Mussels In The Missouri

[DonAndersen]

Enough is enough. Mussels have now be found upstream of Canyon Ferry dam at Townsend which is upstream of the FF hotbed of Craig, MT

So, are we going to continue boat traffic from Montana into Alberta?

Or angler traffic for that matter.

We don't need another invasive.

 

Don

[SilverDoctor]

In this country we never close the barn door till the horses are long gone.

[DonAndersen]

Lorne,

 

I've heard there are new horses in the barn. They seem to give a *hit about our fishery.

 

Don

[BurningChrome]

I'm sure someone will come along any minute saying the mussels are probably already here so there's no point.

[SilverDoctor]

Lorne, I've heard there are new horses in the barn. They seem to give a *hit about our fishery. Don

I sure hope so. I guess I'm getting syndical in my old age.

[trailhead]

I think the government check stations are doing a super job. I saw the personnel at the one in the Crowsnest tear after a truck pulling a boat that didn't stop. Caught up to them a bit down the road on my bike and the woman who pulled them over was reaming them out. The truck was from Manitoba, so who knows where they were coming from. But I bet they got a hefty fine. Only problem is that the inspection station isn't open 24-7.

[Taco]

Somewhat closer than the Mo, mussels have been confirmed in the Tiber Reservoir on the Marias River which flows within 40 miles or 70 km of the Border

 

http://www.greatfallstribune.com/story/news/local/2016/11/09/invasive-mussel-larvae-discovered-popular-montana-waters/93561824/

[SilverDoctor]

I agree Trailhead, when I had my boat (I sold it last spring) I was checked several times. Very thorough and friendly service, I was quite impressed. It was nice having the dog to sniff for evasive. But as you said its not a 24 hour thing. So if someone doesn’t want to get checked or is traveling late they slip through. I think there needs to be more public attention to this problem.

 

There has been the knee jerk banning and then un-banning of felt boots as if they where the only solution to the disease. We need to have info in our fishing regulations on cleaning all equipment, bootlaces, waders and cloth nets, it all needs to be washed and dried between bodies if water.

 

But what about others like rafters who just deflate their devices, Atv users running streams and lakes picking up mud (we’ve all seen them driving around proudly coated) and a host of other users that will transfer mud and other materials between streams and lakes and cross border. We have a great many water users besides those who fish.

[Smitty]

Enough is enough. Mussels have now be found upstream of Canyon Ferry dam at Townsend which is upstream of the FF hotbed of Craig, MT

So, are we going to continue boat traffic from Montana into Alberta?

Or angler traffic for that matter.

We don't need another invasive.

 

Don

 

Well, like others of course I'm sympathetic and very concerned about this.

 

But are you serious Don? We're simply going to ban boat traffic and anglers from Montana? And what about vice versa; Albertans going to Montana? You have some thoughts on how to work that out, logistically speaking?

[danhunt]

THE WALL JUST GOT TEN FOOT HIGHER! lol, no disrespect meant, Don.

[Ricinus]

Well, like others of course I'm sympathetic and very concerned about this.

 

But are you serious Don? We're simply going to ban boat traffic and anglers from Montana? And what about vice versa; Albertans going to Montana? You have some thoughts on how to work that out, logistically speaking?

Actually it could be mandatory equipment disinfecting like Iceland and New Zealand..

 

Mike

[Smitty]

Actually it could be mandatory equipment disinfecting like Iceland and New Zealand..

 

Mike

 

That's what I am driving at. Disinfection stations don't sound like blanket angler bans to me...

[Chrissw]

You are saying I should wash my waders?

[Smitty]

A quick google search yielded these:

 

http://www.rockymtnflycasters.org/articles/disinfect.php

 

http://www.murraysflyshop.com/fly-fishing-articles/cleaning-and-disinfecting-your-fly-fishing-gear/

 

http://www.successfulflyfishing.com/how-to-clean-your-waders-and-wading-boots/

[Villageidiot]

Just another thing that could be placed into a simple angler training course that includes identification/handling/regulation/invasive species/risks course that could be mandatory for getting a fishing license. Similar to hunters education.

 

Most people just wont know.

