I probably shouldn’t even be giving this any ink but it has stirred at my inner being for most of the night and morning today, so I figure I better get it off my chest so I can move on.

Didymo, didymosphenia geminata or rock snot, is a nasty invasive algae that can cripple a trout stream. As it grows it is often described as looking like toilet paper stuck to the bottom of crystal clear and fast moving waters – ideal for trout. As the “snot” grows, it can destroy the aquatic life that trout feed on and just as importantly is sends the aquatic ecosystem into disarray.

Recently, didymo was confirmed as being in existence in the Upper Connecticut River, some prime trout habitat and a popular fishery as well as being frequented by canoers and kayakers. Shortly after this discovery, didymo was again found on the White River in Vermont and the most recent discovery occurring on the Batten Kill River in Vermont and at the border of New York State.

Not to sound like an alarmist or a defeatist but it may be safe to say the the waters of New England are beginning to take a hit from this invasive species. What overall impact this will have on our trout waters and economies remains to be seen.

When the first announcement came about the discovery of didymo in the Connecticut River, what I saw in my movement around the Internet were fishermen clamoring to get the word out. As a matter of fact some groups and individuals hustled around to get up signs in an effort to alert the people and hand out fliers with instructions on how to help stop the spread of this algae. This effort all done ahead of the efforts by state officials.

What I didn’t see or hear was bickering among sportsmen about whose fault it was, or who was going to be the ones to take credit for getting the word out. It was more of a unified effort. Any discussions about how didymo got to the waters of northern New England and how it is spreading were done with the attitude of education and enlightenment. I for one knew very little about didymo prior to this.

Yesterday, I was alerted to a thread that was posted at the forums of Fly Fishing in Maine. Although I have been a member of the Fly Fishing in Maine forums for quite some time, I almost never post there but like many places I frequent, I do so to read and find out what sportsmen are talking about. I have no ill feelings toward the website, its owners, administrators or members. Had a post like this shown up on my own website, I would have reacted in the same manner.

As I said at the beginning of this article, I shouldn’t be giving this my time but I feel it needs to be pointed out that in my opinion, the vast majority of fishermen, no matter what kind of rod they use or bait they cast, don’t feel as this person does. Here’s the post.

It is often said that fly fishing is the most noble form of our sport. Not only do we take fishing to an art form, but the majority of us show our target species and their ecosystems the utmost respect. Enter Didymo – our community takes up arms to defend against this paralyzing threat.
But what about the average joe tossing his worm on a hook? Is he aware and does he care?
Fishing is a leisure activity and its finest appeal is the relaxation it affords our tired bodies and souls. We work and toil our lives away and fishing gives us a moment of respite from the turmoil of life.
Who wants to interrupt this relaxation with hours of cleaning equipment, exchanging felt soles for rubber, navigating waterways to eliminate fishing infected areas, etc. The fly-fisherman will do this happily, because we know what’s at stake.
What about the rest?

It is troubling that there are actually individuals alive on this planet that believe that because they cast a fly onto the water, they are somehow more “noble” than let’s say someone opting to drown a worm. American Heritage Dictionary defines noble as 1. Of, in, or belonging to the nobility. 2. Having or showing qualities of high moral character…. 3. Superior in nature or character; exalted: a noble ideal.

When a person chooses to take up fly fishing, I would like to think they do it because of the challenges and enjoyment they get from all aspects of the sport not because they are looking to become an elite member of the fly fishing fraternity that thinks others don’t care. There is nothing wrong with wanting to fly fish. There is nothing wrong with spending gobs of money to enjoy the sport. There is nothing wrong with buying a Zebco rod and reel at Wal-Mart of $9.95, digging some worms out back and heading down to the local brook and catching the night’s supper. In my opinion both disciplines are “noble” when compared to many other things our society indulges in.

When we begin assuming attitudes of superiority, nobility and grandeur all because we think we are better than another because of how we choose to fish, it is a sad day for all outdoor sportsmen. We see all too often these days such attitudes more geared for the promotion of our own special interests than for what’s good for all, including the fisheries we all strive to protect.

For this person to suggest that because he is a member of an elite group of “noble” fishermen, he and his fellow anglers are the only ones who care enough to want to do anything about didymo, is absolutely absurd. It makes you wonder what other thoughts this person has toward his fellow man.

The most encouraging part of this post comes from the responses that follow. As of this writing there were 11 responses and not one of them agreed. I don’t for one minute believe that the majority or even a small minority of fishermen at Fly Fishing in Maine honestly feel that spinning rod fishermen don’t care whether didymo grows and spreads in New England waters. We all have differing ideas on how best to manage our fisheries and often times, as has been displayed during the latest legislative session, ideas clash and emotions run high. This debate is far better than sportsmen sitting at home not getting involved at all. It shows more and more of us care and are willing to step up to the microphone and be heard. Let the debating continue but posts like this one do absolutely nothing to further the cause of understanding and preventing the spread of this and other invasive species.

