DIDYMO Didymosphenia geminata

As most anglers know the use of felt sole boots will be ban in Missouri on 3/1/12. The reason is DIDYMO. The following in this blog is an exclamation on what it is and how it spreads.
Native To: Northern Europe and northern North America (Vancouver Island)

Date of U.S. Introduction: Was present in Canada in the late 1800s, but did not begin to cause problems until the early 1990s. It was present in the rivers of the Western U.S. by 2004, and it was first discovered east of the Mississippi River in 2005 in Tennessee.
Means of Introduction: Exact pathway unknown, but it spreads easily through contaminated boats and fishing gear
Impact: Can result in dense algal blooms that block sunlight and disrupt ecological processes, causing a decline in native plant and animal life
Current U.S. Distribution: Scattered populations exist throughout the United States, including New England, the Mid-Atlantic Region, and the Western U.S.

What other States are finding Out

Didymosphenia geminata, an algal species historically inhabiting clear, low-nutrient streams, appears to be expanding its geographic range and broadening its environmental tolerances. This diatom , commonly known as “Didymo,” was recently identified as an invasive species in New Zealand - the first confirmed record in the southern hemisphere.  In the United States, nuisance blooms of Didymosphenia geminata are increasingly reported by the public and media. Nuisance blooms have been observed in Rapid Creek since May 2002 with the greatest mat densities observed near Johnson Siding

A stream assessment was conducted to determine the impact of D. geminata blooms on the benthic organisms in Rapid Creek.  Biological and water quality samples were collected monthly from May through October 2005 and 2006 at five monitoring sites located between Pactola Reservoir and Canyon Lake   Monitoring is also being conducted in May, August, and October 2007 and is scheduled to resume again in May 2008.

A DENR bioassessment report“lts and analysis of the water quality and biological monitoring conducted in 2005 and 2006. This report indicates that nuisance blooms of D. geminata have likely altered the taxonomic composition of benthic macroinvertebrate and algal communities in Rapid Creek.

What’s didymo?

It’s a microscopic alga known as a diatom that’s invading our rivers and streams. Didymosphenia geminata, also known as ‘rock snot’ or ‘didymo’, can smother entire stream beds with mats as thick as eight inches and can ruin just about any river or creek.

What does it look like?

Didymo can be found on rocks in moving water and is often mistaken for fiberglass or toilet tissue. Unlike most other algae, didymo feels like wet cotton and isn’t slimy. It is generally brown, tan or yellow in color.

Where is it?

The white River in Arkansas is the closest it is to us.  The following is the Missouri Conservation link to all the information you will need to know.

http://mdc.mo.gov/newsroom/mdc-bans-porous-soled-waders-help-protect-trout-waters-invasive-algae

Be sure to be informed because we don't need this in the Current or any of our trout streams.

Fly Tying For Your Water

We all have the one or two special flies in our arsenal of flies that we have faith in to be the best at catching fish, It may be a Crackle Back, Wooly Bugger, Scud, Bead Head Midge, or a Marabou Jig. What ever it is you have the faith and that's 85% of why it works for you. Most anglers don't think about how their fly was made, they just walk into the fly shop and buy it ready made. The fly tyers among us know the ego boost of catching a fish on our own hand tied fly unique to us. Just something about building a fly and presenting it to a fish and WHAM they like it. Other anglers ask what you are catching all your fish on and you show them, then they ask where do I buy them, You answer "You can't buy them anywhere I tied it."
Being in the fly shop I talk to anglers about every day that come in asking if I have a fly of which I have never heard of. I ask where they have seen it and they answer " Some guy on the stream was just killing the fish with it and he told me it was A Dingle Berry Dropper." I ask what it looked like and I hear all kinds of answers, but the fact that the man saw another angler catch one fish after another on that fly has sold it to that man.
After a few more questions and looking through all 200+ assorted flies I have and nothing is matching I know that was a home made hand tied invention of a fly tyer that fishes the Current River or other trout waters in MO, or AR. That angler has at some time seen an insect or something that the fish were feeding on and has made his own concoction of feathers and tread to represent it, and it worked.
Flies at most shops cost from $.95 to $2.35 each, and we go through them like crazy. Either to loosing them off weak knots, fish taking them apart, or a wild back cast. What ever the cause money is left hanging on a fish or limb up and down the river. The fact is you can actually set down on a cold snowy day and produce the $2.35 fly for only a few pinnies
Yes their is some start up cost involved, and patents to be tied, but in the long run you have picked up a skill and hobby that will bring you hours of enjoyment both at home and on the water. Let us look at the start up cost.

