On Sun, 30 May 2004 00:56:18 GMT, dkat wrote:

Ever read All Creatures Great and Small (actually there were several and
they all were based on All Creatures... anyway)? One part of the writing
that I liked so much was the mystery involved and the solving of it. This
feels like that and I really want to find the cause for the pleasures sake.
I had not realized the fish was as small as I later read - I'm guessing the
head was no more than an inch long.... so we are talking something that took
what.. a 1/2 inch of fish? The thing is it would have to be strong enough
to be able to get away with it. I mean if you were this fish would you put
up with something chewing on you without putting up a fight of some sort...
And you are sure it was happy and healthy the evening before? That it
hadn't died and something took advantage of the situation..

Yes I've read several of the books and watched the TV series. The vet
who wrote the books had a practice in Thirsk which isn't very far north
of me.

This fish was one of the smallest at the time, just over 4 inches if I
remember correctly. About 3/4 of an inch (length) of the head was eaten
from one side but not quite half way through. It was a comet, one of my
favourite fishes so it was one I kept an eye on more than the others.
It was fine the night before. I suppose it depends on how much damage
was done with the first bite, whatever had been chewing had plenty of
time to make several bites.

The other fish that were bitten had wounds in the lower body that
looked like something had eaten a semicircle of what it could reach
while it could hang on.

The largest fish in the pond is a fully grown green tench, maybe it ate
the perpetrator in the end.

--
Regards - Rodney Pont
The from address exists but is mostly dumped,
please send any emails to the address below
e-mail ngpsm4 (at) infohitsystems (dot) ltd (dot) uk