Wader Washes and Biosecurity Lockdowns

As didymo — the invasive algae otherwise known as “rock snot” — becomes a fact of life in a growing number of fly fishing waters, some progress is being made in designing solutions to help prevent the spread, including the use of wader washes. On Maryland’s Gunpowder River, wooden stands hold black plastic tubs full of strong saltwater, which research now shows does a good job of ridding gear of traces of the algae. Candus Thomas reports in the Baltimore Sun on how the locals are dealing with the problem and includes video and a map of the river’s problem section. “Anglers who fish in areas without scrubbing stations should carry in their vehicle a 5-gallon pail, 1 pound of salt and brush and use water from the river to make a saline solution. If that proves impractical, they should disinfect boots, waders and other gear at home in a solution of 1 pound of salt to 5 gallons of water or scrub them down in hot water and dish detergent and then air-dry. The organism can survive on moist surfaces for two days.”