1. Vice From $15.00 to $400.00 Later is farm from what you need at first.
2. Tread $.89 to $3.00
3. Hackle. $20.00 for 100 flies.
4. Feathers CDC $2.00 
5. Chenille $1.69
6. Hooks 25 count $4.89 to $6.00
7. Head Cement. $3.29
8. Dubbing $1.99
9. Bobbin $2.39
10. Deer Hair Patch $2.35
11. Scissors $0. borrow the wife's. 

Put about $25.00 with that and your ready to start a hobby. and will have about $150.00 worth of flies of you own. as with any hobby it will grow & grow. depending on what species of fish your tying for. From Blue Gill to Tarpon. I have a lady customer that came in in August just starting to get into tying and teaching her grand children. She spent $35.00 first trip in and last week she returned whit a huge smile and a hand full of blue Gill jigs they had tied. She bought $259.00 in supplies for the winter. She actually stated that her grand children was spending more time tying and less time texting on the phone.
The main excuse I hear from folks is " I don't have the parents for it." or "I could never do that." I hear that from guy's who will set in a tree stand for hour on hour waiting on a deer to cross their path. And they don't have patents? There are hours of veido on YouTube about how to tie flies and recipes of flies. Aslo if you are a fly fisherman You don't have to look far to find a friend that will be more than glad to show off his skills to you. Or many fly shops have people who will give you a great start down the road to that new hobby, Drop by our shop and I will be glad to help you!

Trout Park Ethics

As we know when large groups of people enjoy a sport or event of any kind their are unwritten rules we have to adhere to for everyone to enjoy the event. For example if we attend a ball game we don't want a person setting in front of us to have on a very large hat that blocks our view. Or someone who has had to much to drink using foul language in front of our children. Fishing has some of the same things to contend with.
The Trout Parks are a very different fishing environment than the wild river experience. On weekends they may have 800+ anglers on a two mile stretch of river all jocking for the best place to fish. Parents with their children, elderly, and weekend anglers, Bait anglers, first time anglers, fly fishing anglers, & the trout park pro all compete side by side for the enjoyment of the outdoors and catching fish. The all have their own thought of how the day should go and all these ideas sometimes don't mix.
The Parks are divided into sections for each set of anglers. The bait area, fly section, catch & release section. The bait area caters to the weekend anglers, first time anglers & the older folk to set in a chair and read a book while waiting for a fish to bite. Fly water has a mix of spin cast and fly rod fishing which both can be used with jigs & flies. This is the first place we see conflicts between anglers. The spin cast anglers and fly anglers sometimes don't understand the mechanics of each others actions. The fly angler have a long back cast with longer drifts than the spin cast angler. The spin cast anglers employees a longer up stream and down stream cast with little or no drift just retrieve back to the reel. The spin cast anglers tend to move about the river quicker and do less sight fishing, the shot gun type of angling is their style. While the fly angler depends more on sight fishing and price presentation to a specific fish.
The mane things we see that causes a conflict is anglers walking behind a fly angler when he is doing a back cast not knowing someone behind them. Or spin casters casting over the fly anglers drift. We also hear complaints from the fly anglers about the spin caste rigs even being allowed in the fly water. The fly area are limited in the type of lures both anglers use. Most true flies can not be cast with spin cast rigs, and most of the jigs used by the spin casters use don't work well on a fly rod. But the fly area anglers of both sets tend to release their fish more than in the bait area so the area has more fish through out the day.
The bait areas tend to be the biggest areas of the parks. These areas are stocked at the same ratios of fish as all the other sections of the park. This is where the weekenders tend to fish to get a meal for the family. They tend to fish closer together and also tend to have more patents with fellow anglers. They tend to bring more comforts of home with them to the rivers edge. Coolers, picnic baskets, chairs, rod holders, you name it, it will appear on the bank. They tend to spend hours in one spot watching a bobber & reading a book or just taking a nap. To a majority of the folks this is relaxation and enjoying the outdoors. I tend to agree this is also fishing. But with some of the TROUT PARK PROS these people get in their way of looking for big fish. Their is where the big complaint happens. The bank walker have sections of the water they can't scout for big fish because of the anglers setting in the chairs along the bank. They call them bank squatters. And they tend to gather at the stocking areas. These areas also tend to be pretty much fished out early in the day.
Then there are Handicapped areas placed around the parks for the folks that can not walk the bank or wade. these areas are well marked. This is another hot area for complaints. Both the fly anglers and the spin casters walk or wade in front of these areas with no regard for the handicap anglers using them.

Why do we forget this when fishing? It's simple we are so wrapped up in the actual thoughts of the event at hand we forget we are not alone. We as anglers are so tunnel visioned in on the hook up of a fish we simply don't think about others until we are our self bothered by another angler who happened to wander into our bubble of consecration.

Other than adding a list of don't and do things it is so easy if you just reed the golden rule and remember it while on the stream. Then understand that some of the other anglers are not thinking like you. And teach your children how to do this while they are fishing by demonstrating it to them, point out the people who are not being a considerate to others, and explain to them how they can keep from being looked at like that person.

The Trout Park is a public put and take fishery. They draw from all the gamut of people, Rich, Poor, all religions, all ethnic, sober, intoxication, The same people who have road rage are fishing by the same people who have cut them off on the highway. The next rule is to have Patients and just Think about the rule above. You will have a great day.

Trout Park Advantages

A Missouri Trout Park is not a unique place in the world of trout angling. Catch & Pay trout ranches around the nation have been operating for profit for decades in many States. The concept of the Trout Park was made to present the opportunity of angling for a non native species of fish available to the general Missouri Public.
.The following is a history of Trout In Missouri written By Spencer Turner
Missouri’s modern trout program began with a shipment of rainbow trout eggs in 1880 from the McCloud River federal egg-taking station on the McCloud River in northern California. The eggs arrived at Missouri’s first fish hatchery in St. Joseph, where they hatched. The fry and fingerling trout were stocked in streams and spring branches along the railroad between St. Louis, Springfield and Joplin.
Some streams we know about: Meramec River, Spring River near Vernon and Crane Creek near Crane. Others, like Spring Creek, Little Piney River and Mill Creek, also might have been stocked.
In 1882, the Missouri Fish Commission reported Missouri rainbows spawning for the first time in Crane Creek and Spring River. Between 1880 and 1890, Missouri received several rainbow egg shipments before the St. Joseph hatchery shut down because of a declining water supply as the city grew.
This first hatchery was replaced by a carp hatchery in Forest Park in St. Louis. Emphasis shifted from stocking a few trout every couple of years to producing carp and stocking them throughout the state. The Missouri Fish Commission hired a German fish culturist and brought him to Missouri to raise carp.
Trout stocking and fishing took another large jump in 1890 when the Neosho Federal Fish Hatchery opened and began producing and stocking rainbows in Missouri, Oklahoma and Arkansas streams from broodstock provided from the St. Joseph hatchery. For the next few years, until the 1920s, most Missouri trout came from Neosho. They stocked primarily rainbows but also brown trout, lake trout, cutthroat trout and even Atlantic and Pacific salmon.
Stocking was indiscriminate, with little consideration given to where or what streams or ponds were stocked. In looking through the archives of the Neosho hatchery, I realized if you knew someone at the hatchery, you could probably have trout stocked in your stream or lake.
Maybe the most interesting story from the archives was of the "German Girl" and problems the hatchery manager faced. She was never named in the memoranda and letters but caused enough problems that the Kansas City Catholic bishop became involved, and the manager ultimately lost his job. However, that’s a story for another time.
Missouri’s trout program took off in the 1920s and ’30s when the state acquired Bennett Springs, Roaring River and Montauk for state parks and hatcheries and Sequeota Hatchery in Springfield. They all were private hatcheries before the state purchased them. Most rainbow trout they produced were stocked in spring branches and streams near the hatcheries. The original broodstock for the three hatcheries came from Neosho and were what became the "Missouri Strain" rainbow trout, a hatchery trout strain now recognized nationally by fish culturists.
