I've read about people keeping them in ponds.. would that be ok in this country, even over the winter?

I would put him out there for just the summer but I don't know how easy it would be to catch him again..

What does the temperature get down to there? I know here it'd get WAY too cold, even some golds can't be in ponds year-around here.

Erm.. I think the coldest it will get is that there is some ice on the surface.. thats about it. It rarely snows.. at the moment the daytime temps seem to be around 11-13C.

I have shubunkins in the pond, they are doing fine, up at the top during the day sometimes.