Tom Remington

The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services has posted a page at their website with contact information as to who to notify should you find outbreaks of the invasive algae, Didymo.

Sightings in New Hampshire
NH DES Limnology Center
29 Hazen Drive
Concord, NH 03301
603-271-2248 or 603-271-3414
asmagula@des.state.nh.us
or
jconnor@des.state.nh.us

Sightings in Vermont
Didymo identification, Water Quality Division
103 S. Main St., Bldg 10N, First Floor
Waterbury VT 05671-0408
(802) 241 – 3770 or 241 – 3777
Angela.Shambaugh@state.vt.us
or
Leslie.Matthews@state.vt.us

The site also contains information about the species and what can be done to stop the spread of the deadly algae.

Tom Remington

With the confirmation of the presence of didymo, a deadly algae, in the Upper Connecticut River and portions of the White River near Bethel, Vermont, officials will begin a sign campaign. Signs will be placed at boat launch sites, etc. to educate the public on how to avoid spreading this algae.

When officials get there with their signs, they may find some already put up by concerned fisherman who didn’t want to wait.

The Boston Globe has more on this.

Tom Remington

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The future of the East’s premier native trout is looking up, thanks to a coalition of state and federal agencies, academic institutions and conservation organizations.

The Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture today released a first-of-its-kind conservation strategy to restore healthy, fishable populations of eastern brook trout throughout their eastern native range. The Conservation Strategy is based on the status and threats information contained in the Joint Venture’s initial report, which was issued in May 2006.

The 2006 report found that only 5% of historical brook trout habitat remains intact. Populations have been eliminated or greatly reduced in almost half of the areas that historically supported brook trout. Poor land management practices are responsible for the majority of this decline.

“Once the partnership recognized the threats facing brook trout within its historic eastern range, we developed regional and range-wide strategies to take swift and deliberate steps to conserve strong populations and restore weaker ones,” said Steve Perry, Inland Fisheries Division Chief for the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department and Chair of the Joint Venture. “We created a model for fish conservation – a large-scale, habitat-focused conservation strategy for a species at risk. This strategy provides us with a roadmap to significantly improve brook trout populations by 2025.”

The report contains a set of aggressive range-wide and regional targets, including protection of highest quality habitat, improvement of 30% of damaged brook trout watersheds, and reintroduction of brook trout to 10% of those watersheds where they have disappeared. Using the 2006 status and threats data as a baseline, the Joint Venture will evaluate progress toward these targets at five year intervals.

In conjunction with the range-wide strategy released today, each of the Joint Venture states is developing a specialized plan based on that state’s existing brook trout populations and dominant threats. Through these plans, the states will prioritize protection and restoration efforts to meet the collective targets outlined above. Projects will address priority needs in each state, ranging from restoring streamside habitat in Georgia to cleaning up pollution from abandoned coal mines in Pennsylvania, to fixing road culverts to improve brook trout passage in Maine.

“The significance of these state efforts really can’t be overstated,” said Gary Berti, Eastern Brook Trout Campaign Coordinator for Trout Unlimited and the Joint Venture’s Communications Chair. “They are the ones who will do the hard work to make this range-wide plan a reality. And they will need support from conservation groups, watershed associations, landowners, businesses, educators, citizens and policy-makers at all levels to accomplish the ambitious goals laid out in this strategy.”

The Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture partnership began in 2004 as a pilot project under the National Fish Habitat Action Plan. Active partners include fish and wildlife agencies from 17 states, federal agencies, conservation organizations and academic institutions. The Joint Venture is seeking additional partners and support to assist in the protection and restoration of brook trout habitat.

Brook trout are the only trout native to the streams and rivers of the eastern United States. Once prolific throughout their historical range, brook trout populations have declined as land use changes have altered their habitat. These fish survive in only the coldest and cleanest water, and they serve as excellent indicators of the health of the watersheds they inhabit.

For more information on the range-wide eastern brook trout conservation strategy and state-specific plans, please visit http://www.easternbrooktrout.net.

This press release was sent to me by the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department.

Tom Remington

Trout Unlimited has issued a report called, “A Glass Half Full: The Future of Water in New England”. This report takes a look at the future of water resources to support aquatic life in the New England area. As the demand for water grows, TU feels that guidelines need to be drawn up now to deal with over use of water that threatens our fisheries. The report addresses what TU sees as problems and makes recommendations on how to deal with them.

The full report is available by clicking this link. On this page, you will be able to download the full report. It is a pdf.

Tom Remington

But in this case, maybe there is. In Connecticut a truck carrying milk lost control and flipped over, releasing about 6,000 gallons of milk into a roadside stream that leads into the Yantic River. If there is too much milk, it can deplete oxygen levels in the water which in turn would kill the trout.

DEP is busy trying to pump out as much of the milk as they can to spare the fish.

Tom Remington