Click the pic and look at the white didymo over the island centre background
DRIVING home over the Dam a couple of times in the last week, brought home how Didymo has returned _ lookdownstream all the gravel bars are a creamy white.
Didymo might be a north American native, but in these tailwaters (and a growing number of watersheds across the country) it is a noxious pest but one we have to live with. We want to make sure you go home from the White River with great memories and not a nasty hitchhiker in your wet wading gear.
Its pretty simple really just clean and dry your wading gear thoroughly. Waders, wading boots, waders, nets and anything given a dunking.
The procedure is pretty easy, the hard part is remembering. And it really is best done here before you drive home:
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Remove any visible plant matter or mud when you get out of the river.
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Use a 5% solution of salt water or dishwashing detergent to wash down your “hard items” like boats, rods lines etc. Soft items like waders, boots, nets and flies need a 30 minute soak. The AGFC also suggests you can use a 2% bleach solution, but that would be our least favored option for our gear.
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If possible, dry gear thoroughly _ at least 48 hours.
One thing we have been a little shocked about is the resistance to the Trout Unlimited campaign to ban felt soled boots, but perhaps that is because we live with didymo every day, and its one thing we don’t want to share.
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In case any other inquiring minds out there want to know what is a 5% salt solution. To simplify this chemistry lesson, suffice it to say that in 1 gallon of water(128 oz), you need to add 7 ounces of salt (7/135 = 0.05185). And for practical purposes, 7 ounces of salt is almost a cup, so one could use the salt method by combining one gallon of water and one cup of salt.
Nice one Tim, thanks for the math. should have though of it myself.
No doubt didymo is a curse that many rivers here in the USA and worldwide now suffer, not to mention all the other invasive species.
For the best will in the world banning felt soled waders is not going to solve the problem, there are many more ways didy can be transferred by both humans and other wildlife that move from one water source to another.
To name a few.
Waders and gravel guards
Landing nets
Fly lines and flies.
Boats, trailers, live wells, motors
Further more many use felt waders and do not habit trout streams, all be it we see the incidence more so evident in our trout streams.
Not all waters suit didymo, here in the US we tend to see its incidence more so related to tailwaters.
In many cases the transfer is due to a time period from use on one water to another.
If there is any help it is for anglers to take precautions when fishing different waters
So far as l am concerned it is the wader boot industry that is using this as a means to promote sales of non felt product, which by and large are worthless, they have a very reduced ability for safe wading, and l can testify to that one.
All be it the White is a easy river to wade most of the time.
A very similar scenario took place when lead shot was banned in favor of non toxic shot, which by and large results in way more injury than death to wildfowl and results in more birds dying at a later stage than those harvested for the limit.
I used to guide wildfowl and goose hunters and saw immediately the difference when we had to move from lead to NT shot.
Same scenario for waters than ban the use of lead shot for fishing. Pollution and mortality caused by humans is way worse, they are the issues needed to be delt with.
Not to mention discarded fishing line and all else we trash waterways with.
Davy
While I agree with a lot of your sentiments Davy I totally disagree with your assessment of non felt products.
As I mentioned to you elsewhere felt is no miracle product, which is seems is being now deified by others, studs were the answer to a lack of grip with felt on certain surfaces.
Studs are the answer to a lack of grip with felt.
I spent some time with some serious BC and Pac NWsteelheaders last week in denver discussing this issue, as they have some of the toughest wading around.
The answer is the same on many surfaces the Vibram rubber is very good, but there will always be some surfaces you need to add studs.
Rubber soles are not the total answer to stopping ANS. Cleaning you gear, or using seperate sets of gear, is the answer. But felt has been banned in NZ because it is very difficult to clean, unlike the other items you mention.
Incidentally NZ dna tests have proven their didymo came from the US, and further research shows waterbird transmission is extremely unlikely unless the watersheds were very close.
Sometimes we have to take responsibility for our actions even if it means we have to change our routines.
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