I didnt elaborate because I didnt think it was necessary, I wish to simulate a natural pond and to me that is the effect I appear to be achieving, if I wish to thin things out I accept that it will be awkward and that is the price I will have to pay but so far the only plant I regret is the crassula.
I am in no way disagreeing with Loi-lo, what they say is correct but to me a pond with everything potted is not a natural pond and a natural pond has mulm and all sorts of things lying around the bottom, plus, the fish in there, ie stickle backs, have evolved for such ponds.

I think the big objection of ponders to soil, loose or otherwise, is that it is a source of nutrients for algae growth but my wildlife pond would seem to show that if the pond is left to its own devices these nutrients are 'soon' locked up in other life forms or deep within the soil. Pure floaters, eg duckweed, azolla and frogbit do not prosper in my wildlife pond nor does blanket weed or green water algae, the only things that grow well are rooted plants or floaters with well rooted tethers eg water soldiers.
I like frogbit and have moved it to my fishpond and it has taken off in there.

Re gravel shelves, I would suggest that a gravel bed wild life pond where nutrients, ie fish food, are not added would be perhaps to nutrient deficient to sustain a good plant growth. I have gravel bed shelves in my fish pond but there the nutrients are derived from the 'processed' fish food and btw the gravel beds are showing signs of turning into solid root clumps in much the same way as the soil beds have in the wildlife pond but at a somewhat slower rate than the soil beds in my wildlife pond. I have just shifted some year old gravel bed rooted plants around and the sediment that settles to the bottom of a gravel bed does stink etc, probably to that same degree that I would find in the soil of my wildlife pond. One thing is apparent however, a fully rooted gravel bed will be a darn sight harder to manage that a fully rooted soil bed, the gravel makes cutting the bed into sections 'awkward'.