Shdwdrgn,
I personally like the idea of putting native fishes (local boys and girls) in the pond. Of course, you might understand by now that I am working on a fishing bait pond rather than an ornamental fish pond, but there are several advantageous perks with native fish. Like you originally pondered, they should be more hardy for your local climate because they are used to it. They also live together in the wild, naturally, so if the pond was filled with nothing but wild fish, you are not putting a white bunny from a pet shop in a cage with a coyote if you understand what I mean.
Growing up as an avid, inquisitive, outdoor boy on the river (my parents had a river cabin), I was especially drawn to the natural critters in my own habitat. Therefore, I brought all the really cool species home with me for study. For pets and just because I could without paying a pet shop for them. Of course, at that time, I was not creating an outdoor pond, I was putting them all in an aquarium in my room.
I might say that I am raising bullheads and bluegills and sunfish, etc for bait to go fishing. But, to be honest, I just like to sit and look into the bait tank and watch my fish, just like I did as a kid.
If you are as interested as I am in this way, get yourself a National Audubon Society book of North American Fishes. The National Audubon Society has a long series of nature guides. These are excellent books to have in your library. They have books on fishes, birds, reptiles, rocks, insects, amphibians, mushrooms and trees and all sorts of God's creatures. They are extremely in depth research books. These are not reading books - story books, they are field guides for those who are very serious about biology, ecology and science. If you have young kids who have an interest in nature, these are awesome gifts. They will make you drool! I have several at my cabin. Expressly one for fishes and one for birds and one for mushrooms and one for trees.
Now, personally, I think that Gar are really quite interesting. Pike. Bullheads and other catfish and bluegills. Drum and common carp. Trout. Then there are shad and alewife and don't forget all the minnows. I happen to love the red shiners. Oh, and don't forget the river suckers (like the redhorse sucker) and even American eels.
You could build an entire ecosystem from native critters and fishes and create a beautiful pond. You probably wouldn't want to mix these species with expensive Koi, and they aren't as colorful as Koi. But, you have to weigh the pros and cons and what you want your pond for and how you want it to look. The neighbors really young kids get more fun out of my bait tank then they would out of a Koi pond. That's the fun to me. They think it's a blast to net one of my fishes up and look at it, or to toss bugs in the water and see the fish ravage them. The kids will stand over my bait tank and play with the fish for hours. I don't think that such activity would be healthy for Koi or even goldfish of any sort. But, most native fishes are very tough and durable.
Watching the kids have fun playing in my bait tank at the river is just as rewarding to me as any experience I have for myself, if not more. I wish I could describe how if feels inside when the little kids come over, knock on my cabin door and ask me if they can play in my fish tank and then, to hear the girls scream and the boys giggle! I know that they're pulling frogs out of the tank and putting them down their sister's or cousin's shirt! There is no way that I could not smile and not giggle myself! I just let them play and enjoy the experience. Then, I enjoy the feeling inside.
Think about it for a little while. It's a beautiful experience and a wondrous feeling in your heart! What good is a pond that you cannot play in?
Gordy
