cleaning gear

[Phil Mcc]

Lets see what every one does just tell the truth.

[redietz]

I said salt water, but I use all the methods listed (except "Not at all") plus freezing, depending on where I've been, where I'm going next, and how many pairs of waders/boots I need to clean up.

[MikeL]

I said 'just let it dry'.  I have used other methods such as washing, but only when fishing the places known to be affected.  I didnt fish the Gun at all this year, so that wasnt a worry.  Most of the time I definitely just let them dry outside. 

[HughH]

I said 'just let it dry'.  I have used other methods such as washing, but only when fishing the places known to be affected.  I didnt fish the Gun at all this year, so that wasnt a worry.  Most of the time I definitely just let them dry outside. 

You fished the gunpowder with me in October.  I caught fish.  You did not.

[MikeL]

Lets not confuse 'fishing' with 'coming along for free beers'. 

I also fished it i January (or mayhaps Feb) and caught fish.  But I digress. In both instances the invasives were killed.

[Robby Lepczyk]

yea clean your gear or you will track tiger trout everywhere

[redietz]

I said 'just let it dry'.  I have used other methods such as washing, but only when fishing the places known to be affected.  I didnt fish the Gun at all this year, so that wasnt a worry.  Most of the time I definitely just let them dry outside. 

"Let it dry" works for didymo, but to completely dry felt soles takes a couple of weeks (which is why felt has become the enemy.) Actually, it takes several days of being dry to kill didymo, plus the week or so to dry the felts.

Drying does not work for whirling disease.

[MikeL]

Even when left out in the sun for a few days?

[redietz]

Even when left out in the sun for a few days?

Whirling disease spores can live several years out of water.

Even in the sun, felt soles stay moist on the inside for about a week.

[MikeL]

K.  Though I dont believe I fish anywhere that is known to be infected, Ill clean better from heretofore.

[Phil Mcc]

Bob does salt water kill whirling disease also? I clean mine at home with salt water, I don't trust whats in those cleaning stations on the Gunpowder,it may just rain water.

[redietz]

Bob does salt water kill whirling disease also? I clean mine at home with salt water, I don't trust whats in those cleaning stations on the Gunpowder,it may just rain water.

I agree about the cleaning stations. I use them mostly to get the mud off and then soak in salt water at home.

10% bleach for 15 minutes is about the only practical way to prevent spread of WD.  I say this with some reservation, because bleach is harmful to trout unless you can completely wash it out, and I've heard some biologists say to avoid it. OTOH, the biologists from DNR use it. At any rate, use it only at home; a bleach spill in the river would be a very bad thing.

Around here, the North Branch is the only place we're likey to fish that has WD.

[sabbatus]

i dont think that using bleach to clean your gear would create anything harmful, as long as you rinse thoroughly.  Any remaining chlorine will evaporate within 24 hours. i know that chlorinated tap water rested in a open container for 24 hours is safe for aquarium fish   yes salt water is probably the safest bet, but the bleach kills almost anything

[redietz]

i dont think that using bleach to clean your gear would create anything harmful, as long as you rinse thoroughly.  Any remaining chlorine will evaporate within 24 hours. i know that chlorinated tap water rested in a open container for 24 hours is safe for aquarium fish   yes salt water is probably the safest bet, but the bleach kills almost anything

I agree, mostly, but there are people who strongly disagree.

Here's the problem: the chlorine in bleach isn't chlorine dissolved directly into water (which most city water is), it's sodium hypochlorite dissolved in water.  It's the same stuff as pool chlorine.  It breaks down into chlorine gas, lye and sodium chlorate when dissolved in water, but not all at once.  Dry, it doesn't break down at all (that's why you can handle pool chlorine tablets.)  When you bleach your wading gear and dry it, if any of the bleach hadn't broken down (which is probably most of it), it doesn't evaporate.  It just goes back to being pool chlorine.  When you get the boots wet again, it starts to release chlorine again. 

The obvious solution is rinse your gear thoroughly after bleaching it.  It's not that difficult to remove.

[redietz]

Here's a link to a pdf I found on the DNR site, about what cleaning/disinfecting methods are good for what:

http://www.dnr.state.md.us/fisheries/recreational/BIOSECURITY_PublicTechniques.pdf

The second page has a chart about different disinfectants.