Oh, the life of a river fisherman… Too much rain, not enough rain, what to do? Well the “dry” streak continues and most of the rivers are really low and clear with the lower temperatures we now have at night and no rain. It looks like we might get some rain later this week and that will bring some rivers up and some fresh coho and chum in. For now anglers have been doing okay in the Fraser back channels for coho on the fly and spinners and spoons. Check out the blog post last week for info on fly and spinner choices. If the rain comes the rivers and creeks will rise and the staging coho and chum will make a break for it. The rain is forecast for Thursday and Friday, so the weekend could be good…
Have you heard of Rock Snot? Well you will likely be hearing more about it. This is important info that you need to know! Please read on!
The algae is microscopic and can spread in a single drop of water and experts agree that it likely spread on the bottom of felt-soled wader boots e.g., fishermen however anything that moves water or microbes can spread Didymo. It has spread quickly from a small area on Vancouver Island and scientists say it is now a “global invasive species,” spreading rapidly within B.C and to locations such as Iceland, New Zealand, and across North America including Alberta, Quebec, and New Brunswick.
All persons accessing waters in the Thompson-Shuswap are being advised to remove stream water/mud/dirt from all field equipment/gear prior to leaving the waterbody and to disinfect field gear (waders, fishing gear, gloves, nets, buckets, floats, etc) to prevent further spread of this aquatic invasive species.
Disinfection procedures include:
Freezing until solid.
Submersion in very hot water (45C), with detergent if possible.
Soaking in bleach solution (200 ml or 1¾ cups bleach + 10L water).
Drying item until completely dry and then dry for at least another 48hrs before use.
The use of felt-soled waders is also being strongly discouraged as they are the ‘major pathway for dispersal of these aquatic hitchhikers’ and difficult to disinfect. Newly developed rubber-soled wader boots are available. Although drying will kill didymo, even slightly moist didymo can survive for months.
The Ministry of Environment has provided this link regarding Didymo:
