Long time lurker chiming in on the Didymo. I have posted about this before
and it has been in the tailwaters in the Southeast for some time.

Check out the latest info from New Zealand. I hate to say it, but they now
say that cleaning your boots does not help. See below. I got this off a
New Zealand Fish and Game website, but I can't find it again now. I copied
this from it and saved it. Maybe a better "googler" than I can find it
again.


For Immediate Release 7 December 2006

Felt Sole Boots Targeted as Major Didymo Risk

Freshwater anglers are advised to leave their felt sole boots behind this
summer or risk spreading didymo throughout New Zealand's top trout
fisheries. Fish & Game regional manager Steve Smith said, "while anglers
have previously been advised to clean their equipment between different
waters it now seems that it is virtually impossible to effectively
decontaminate felt soled boots or waders".

Mr Smith said that the initial results of research showed that felt soles
were an ideal environment to keep didymo alive for long periods of time and
that under normal conditions cleaning products failed to penetrate the sole
and kill the damaging alga. "We are advising anglers to use a rubber
alternative to felt soled boots that will dry rapidly and is easily cleaned.
It appears that felt soles can only be successfully decontaminated by
onerous cleaning requirements such as soaking in hot water of at least 40
degrees for 10 minutes or more. As a consequence we urge anglers to only use
these boots if that use can be restricted to one river."

He acknowledged that some anglers may feel the advice was unduly alarmist.
"The threat posed by felt soles is so significant and the implications of
didymo so serious that we simply cannot afford to ignore the information
that has become available. We ask all anglers to act on this advice now".

Mr Smith emphasised that while felt soled boots are a significant high risk
vector for spreading didymo it is important to recognise that anything that
stays wet could carry didymo. "Kayaks, fishing gear, swimming togs or even
the pet dog could carry the single celled organism. The major risk though is
likely to come from items that stay wet for long periods of time and are
difficult to clean with detergent or household disinfectant."

Soaking in a 5% solution of dishwashing liquid or household detergent is
recommended for decontaminating equipment or clothing - other than felt
soled boots that is! Mr Smith said that a recent inspection of South Island
rivers contaminated by didymo had highlighted the risk the alga posed. "It
was devastating to see the areas where didymo had bloomed. Unfortunately
didymo likes the same type of conditions as trout and is doing best in the
top fisheries. The only way its spread will be limited is if members of the
public take responsibility for their own actions. Check, clean and dry now
or risk of losing further quality rivers".

He suggested, however that it was not all bad news and there was room for
cautious optimism. "In most cases it is easy and cheap to decontaminate
equipment. We are also rapidly learning more about didymo. The critical
thing is at this stage is to limit the further spread of didymo while
advanced detection and control methods are developed by researchers - which
makes this summer more important than ever!"

ENDS

Steve Smith

Regional Manager

Fish & Game New Zealand

Private Bag 30 10

ROTORUA

07 3575501 (Tel)






"Dave LaCourse" wrote in message
...
This was posted on a fly fishing forum in both NH and ME:

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Fly Fishing Guide Lawton Weber discovered the invasive algae Didymo on
the upper Connecticut River on June 25, 2007.
Here is what he wrote...

On a sad note that ALL anglers in Vermont need to be aware of, I
discovered an invasive algae this past weekend on the Big C. I've
contacted the state and they're in the process of testing the algae,
but having seen this nasty algae in New Zealand over the past 4 years,
I'm all but certain about what I saw. This algae resembles cardboard
colored toilet paper, and clings to rocks where it can cover the rocky
streambed of rivers and streams. It tends to prefer clear, infertile
streams, which means most all of Vt. would qualify. It hangs up on
your nymphs, and spin anglers can get clumps of it on almost every
cast. It seemed quite widespread from Lyman Brook downstream on the
Big C (which means the spores are ALL the way downstream on the Big
C). As I told my fellow TU members this past weekend, we have to clean
our gear after we fish the Big C. A 5% bleach solution, 5% saline
solution, 5%+ of laundary detergent all in hot tap water and dunked
completely for atleast 2 minutes. This means your waders, boots, and
your reel if you plan on fishing soon after hitting the Big C. Just
because you don't fish for 3+ days, does NOT mean your felt soles are
dry enough to kill Didymo. All it takes to spread this algae is 1 part
per million! So, everything in contact with the water should be
cleaned. If this were to get into our more clear, infertile water like
the Mad and White rivers, instead of seeing gin clear water down to a
light colored rock and gravel bottom, you'd see a cardboard brown
bottom which would make the river look dingy. The streambed would be
covered in a mat of this crap. I've seen it in N.Z. and they're taking
it very seriously. It has been found in Quebec, B.C., Tennesee, the
Dakotas, and some rocky mtn. states, and I believe some mid-atlantic
states. Please, please do not be complacent on this, clean your gear
after fishing the Big C! We'll only have ourselves to blame otherwise,
and speaking from experiance fishing in it in some streams in N.Z.,
you don't want to deal with it. I actually leave a seperate set of
boots and waders at my place in N.Z. so I don't spread it anywhere.
One good option to start is considering buying a pair of boots with a
rubber "aquastealth" sole; it by NO means gives you a free pass not to
clean, but it does reduce the risk as the inner part of a felt sole
can stay damp enough for days on end. Ok, that being said, fish early
and fish late, and keep your thermometer handy. Good luck on the
water!

