An Outdoorsman’s Journal

By: Mark Walters

The Pond/New Digs

Hello friends, As you read this I am high up on a Montana mountain with my 23-yearold daughter, Selina Walters, hunting elk and mule deer. I have to meet 2 deadlines as this is a 12-day trip so I figured I would write about my pond and my newest business investment.

With the lump sum from my 3 steers that I sold in September, I have purchased a 14-foot enclosed, Stealth Trailer that is rigged for camping. In other words, I can haul my ATV and its trailer and when I get to where I am going, after unloading the ATV and trailer, I can fold down a bed and sleep in comfort.

This has been a dream of mine for quite some time and though I will probably only be able to use it on about 25% of my trips it will be nice when I can. As soon as I hit send on this column I am literally loading the trailer and heading for the mountains which will be a major challenge. I will be alone and it’s a big rig, probably about 9,000 pounds loaded.

In my dream of dreams, the new rig, 2016, will be set up for ice fishing with 4 holes put into the floor that I can fish out of. That investment will have to wait a year as I spent more money than I got from the steers if you know what I mean.

About all I can say is that I look at this rig parked in front of my house and dream big dreams.

The Pond, Lake Matilda

Eighteen months ago, I came up with the idea to put a pond in my front yard and what is now a stocked 14-foot, lined pond has consumed much of my life. Over the last 2 warm seasons, I have put over 700-man hours hauling sand, black dirt and planting. The entire pond which is 100 feet x 90 has 6 inches of sand over the liner and every bit of it was thrown with a shovel.

This spring I began the immense job of making sure the liner was covered and then repeated the process with black dirt“above water”and began planting shoreline vegetation.

At the same time, I cut every bush that was in front of my house and spaced them 10-feet apart in the water for fish habitat.

In late April I purchased 3 gallons of fathead minnows and stocked Lake Matilda with them. They spawn up to five times a season and I currently have lots of fatheads.

I also planted 65 bluegill in May but by the middle of June they were dying and that bothered me a lot. I had my good friend Robb Langhar from Aquatic Biologists test the pond and I had no dissolved oxygen. Robb has been my go-to guy for all investments and education on the pond and he sold me an Aqua Bio 10 shot diffuser and a compressor. My problem ended within an hour and that was probably one of the best investments that I have ever made.

Last Sunday I invested in 220, 3-5 inch perch that I was told would spawn for sure next spring. Perch excite me.

Two weeks ago, I pretty much finished my shoreline dirt moving/planting and what a relief that was. Without doing it, erosion would be a major issue.

I do not have a TV and do not want it. Every night that I am home, I sit by the pond and relax before I go in the house for the night, which is generally between 9 and 11.

As most of you may know, I lost my partner in life, Michelle Chiaro, 26-months ago. Michelle was addicted to the outdoors, farming and most importantly, water. In our world I called Michelle “Matilda, “ especially on date night which was Tuesday nights.

I am pretty confident that Michelle is with me 24/7 and I think she would like her lake!

Stay active, it works! Sunset

Lake Matilda is a positive place to spend time.

These 3-5 inch perch are the future stock for Mark Walters pond!

This camper trailer should be a positive addition to Mark Walters life