filling in my pond

Question
4 years ago we moved into our house, there was a sunken pond in the garden which had been drained down to just a few inches prior to our moving in, out of curiousity i filled the pond with water, and was astonished a couple of months later when i saw fish swimming around. i have absolutely no knowledge of pond fish, i got fish food and fed them in the warmer weather and enjoyed watching them bask in the summer.  they are quite small pale looking fish and there are about 12 of them.  unfortunately we now have to fill in our pond because we have a little grandaughter. i need to know when is the best time to drain the pond and retrieve the fish without causing them any stress. they are very shy and disappear as soon as they hear anybody near the pond. and if i am unable to re-home them, is it safe to put them in a fishing lake or stream near us.  i would be grateful if  you could advise me, as i do not want to cause any harm to these poor little mites.

Answer
You can drain it at anytime. If you cannot find a home for them DO NOT put them in a pond or river. Foreign species of fish can cause harm beyond belief it is far better to sacrifice these fish than an existing body of water.


           Keep Ponding
             Leigh