Of Fish-ponds
When you have a desire to dig a Fish-pond, coveting the several Advantages that do thence accrue to you, you must first of all consult, what Grounds are most fit and proper to be cast into a Pond, viz, Those which are Marrishy; or Boggy; or full of Springs, unfit for Grazing, or to be put to any profitable use besides. Of these the last, full of springs, will yield the best Water; that which is Marshy will feed Fish; and that which is Boggy is best for a Defence against Thieves.
Thus being furnished with a piece of Wast Ground, I now mentioned, let us now to work; And first draw by small Trenches all the Springs or moist Veines into one place, and so drain the rest of the Ground; then mark out the Head of your Pond, and make it the highest part of the ground in the Eye, tho it be the lowest in the true Level: Cut the Trench of your Floodgate so, that when the VVater is let out, it may have a swift Fall: On each side of which Trench drive in great Stakes of Oak, Ash or (which is best) Elme, six foot long, and six Inches square; place these in Rowes four foot distance one from another, as broad and wide from the Floodgate as you intend the Head of your Pond shall go: Now give us the Spade Tom, and fetch us the Pick-ax Jack, and to digging of our Pond; Dig it as big and large a Compass as the Ground will permit, throw your Earth amongst the said stakes, and ram it between them, hard and firm, till you have covered the stakes: Drive in as many new ones more besides the heads of the first stakes, and ram more Earth above them too: Do thus with stakes above stakes till the head-sides be of a convenient Height: Taking care, that the inside of your Banks be smooth, even, hard and strong, that you may not fear the wearing of the Earth off the stakes by any Current of the Water.
Having thus digged about eight foot deep, that so it may carry about six foot VVater, pave all the bottom and the Banks of the Pond with large Sods of Flot-Grass, laying them very close together, pin them down fast with small stakes and windings: This Grass is a great Feeder of Fish, and grows naturally under VVater. Stake down to the bottom of one side of the Pond divers Bavens and Brush-VVood-Faggots, into which the Fish may cast their spawn, and preserve it: In another place lay Sods upon Sods, the grass sides together to nourish and breed Eels.
The Pond being thus made, let in the Water, and now observe to store it thus: Put your Carp, Breame and Tench by themselves: Pike, Pearch, Eel and Tench (the Fishes Physician) by themselves; & for Food of the greater Fishes, as well as Meat for your greater Dishes, put good store of Roach, Dace, Loach and Menow; and Lastly to every one Melter put three Spawners, and in three Years the Increase will be great; and in five Years with difficulty destroyed.
At the end of three Years Sue your Pond; which you must ever continue so to do, for that the Roach, &c. will increase in such abundance, that eating up the sweetest food, will make your other Fish, as Carps, &c. be lean and hunger-starved: And therefore every Year view your Pond, and observe if any such Fry appears; and use your Discretion.
And because the Carp is a Fish of a general Acceptation, and is of a bon goust almost in every mans palate; and being by the aforesaid little Devourers and Multiplyers, very often Deceived in your expectation of a fat Carp, large and sweet; I shall insert here an excellent VVay of making Carps grow to an extraordinary Bigness in a Pond.