Trout stocking in Missouri changed little between 1900 through 1937 when Missouri citizens passed a constitutional amendment establishing the Missouri Conservation Commission and Missouri Department of Conservation.
MDC restricted rainbow stocking to the three state parks and a few cold-water spring branches open to public fishing. MDC added Maramec Springs, a private trout park, in the 1960s.
Brown trout had a checkered history in Missouri’s trout program. The Neosho federal hatchery stocked brown trout first in 1892 in streams near Neosho. These fish came from Northville Federal Hatchery in Michigan, one of three hatcheries in the country to receive brown trout eggs from the Rhine River in Germany and Loch Leven in Scotland.
As near as I could determine from the hatchery logs and Missouri Fish Commission reports, those early stockings were unsuccessful. The stocked browns didn’t live long or reproduce like the early rainbow stockings. Brown trout stocking was discontinued in the 1930s until the 1960s.
Brown trout came back into Missouri’s trout program in 1967, when MDC received brown trout eggs from the federal hatchery in Decorah, Iowa. Those browns were the same strain as first stocked from Neosho. MDC hatched the eggs at Montauk Hatchery and stocked the small browns in the Current, North Fork of the White and Meramec rivers. Anglers caught a few large browns in both the Current River and North Fork of White River. Success was limited. Anglers caught only a few large browns.
The eggs proved difficult to hatch. Fry and fingerlings experienced high hatchery mortality. Brood stock experienced a chronic disease. Once stocked, the small browns quickly disappeared - likely food for smallmouth bass and other predators. Those few survivors grew large.
That’s when your humble reporter, at the time a young biologist, fresh out of graduate school, supporting a wife and three young hatchlings, received his first assignment: to evaluate the brown trout releases and what happened to them.
Along with evaluating those first brown trout stockings, hatchery managers destroyed the Montauk brood stock. MDC began looking for a disease-free brown trout replacement. Finding disease-free browns proved difficult. Our search ended at a Utah hatchery on a tributary stream to Flaming Gorge Reservoir, Sheep Creek. The hatchery used wild browns, migrating each year from Flaming Gorge Reservoir to the hatchery as brood stock.
We hatched the Flaming Gorge brown trout eggs at Shepherd of the Hills Hatchery in Branson and established a brood stock for future stockings. However, along the way something neat happened. Mature browns stocked in Lake Taneycomo from the wild Flaming Gorge strain, began migrating each fall upstream, back to the hatchery, not only creating one of the best brown trout fisheries in the nation, but also providing a source of brown trout eggs for the hatchery. It was a win-win for the angling public and Missouri’s hatchery system.
These brown trout were wilder than the original browns from Michigan and Iowa hatcheries and were heavier for a given body length. They lived longer after stocking and grew larger than the first browns.
We still had a problem with high egg mortality in the hatchery and understanding why Missouri browns didn’t spawn successfully in our spring branches. We learned that if they were protected from early harvest by anglers, they grew large and spawned, but unsuccessfully, in our spring branches.
I discovered our spring branches flowing from the ground at 58 degrees were too warm during October and November when browns spawned.
A blinding flash of the obvious: Shepherd of the Hills Hatchery had the capability to regulate water temperatures during brown trout egg incubation. Hatchery managers reduced water temperatures to less than 53 degrees. Egg survival increased to almost 100 percent. This allowed hatchery and fisheries managers to stock brown trout in many more trout streams in Missouri, establishing a trophy trout fishery.
Although small, Missouri’s trout program is one of the oldest in the nation and one of the most respected.
And you, the trout angler, has benefited from this program. Take time this year to visit and fish Missouri’s trout parks or special trout management streams. Enjoy one of the best-managed trout fisheries in the country. And, if you should encounter an old, rotund, fly-rod wielding, ex-fisheries biologist, tip your hat and fish on.

