Another very sobering note

This was posted on a fly fishing forum in both NH and ME:

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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,

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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