviour which I've not heard of before. I've got a trail cam, so I might set that up before dark to see if I can identify the culprit, assuming it's nocturnal ?? Anyone have any ideas?

Andy

[reaper6]

Might be minx they can destroy a water

[Spaniel]

Just make sure that they are not dieing due to being over stocked,

our fishing club had a problem where we had some fish deaths, yes some of them were eaten but this was after they had died......our problem is that the lake is over stocked so we have to look at getting the EA in to remove some of the fish (which we are presently looking into)

[Doggone]

Just make sure that they are not dieing due to being over stocked,

our fishing club had a problem where we had some fish deaths, yes some of them were eaten but this was after they had died......our problem is that the lake is over stocked so we have to look at getting the EA in to remove some of the fish (which we are presently looking into)

Did think about that, but I couldn't see any floating anywhere, and how would the get up the bank?

Andy

[Spaniel]

Ours were on quite a large lake, but they all floated to the edge of the water, where i guess they were easy prey then, to be picked by birds etc....we have a heron who visits the lake, so im guessing it was easy pickings for him

[-oXo-]

Just make sure that they are not dieing due to being over stocked,

our fishing club had a problem where we had some fish deaths, yes some of them were eaten but this was after they had died......our problem is that the lake is over stocked so we have to look at getting the EA in to remove some of the fish (which we are presently looking into)

Dieing 12 foot from the pond? Considerate of them to hop out and die somewhere else :(

[christy]

Not Heron. not Cormarant, not Otter-all would have scoffed their catch then gone back for more if still hungry.

Don't go to much on over stocking really, simply means the fish do not grow-small fish.

Probably mink. Set a trap tonight using a roach as bait.

[Doggone]

Not Heron. not Cormarant, not Otter-all would have scoffed their catch then gone back for more if still hungry.

Don't go to much on over stocking really, simply means the fish do not grow-small fish.

Probably mink. Set a trap tonight using a roach as bait.

 

I spent quite a while setting up a trail cam to get a photo of the culprit if it came back, checked it this morning but the fish were still in the same place, no pictures. I'm beginning to think I had an aquatic stoat that caught fish for fun and not food.

Oh well another of lifes mysteries. Thanks for the suggestions.

Andy

[Quist]

Unlikely to be due to overstocking at this time of the year since there is not a lot of biological activity in the water that will cause eutrophication.

I think that the most likely culprits are mink or otter.