[DonAndersen]

Well, like others of course I'm sympathetic and very concerned about this.

But are you serious Don? We're simply going to ban boat traffic and anglers from Montana? And what about vice versa; Albertans going to Montana? You have some thoughts on how to work that out, logistically speaking?

 

Damn right I'm serious. I see no good reason why we should allow diseased equipment into Alberta. Have we learned nothing in the past 700 years. The Black Plague was only contained when the populations infected were quaranteened.

I made the same comment at a Provincial Roundtable Meeting regarding walleye boats arriving back from Sask. Where the mussels are less than 100 miles from Alberta. Ya, they snarled and whined too. Well, screw 'em. Mussels not only effect water courses. It profoundly effect water systems forever. Very costly.

So, just so somebody can go fishing, you expect us to pay forever.

Good God!

 

 

Don

 

 

[DonAndersen]

As far as check stations. They will catch some. I passed through one with my pontoon boat. They checked the boat over well, gave us drying towels and info.

Several days later did it occur to me that both my anchor rope and wading boots were wet and stored in tubs. They weren't checked. Further, my son and family were behind us whose trailer belly was chock full of inflable beach toys, swimming suits and wet towels.

 

Don

[Smitty]

Don:

No one is snarling or whining 'too'. And resist the temptation to put words in my mouth about 'paying forever'. Calm down and spend some time with your bamboo cane and see if that reduces the blood pressure. lol

 

I was simply asking if you has some thoughts on the logistics. Clearly, you don't. You simply have the knee jerk reaction. I wish you luck.

 

Mike

[fishteck]

Here we go again. Anglers and drift boat users concerned with invasive species, but little interest from recreational floaters, kayak and canoe users.

As others have said the boat inspection at Coutts is a great example of a PR program that has worked. But not stopping at the inspection site needs to be treated in the same way as "running the boarder" was in the old days before the Border Inspection Services put in barriers and gates. Basically a criminal charge if I remember correctly.

[BurningChrome]

Here we go again. Anglers and drift boat users concerned with invasive species, but little interest from recreational floaters, kayak and canoe users.

So then we as fly fishers with an interest in the resource need to take a leadership role and help to inform other river users. Sure the kids in the cheap inflatables from Walmart don't care but they aren't exactly taking those disposable rafts to different water bodies. Know anyone with a kayak, canoe, etc. though? Let them know why it's important to clean all their gear and how. I'll bet someone like Uberfly has friends who kayak or canoe and he's also the type who'll tell them about these things. Maybe while you're lobbying for increased river access (which also benefits the recreational folks you're complaining about by the way) you could also ask about things like adding signage and cleaning stations. Otherwise you'll have lots of access points to a fishery possibly compromised by all sorts of invasives.

[fishteck]

BurningChrome:

Your comments on my post are valid. A post will be put up on the CRUA Facebook page shortly in the same way as a post was put up on the same Facebook page for Whirling Disease.

 

As the River Access Strategy rolls out over the next few months you will see that designated boat access points will have signage informing the public on safety issues that could well include precautionary procedures to mitigate transfer of invasive species.

[trailhead]

From what I have been able to ascertain, the majority of contaminated boats caught were waterskiing recreational boats. There are waymore of those than fly fishing ones.

[DonAndersen]

Don:

No one is snarling or whining 'too'. And resist the temptation to put words in my mouth about 'paying forever'. Calm down and spend some time with your bamboo cane and see if that reduces the blood pressure. lol

 

I was simply asking if you has some thoughts on the logistics. Clearly, you don't. You simply have the knee jerk reaction. I wish you luck.

 

Mike

 

Mike,

 

Clearly, you don't listen. Stop the crap at the border. Clear enough now.

 

Mind you, guess I should've said that 40 years ago. Would've had the same effect.

 

The bone heads in Govt and the people who elected them are responsible.

 

And now, watch Zebra get here the same way.

 

Don

 

 

[trailhead]

Anyone know how many watercraft cross the border on an annual basis?

[SilverDoctor]

Anyone know how many watercraft cross the border on an annual basis?

At the spring roundtable that I attended the F/W cited approx 5,000