There are so many good comments and questions on this thread that I would love to add my experience and questions to…but the thread is so long…is it possible to break it up into some separate topics, e.g. feeding, hybrids, water quality, fertilizing, flys, etc. or is that too much trouble. I would love to comment on everyone but it would turn into a huge bunch of posts on one thread.
Regardless, thanks for a great thread, even if I remain “uncommenting” on some of them due to logistics.
beadleech,
Have you ever used an egg pattern for trout? The PomPOM is the identical thing except colored in tan.
Is an egg pattern fly fishing?
Is a “flesh” fly commonly used in Alaska flyfishing?
Just wondering.
Also, does increasing the zooplankton in a pond violate your predator/prey criteria?
[This message has been edited by Meadowlark (edited 04 January 2006).]
Meadowlark - IF the trout were normally feeding on eggs [behind salmon, for example] I’d use egg flies. The Flesh Fly in Alaska is replicating a naturally occuring “food” source.
IMO if you increase the food base in a body of water beyond normal you’re feeding fish. If you’re trying to replace something that man’s screw ups destroyed you might have a case.
I would hope that these fish don’t show up in state records, etc. and that if you should post a pic of an outsized BG you’d note that is was an “OLE ROY’S DOGFOOD” fish. <G>
As I’ve noted earlier in this thread [and in others] these are my opinions and may or may not be of interest to you. However, I like 'em!! <G>
Donald
heh,heh… I thought we might get around to “growing trophy bluegills”. Interestingly enough, I’ve caught 5 'gills from 20 to 22 oz. and not one came from a pond that was being ‘fed’.
These aren’t huge fish but I’m convinced that in our part of the country it takes extraordinary circumstances to exceed much over a pound. Discounting hybrids, the fish I’ve seen from ‘fed’ ponds tend to top out at about 10". They just get there faster.
Anyway - Meadowlark… I can talk bluegills all day. Feel free to start a thread on any of the above mentioned topics. 
“A good rule of angling philosophy is not to interfere with any fisherman’s ways of being happy, unless you want to be hated.” … Zane Grey 1919
HideHunter,
Yep, you are right. Mine seem to top out at 10 inches but they get there fast and there are tons of them. 10 inch BG are commonplace in my ponds.
I generally agree with folks who say the natural way is the preferred way, I really do. The reason I feed is simple: I love HSB and they need the 45% protein. The BG is just a side benefit. I accept the non-natural for the sheer thrill of catching HSB on a 5 wt. I have fished all over the world, caught just about every fish that swims, and a 4 pound HSB on a 5 wt from your backdoor pond is about as good as it gets, IMHO.
I also believe in modifying ph, total akalinity, and total hardness and firmly believe in pond aeration to mention a couple of other “non-natural” things I do.
I also stock Tilapia, a non-natural fish that when caught on the fly will make you forget BG. If I could post a picture I would show you guys a 2.9 pound Tilapia, caught this fall from a LMB pond, and only 1 growing season old (stocked in April), and not artificially fed one stinking pellet.
Texas has a special category for fish records…private waters. I plan to own many of them.
Holy Crap! Talk about ‘rate of gain’. I’ve heard of commercially raising tilapia but know nothing of their sporting characteristics. I’ve got to do a little ‘googling’ on that one. Wonder what they’d do in our shorter growing season? How big do they get?
If you can email me the pic - I’ll post it for you.
heh, heh, heh. Why am I not surprized that Texas has a “special category”. Wish ya luck!
Take a look here [url=http://www.southernflyfishersforum.com/cgi-bin/yabb.pl?board=bass_panfish;action=display;num=1130614201:5b5db]www.southernflyfishersforum.com/cgi-bin/yabb.pl?board=bass_panfish;acti on=display;num=1130614201[/url:5b5db] [hope the link works. Its long but worth it.]
I hope you Texas guys are not in the way of the grass fires. That could be a major ouchie.
This has been an interesting thread but I think we’re to the point of goin’ 'round & 'round now. I think I’ll sign off and get my “beauty sleep”. 
Donald
edit - Looks like the link does not work. Try this - go to “southern flyfishers forum”; to “bass & panfish fishing reports”; and to “savannah river shellcracker”.
Donald
[This message has been edited by beadleech (edited 04 January 2006).]
HLK - I’ve thought about a Fla trip to try out those Peacock Bass the last coupla of winters. Especially when it’s been in the single digets in the temp dept for a week or so!!! 
Are you Texas people still fishing??
That sounds like a dandy Rio Grande Perch. Did you catch it on a flyrod? A few years back I caught a 17" yellow perch while smallmouth bass fishing in the late spring. Thought I had a dandy bass for a few minutes, then the perch quit and just sorta swam in!
Donald
Mercy, Beedleech that is a dandy. Thanks for leading us there.
And he ate it - ouch.
“A good rule of angling philosophy is not to interfere with any fisherman’s ways of being happy, unless you want to be hated.” … Zane Grey 1919
HH,
I e-mailed the Tilapia picture to you. It can also be viewed at this site:
[url=http://www.ligtel.com/~jjbaird/pprf/pprf.htm:cc767]http://www.ligtel.com/~jjbaird/pprf/pprf.htm[/url:cc767]
The remarkable thing about this fish is the one season growth rate. From fingerling to 2.9 pounds, simply remarkable.
If anyone on this Forum has a source for the Texas Rio’s I would love to talk to them. I’m in the market for some. Thanks.
Sorry Larry. I can’t get the thing to 'resize" for some reason.
Check it out at the link Meadowlark provided. Remarkable.
Some pretty nice fish coming from your country too BeadLeech.
Meadowlark - In the summer of 2004 [on two different trips] I got into 10-11" “goldfish” in a 15a pond I do still fish - on dry fly [a royal wulff]]. They were a hoot on a 3 wt! I guess that shouldn’t be a surprise as I think goldfish are a carp. I suppose someone must have poured their fish tank into the pond. Also caught a few mooneye out of there. I catch more redear than anything out of that pond. All in all it’s an odd place.
Donald
beadleech,
If you could drop a few LMB in that pond, in a couple of years, you would have some kind of fishing…and a lot less goldfish.