Dead whitefish on the Yellowstone

[Chief Grey Bear]

Well I'll be! I woulda swore it was rogue giggers!

Alright, alright, I was just funning. 

Like Ness stated, scary story!! I hope they control it quickly!! Eradicate it really!!

[Al Agnew]

The news on this came out right after we left the house to head slowly toward MO.  Our friend and neighbor texted us with a link to the story.  At least one report stated that a hundred or more dead trout had been found, but I've found that nowhere else.  We are planning on returning to Montana sometime in mid-September, but it looks like I won't be fishing anywhere near the house, since we are surrounded by the Yellowstone and closed tributaries.  If the low water is contributing to the problem, it will last until next May.

[Gavin]

That's a bummer...Was some of the best trout water on the planet. Thinking lower Madison if heading back.

 

[Al Agnew]

Yeah, I like the lower Madison...but the word is that with the Yellowstone and a bunch of its well-known tributaries (Boulder, Stillwater, etc.) closed, every other stream within a hundred miles is getting twice its normal fishing pressure as the guides and outfitters scramble to put clients with already booked trips on fishable water somehow.

A couple bits of somewhat good news...apparently, although this parasite can kill 80-90 percent of affected fish, survivors gain some immunity to it in the future.  And cooler water temperatures should put down the infection, so we're hoping for the usual cool snaps in late August and September.

[ozark trout fisher]

Wow. To cause the economic impact that you're going to see in this part of Montana due to a massive closure, you'd have to assume there is a really high level of concern.

Hope for rain up there I guess.

[Mitch f]

 I've heard that 25 species are dying off every day, Pathogens are mean