Sticklebacks

[Dragonslair]

I'm looking for some sticklebacks for my wildlife pond. There are frogs and newts in there (nature's own supply) I thought just to finish it off nicely some sticklebacks would look nice. It's only a small pond, about 4' in diameter. No water features(waterfalls etc) just plenty of reeded plants and surrounded by bog plants. It's about 2' deep in the centre and shallows off to the edge paved by pebbles. Don't want the birds to drown if they went in for a drink.

 

[fishme2death]

I couldnt help myself when I saw that you said "Don't want the birds to drown if they went in for a drink." I have tried to keep birds out of my pond as most do drown. I have plastic and rubber snakes that I put at the ponds edge that seem to work. If I didnt, I have all the neighborhood sparrows in my yard that seem to make a mess out of my oak tree )

 

[Dragonslair]

I don't really mind if the sparrows come down and have a drink, the pebbles(big..ish stones) really are like stepping stones for the birds. In this unseasonable warm weather we've been enjoying the wildlife tend to get a bit thirsty. At the moment I have the garden hose gently trickling water into the pond. The pond doesn't overflow but I make sure it doesn't go dry either. Living in the countryside we are paid visits by wild rabbits, foxes as well as birds of all sorts. We even have frogs and froglets. What more could I ask for?......Stickleback,perhaps???

 

[Dragonslair]

To put things in perspective, the river Wear flows past the bottom of our main road. There are salmon, minnows by the million and wild trout in the river but no sticklebacks. We have a private patch of fishing water, but I'm not a fisherman. I did catch a salmon once for supper. Spent all day though waiting! I don't fish for sport, I think that's cruel. If I were to fish, it would be for eating.

 

[CFC]

Sticklebacks often come into one of my lfs with the weekly order of rivershrimp along with some tiny gobies as well (which makes me think they probably prefer more brackish water) sometimes they seperate them and sell them in the coldwater section and other times they get sold with the shrimp as live food,but that might be a starting point for your search.

p.s try to keep anti angling comments private there is already enough ammunition for those who want to see fishing banned and if they succeed then thay may turn their attentions to try to stop people from keeping fish in tanks.

 

[Dragonslair]

Thanks for the advice CFC. Comments noted.

 

[William]

Dragon I've got a plan if you can locate a river or stretch of water with sticklebacks - usually slow running streams/rivers or small shallow lakes.

I gave this to our very own sticklebackRcool aka StiX and he was able to catch some sticklebacks with it which then proceeded to breed

Okay so here's what you do ! In true blue peter style what you'll need is a 2 litre or so coke bottle. Cut it about 1/3 from the top, you need to leave enough so that you can insert that top bit back to front into the bottom 2/3 .
________
|__ .
. __ . <- bait
./_______|

Something like that Pictures worth a thousand works and my hands are tired Then simply place in the base the "bait" you're going to use, I have tried many things with great success, a generous amount of fish flakes or if the water is not murky then one of my most sucessful tactics was tin(aluminium) foil ripped up and placed in the base "compartment" Then all you simply need to do is get some string to hold the bottle in place. I advise setting this out in the morning and checking it at about lunch time. Once I found the thing so full of sticklebacks I swear another one couldn't get in!! so try and put it somewhere you can check it while not disturbing the trap every time you check

Good luck and let me know how you get on

 

[StiX]

Once I found the thing so full of sticklebacks I swear another one couldn't get in!!

Thats true! so make sure u dont set it and forget about it or there will be ALOT of dead fishies!

Now is the time they start breading, so and males u catch will be in full breeding colour (i.e. BRIGHT red throat B) )

If ya want any other info on em, just give me a shout

 

[Dragonslair]

Thanks for the info. William. I'll try that and get back to you. Don't hold your breath though. I need to locate a stickleback pool first. There is a nature reserve nearby so I'll try them first.

 

[Waterloo Kid]

Now I could be wrong here, but I read somewhere recently that is illegal to catch three spined sticklebacks unless you use a rod and line. AND... you must have a fishing license too!! I have managed to catch them by line and hook when I was younger. If you do try this please use barbless hooks. Tell that to the little kids by me!
If you are hunting for them, a word of advise. Sticklebacks are great oxygen lovers and so you're more likely to find them in shallow, medium to fast flowing streams. Also, watch out for those spines, they are well protected.

Waterloo Kid

 

[StiX]

Sticklebacks dont have any real demand for oxygen rich water, and are often in still waters such as ponds and lakes. The best place to find them are brooks, these are shallow and slow flowing, nearly every brook has sticklebacks!

Waterloo kid - U are right about it being illegal, so if anyone chooses to keep them, its at ur own risk

 

[mjcole12]

if you can find a canal ther are usualy hundreds of them right in front of u i used to catch them in the leeds to liverpool canal as well as pike and many other fish


mj

 

[Dragonslair]

Thanks for the info. I quite often go to the Leeds armoury museum and have a walk along the canal. I'll keep an eye out for them.

 

[Dragonslair]

William, using your trap method I caught 30 sticklebacks, each about 2 cm long and in another trap caught 14 minnows each about 4cm long.
Whilst transporting them home however lost one minnow due to stress, but an excellent trap method-well done thanks. The pond now has a stock of free fish! Yipeee!!!

 

[William]

Dragon, I'm really glad it worked for you You can tell which are females and which are males because they will have different eye colours and obvious signs around the middle (ie plump ) also the males may be in breeding colour

The 30 you put in will soon reproduce rapidly to fully populate your pond - i had mine in with koi carp I think the koi ate some but after he got a taste for spines he stopped, I only initially put in 6 but a year later when the pond developed a crack and had to be repaired while draining we counted well over a hundred Faster than livebearers perhaps??

Incedently what did you use for bait? Also the minnows- what do these fellas look like, i mean i know what a minnow is but (in northern ireland) i only ever caught sticklebacks, did you find they inhabited a different place?

Also you can after some feedings get the sticklebacks to almost come up for pond food Or of course they do fine on their own, being the scavengers they are