From the Burlington Free Press..

Invasive species found along Connecticut River

Published: Saturday, July 7, 2007
brFree Press Staff Report


As if people didn't have enough environmental perils to worry about,
now there's a new one with an old nickname: snot.

The common name is didymo (short for Didymosphenia geminata), a
nuisance algae native to Europe and Asia. It's also known as "rock
snot," apparently because that's what it looks like when it forms
dense masses in rivers and streams.

Didymo was spotted on the upper reaches of the Connecticut River, near
Bloomfield, on June 25, the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources
reported in a news release Friday. The sighting later was confirmed by
a Denver-based expert on the species.

When didymo forms thick mats on the bottoms of rivers and streams, it
can smother aquatic plants and destroy fish habitat, according to the
agency.

"Dense mats of didymo can harm populations of aquatic insects which
form an important source of food for fishes, including trout," said
Steve Fisk, a biologist with the agency's Department of Environmental
Conservation.

Boaters, kayakers and anglers can spread didymo, which has appeared in
the last few years in western and southeastern states.

The recommended measures for containing the spread of didymo go a bit
beyond those for Eurasian milfoil. "Check, clean and dry," is the
injunction that New Zealand came up with after didymo showed up there
in 2004.

"Check" means removing all obvious clumps of algae and looking for
hidden clumps when leaving a river or stream.

"Clean" means soaking and scrubbing all items for at least a minute in
either hot water or a 2 percent solution of household bleach.

If cleaning isn't practical, the item can be dried for 48 hours. That
should be enough to kill the didymo.

"You can't always see it," said aquatic biologist Angela Shambaugh,
because small clumps can find their way into crevices and might not be
visible. In some cases, drying might be more effective than cleaning.

The algae prefer running water, so rivers and streams are more in
danger than lakes.



Here's the current proper cleaning methods as listed by the New
Zealand Government The above article did not list the correct method.

Cleaning Methods for Didymo

Didymo is a single-celled micro-organism that can spread from one
river or lake to another by the movement of water, equipment, clothing
and any other damp item. People and their activities are the main
cause of spread.

To ensure you don't spread didymo or other aquatic pests, wherever
possible restrict equipment, boats, clothing and other items for
exclusive use in a single waterway between cleaning.

If you are moving items between waterways, you must Check, Clean, Dry.

CHECK: Before you leave a river or lake, check items and leave debris
at site. If you find any later, treat and put in rubbish. Do not wash
down drains.

CLEAN: There are several ways to kill didymo. Choose the most
practical treatment for your situation which will not adversely affect
your gear.

* Non-absorbent items
o Detergent: soak or spray all surfaces for at least one minute in 5%
dishwashing detergent or nappy cleaner (two large cups or 500 mls with
water added to make 10 litres); OR
o Bleach: soak or spray all surfaces for at least one minute in 2%
household bleach (one small cup or 200 mls with water added to make 10
litres); OR
o Hot water: soak for at least one minute in very hot water kept above
60 °C (hotter than most tap water) or for at least 20 minutes in hot
water kept above 45 °C (uncomfortable to touch).

* Absorbent items require longer soaking times to allow thorough
saturation.
For example, felt-soled waders requi
o Hot water: soak for at least 40 minutes in hot water kept above 45
°C; OR
o Hot water plus detergent: soak for 30 minutes in hot water kept
above 45 °C containing 5% dishwashing detergent or nappy cleaner; OR

* Freezing any item until solid will also kill didymo.

DRY: Drying will kill didymo, but slightly moist didymo can survive
for months. To ensure didymo cells are dead by drying, the item must
be completely dry to the touch, inside and out, then left dry for at
least another 48 hours before use.


If you are moving items between waterways, you must Check, Clean, Dry.

If cleaning or drying is not practical, restrict equipment to a single
waterway.
http://www.biosecurity.govt.nz/pests...plants/didymo/

Mods, is there any way to make a sticky post with the proper cleaning
methods?
Spread the word folks, CHECK, CLEAN, DRY

If you fish the Connecticut River please clean all your equipment as
suggested in the about article. This is very scary stuff and will
effect us all as trout fisherman. Do a search for New Zealand Didymo
and see for yourself. Not good!!
Please spread the word to everyone you know, this stuff is a REAL
threat to our trout and salmon fisheries and it is spread very easily.
We can't drop the ball on this one!!
Pass the word folks!!
CHECK, CLEAN, DRY,

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

George Adams: You fish the CT up north, I believe. Have you heard
anything about this? If it's up there, it will soon be throughout NE.
Stream cancer without a cure...... scarey. This could endanger the
Deerfield, Westfield, and Farmington to name a few rivers. And Maine
is just over the horizon from the upper CT. I understand that there
are rivers out west that are also infected, as well as some in Quebec.

Dave