Biosecurity

[Aducker]

Being a bass fisherman for many years, we used to come home and wash down the boat, motor and trailer and sometimes I would get real anal and wash off my lures too.
We did this to prevent spread of aquatic matter from pond to pond.

I try to apply the same logic to fishing in streams now also. I rinse my boots and waders off and I just recently heard that I should rinse my net off also which never occured to me until just heard someone talking about it.

I'm wondering if what I've been doing, which is just rinsing with a garden hose is enough or if I should be using a soap mixture or something else?

Sorry if this was discussed in a much older thread in advance.

 

[pcray1231]

It's been discussed in multiple threads and us trout guys are bad at this. You're right the bass crowd has always been much more enlightened about it. But this is changing with Didymo and mud snails and things like that.

In short, for most things we should be concerned about, rinsing with water and then drying your gear 100% before going to a new waterway does it. That said, a lot of equipment stays at least a little wet a lot longer than we think. Especially boots. Felt is the worst but even the uppers often hold water. Anything soft that soaks through, really, so yeah, some nets too.

Also, completely freezing any gear that would retain water will kill the nasties too.

As far as chemical methods, yeah, that's probably best. Bleach will do it, obviously, but might also harm your equipment. I'm not sure where the latest recommendations are.

FWIW, for me personally the jam is one of my major concerns. I'm camping, so completely drying or freezing are not options. It will be for multiple days, and I will be going to multiple streams per day, so nor do I have anywhere near enough equipment to only wear in one location. And Spring Creek now has mud snails that I don't want to transfer. I will have to bring a tub and some sort of chemical treatment, and be anal about it. But then I won't have a drain available, so do I just dump that crap out somewhere? That doesn't seem right either.

 

[Aducker]

OK thanks. I'll do another search and read some more.

 

[Chaz]

We don't do it as a group, but I am careful about where I go with my stuff. I've had to clean my stuff real well after returning from Yellowstone, because they have both mud snails and didymo out there. I'm going to do another cleaning after this weekend if I fish Spring Creek. When I go to Camp, if I fish Pine Creek I'll have to clean everyone again.
It sucks really. People go to places where it's known these pests occur, and don't clean their stuff and spread it around.

 

[gutcutter]

pcray1231 wrote:
...As far as chemical methods, yeah, that's probably best. Bleach will do it, obviously...

... for me personally the jam is one of my major concerns. I'm camping, so completely drying or freezing are not options. It will be for multiple days, and I will be going to multiple streams per day, so nor do I have anywhere near enough equipment to only wear in one location...

...I will have to bring a tub and some sort of chemical treatment, and be anal about it. But then I won't have a drain available, so do I just dump that crap out somewhere?...

Nice to hear this concern.
A five gallon bucket and 10% clorox to water should do. Soak for at least two minutes.
A wash tub works if there are multiple people that need to soak at the same time
If you are in the camprgound, you can use the "gray water" sewage dump to dispose of your waste. Of course, check with the campground first, but it shouldn't be a problem. That's what we have always done on extended trips like that.

 

[jbummy]

Great info guys !! Thanks for the education !!!!

 

[geebee]

FWIW, for me personally the jam is one of my major concerns. I'm camping, so completely drying or freezing are not options. It will be for multiple days, and I will be going to multiple streams per day, so nor do I have anywhere near enough equipment to only wear in one location. And Spring Creek now has mud snails that I don't want to transfer. I will have to bring a tub and some sort of chemical treatment, and be anal about it. But then I won't have a drain available, so do I just dump that crap out somewhere? That doesn't seem right either.

they don't have a shower block at the campground ?

I used to shower with my saltwater set up after a day out, i figure that would work for trout gear too.

you can also use white vinegar to kill nasties on your boots - buy a 4L bottle and a cat litter tray. pour it in, wash your boots.

my wife uses white vinegar for all her cleaning - or cinnamon oil. both are effective and have zero harm on the environment.

 

[dryflyguy]

I've been using my backup waders - along with an extra pair of wading boots - when fishing streams with didymo. Then when I finally get back home, soaking the boots in clorox mixture. Don't know about the rest of you guys - but my wife would never stand for me putting fishing boots in the freezer.
Now with mud snails in spring creek, a lot more concern for sure. I guess clorox kills those too?
I'll be fishing spring creek soon, and just wondering what you guys that are fishing it do now?

 

[geebee]

Don't know about the rest of you guys - but my wife would never stand for me putting fishing boots in the freezer.

to paraphrase WC Fields - get another freezer, or another wife !

:-D :lol:

 

[dryflyguy]

geebee wrote:

Don't know about the rest of you guys - but my wife would never stand for me putting fishing boots in the freezer.

to paraphrase WC Fields - get another freezer, or another wife !

:-D :lol:

A lot cheaper to get another freezer!

 

[pcray1231]

FWIW, yeah, at the campground I could use the gray water disposal. But most of the time I probably will not return to the campground between streams.

A very typical day would be to hit 1 or 2 smaller waters during the day then jump in the car, grab a bite to eat somewhere, and zip over to a larger stream for the evening. If the campground happens to be on the way of those travels, then yeah, you can stop, but more often than not you do not return.

So whatever the plan is will likely be along for the ride in the car. I do like the idea of a squirt bottle and a tub. The spray may be fine for waders but I doubt it'd soak through the boots?

With the tub, you'd have little option but to dump it in some roadside bushes or something. I'd assume, because of that, vinegar is better than diluted Clorox?

 

[blueheron]

Diluted bleach would not be considered a biohazard at a campground or any roadside area that is subject to motor vehicles and effectively kills any wayward hitchhikers. If we knew what really gets dumped into our watersheds we would be appalled.

 

[kbobb]

This has some good info - it seems to indicate that chemicals may not be the best choice for mud snails and indicates what kind of chemical cleaners to use - also that they are hard on gear

http://seagrant.oregonstate.edu/sgpubs/onlinepubs/g10001.pdf

 

[geebee]

Pc - yes that's why I'd use vinegar rather than Clorox . So it can go down the drain, in the bushes or if you have another bottle pour it into the second bottle.

I'm not being a wise guy here, but do you really need to wear wading boots in all locations ?

In DSW or Marshalls you can usually find very cheap sneakers or even boots in sizes 12-16.

I used to buy em for wet wading the cape cod flats in summer and then I'd bin them in the fall or use them for yard work . I don't think I ever paid more than 25 bucks a pair.

If you don't care how you look, that may be a help.