That we a quick look at the Missouri trout. Montauk Trout Park was bought by the State Of Missouri in 1926 on the headwaters of Current River. & a trout Park was born. Lodging, Camping, & other comforts were established for the public.
Missouri’s trout hatcheries are located at each of Missouri’s four trout parks and on Lake Taneycomo. They provide high-quality trout fishing on cold-water streams in Missouri. Trout Parks at Bennett Spring State Park near Lebanon, Montauk State Park near Salem and Roaring River State Park near Cassville are operated in cooperation with the Department of Natural Resources. Maramec Spring Park near St. James stocks catchable-size trout nightly from March 1 through Oct. 31. It is operated in conjunction with The James Foundation. Shepherd of the Hills Hatchery, Missouri’s largest trout hatchery, is located near the upper portion of Lake Taneycomo near Branson.
Montauk State Park is home to one of four trout parks in the state of Missouri. Since its acquisition in 1926, the 1,393 acre park has been one of the most popular vacation spots in Missouri. The fast-flowing, spring-fed headwaters of the Current River make Montauk an ideal home for rainbow trout and the scenic valley creates a pleasing atmosphere for fishing enthusiasts and vacationers.
Montauk Hatchery began operation in 1932 with the current production facilities being built in the 1960’s and early 1970’s. The hatchery produces and stocks between 300,000 to 400,000 trout a year. On average the park is stocked with 200,000 trout each year. Montauk Hatchery also provides trout for Maramec Spring Hatchery; five White Ribbon Trout areas; and the St. Louis Urban Winter Trout Fishing areas.
For a more on the history and operation of the Montauk Hatchery follow this link.http://mdc.mo.gov/sites/default/files/resources/2010/05/5862_3703.pdf
Stay tuned for more on Missouri Trout Parks.

 

 

Anothe Great Weekend

Yes the rain and cold are gone away for a few day's long enough to give us a great weekend tomorrow and Sunday. We have a diehard bunch of die hard fly anglers that rain wind sleet or snow don't bother when it comes to fishing for the trophy trout below the park. During the cold rain yesterday which would chill you to the bone they were out catching some 20" Bows and browns.
Nymping was what was catching the fish for them. European style nymphing is catching on big time here. A longer rod is the choice a 5# 10 to 11' rod is used the bottom bounce the nymphs then lift them back for another drift without having to cast. A tungsten bead head nymph rigged with a Fish Pimp indicator. It is a simple and productive way of drawing the fish out into the feed flow of the stream. The presentation is directly down stream in the mane flow off of the shoal break. The fish take the nymph most of the time at the beginning of the drift or just as the current lifts it off the bottom. This presentation will also give you the option to drift the fly in a more natural drift. in places you can't with a normal cast.
The Copper John, Zebra midge, Hares Ear, Silvey's BH Pupa, Prince BH, Zug Bug, BH Palomino caddis, Pellet Fly, & M's Biotic Nymph are great little guy's to fish in this way. When your drifting the fly in this manner you will have more control of the fly in the drift and easier hook setsYou control the drift from the rod not the line. The size flies should be #18-20-22. Depending on the clarity of the stream tippet should be 5X to 7X floating weight fordward line works best for control of the drift.

Catch & Release

We Start the 2011-12 catch & Release trout season here on 11/11/11. Montauk will have 3= miles of the Current river stocked with over 6000 rainbow trout from a 12" to 10= lbs stocked for the season. To be able to fish this area you need only a valid Missouri trout stamp, no other fee will be charged. The area rules are basically fly only rules. No natural scented or live bait, no dough baits, single hook only, Spinner baits with single hooks are legal, Spin cast rods are allowed, fishing times are 8 A.M to 4 P.M.
Some of the better files to use are the tri color Egg Pattern, Crackle Back, Copper John, Zebra Midge, Wilcox Midge, Olive #8 to 16 woolly bugger. These flies will get fish on your line. On spin cast options should include the Line Backer Jigs in white/pink, Tri color Egg Pattern in 32 nt oz, Rooster tail spinners 1/16th oz and 1/32 oz. gold blade, Zinger Spinner Baits, The Reeds Special spinners.
All areas of the park that during the catch and keep season are now going to be FLY AREA ONLY during the catch & Release season.  The blue ribbon area below the park will be under the regular season rules that you can keep one rainbow or brown trout 18" or larger, Fly Only. Below the Blue Ribbon area is open to the catch & Keep rules. From Cedar Grove to Akers Ferry, Daily limit of four trout any size can be taken with a possession limit of eight. Dough bait or any lure can be used. Camping can be found inside Montauk State Park 573-548-2201. Cabins are available at Reeds Cabins & Fly Shop 573-548-2222. We also have Pizza.
Don't let the cold winter weather keep you away. Remember the water temp is 57 degrees year round in the stream. So put your waders on over a couple of layers of warn clothing and catch some trout.Stop in the shop for a cup of hot coffee to warm up and get the latest tips and information.

Fishing

Fly fishing is easy for me but this Blog stuff is making my head hurt.