The moss?

[SDB777]

Was at the White yesterday, down by Gaston's fine place.

The wife was wanting to wet a line and see about handling(although very briefly) some Rainbows. She did catch a few small ones!

But she was battling this light brown, slime looking moss all the time. What is it? Does it always float so thickly down stream? And does it go away? It was downright nasty....and she doesn't want to go back and have to 'deal with it'(never see it in the Little Red). Any help to convince her on going back?

BTW, photo's are fun too.......

Scott (slime everywhere) B

[Ham]

Sounds like you are talking about didymo. It waxes and wanes. Seems like after a real hard period of generation a bunch of it gets knocked loose, but i haven't ever seen it be too bad on the White.

[TheRustyHook]

Horrible stuff... definitely wash all of your equipment. it propagates really easily from stream to stream.

[Green]

Here you go for cleaning your equipment.

http://mdc.mo.gov/sites/default/files/resources/2011/06/didymosheet_06-30-11.pdf

[crkoester]

It's didymo. It's a nightmare. It's worst up there towards the dam, but there is much less of it downriver. Lots of it breaks loose when they generate and easily fouls lines and baits. It has gotten much worse since they started minimum flow.

[LittleRedFisherman]

How long would it live on a boat after being out of the water?

[Mac's Orphan]

...and I'm glad MO does not allow felt sole waders / boots or it would be in all the streams and rivers there.

I call it rock snot - and I hate the stuff. It will all but end a fishery and I doubt the White or Norfork tailwater would have many fish at all if not for the stockers.

I used to find millions of sowbugs in the rocks but those numbers have dropped to almost nill.

[Ham]

...and I'm glad MO does not allow felt sole waders / boots or it would be in all the streams and rivers there.

I call it rock snot - and I hate the stuff. It will all but end a fishery and I doubt the White or Norfork tailwater would have many fish at all if not for the stockers.

I used to find millions of sowbugs in the rocks but those numbers have dropped to almost nill.

It certainly can be devastating to a fishery, but didymo seems to be incompletely understood. IF the didymo was going to take over the White, why isn't it just as bad downstream as upstream? Guys fished multiple locations with the same waders and boots for years, but the White seems to be the only river affected.

I guess the wading boot ban is the best they can do, but it seems a little like elephant repellant to me. I don't think the felt ban is all that since pieces of didymo can cling to your waders and felt less boots and bootlaces as well. Water birds and boats/boat trailers could also transfer it could, but nothing has to this point.

Clearly, the dumping of a bajillion fish a year makes the White River a hyper productive River, but the fish are healthy and full bodied. There is plenty of food in the River. Minimum flow has increased grass beds and keeps large areas wet which has increased food production. I certainly understand that didymo can get in the way of food production, but I don't think that didymo is reducing the food supply or my enjoyment of the River right now.

[snagged in outlet 3]

...and I'm glad MO does not allow felt sole waders / boots or it would be in all the streams and rivers there.

I call it rock snot - and I hate the stuff. It will all but end a fishery and I doubt the White or Norfork tailwater would have many fish at all if not for the stockers.

I used to find millions of sowbugs in the rocks but those numbers have dropped to almost nill.

With all do respect the felt ban is worthless.

Didy was in the Norfork and White for years and I personally would fish the White and drive with my boots on to fish The North Fork of the White, Montauk or Bennett on my way home.

Not just me but all my buddies too.

We did this for years and I've been fishing the White and Norfork since the 70's.

If it was going to spread it surely would have by now and certainly would have before the worthless ban was put on.

Legal disclaimer.

I have two pair of wading boots because of the ban though.

Felt in AR, none in MO.

Pete

[Mac's Orphan]

Ok - I'm just repeating what the biologists in the MO DNR - DoC say...