When we saw that the liner worked and the pond was going to hold water, Bill put 4 small stripped bass in before it was even 2/3 of the way full. Even though the water was clear, we saw very little of them for at least a month. During that month the pond was still just a large container of water outlined by a 2 1/2' dirt berm, and it was deep and cool (Summer temperatures here are 100+ degrees) so we played in it using a boat and a large assortment of beach paraphernalia. As we floated around during the first days we didn't see the bass, but did notice a large and increasing assortment of creatures both in and on top of the water. By the end of the month the bass roamed the edges of the water and seemed to be constantly attacking and eating whatever those creatures were.
By the end of June I had planted sprigs of African Bermuda grass on most of the berm and Bill had planted Cat Tails, Penny Warts, Pickerel Rushes and Lilies around the edges of the water. By August the grass and other plants were well established and even flourishing and Bill had added 8-12 large Catfish into the mix. About that time we stopped swimming in the pond. There were too many very active creatures living in the water and it seemed like an invasion of their privacy for some reason. A variety of other animals had also located the resource and were daily visitors. Nearly every morning we would see rabbits, quail, two roadrunners, several hawks and owls, and during the winter, ducks and cranes.
Photos 1-16 go from June 2000 to February 2001 and some are out of sequence.