July

THERE ARE NO MEETINGS UNTIL SEPTEMBER, GO FISHING!!

The next Monthly PPTU Meeting is Wednesday, September 17, 2008 at 7:00 PM.

The Annual Newsletter for 2008 is now available in the Annual Newsletter section!

The OUTING Report for Ken Lockwood Gorge is now posted in the Outings section!

A new fly, Baltz's ParaNymph by Tom Baltz, and an article on Fly Photography are in the Fly Tying Section.

One on one stream side fly fishing instruction is available to PPTU members.

Go to the Mentor Program page for details.

WHIRLING DISEASE

What is Whirling Disease?
Myxobolus cerebralis (Mc) is a parasite that infiltrates the head and spinal cartilage of fingerling trout where it multiplies rapidly, putting pressure on the organ of equilibrium. This causes the fish to swim erratically (whirl), and have difficulty feeding and avoiding predators, in severe cases, die. In severe infections, the disease can cause high rates of mortality in young-of-the-year fish. When an infected fish dies, millions of tiny indestructible Mc spores (each about the size of a red blood cell) are released to the water where they can survive in this "dormant" form for up to 30 years.

Therein lies the gravity of the whirling disease problem. M. cerebralis is virtually indestructible -- the spore can withstand freezing and desiccation, and can survive in a stream for 20 to 30 years. Whirling disease is most infective to rainbow and cutthroat trout, but can infect all salmonid species, including brook trout.

Is there anything anglers and boaters can do to help prevent further spread?
Anglers, boaters, and others can make a difference in reducing the chances of spreading whirling disease. Distribution of the parasite is expanding rapidly in some areas, so you should assume its presence if you don't know otherwise. Recommended precautions that will help prevent not only the spread of whirling disease, but also other disease-causing organisms and aquatic pests include:
... Never transport live fish from one water body to another. (This is illegal in many states.)
... Dispose of fish entrails and skeletal parts properly. Never discard fish parts in or near streams or rivers. Do not discard fish parts in a kitchen disposal. Whirling disease myxospores can survive most wastewater treatment systems. Instead, discard in dry waste that would go to a landfill.
... Contact the Department of Natural Resources at 800-688-3467 if you observe signs of whirling disease in fish or observe illegal stocking.
... Obtain certified disease free fish for any private stock projects.
... Rinse all mud and debris from equipment and wading gear, and drain water from boats before leaving an infected drainage. This is good practice for preventing transfer of other aquatic hitchhikers as well.
... Although the above precautions will remove most spores from your gear, you may want to consider the following if fishing in heavily infected waters: Rinse, then thoroughly dry your boots, waders and other fishing equipment. This is generally sufficient to kill the TAM stage of the parasite. For disinfection options if your equipment does not have time to dry thoroughly see http://whirlingdisease.montana.edu/.

Johns Hopkins Students Mentored

Ten AM on Saturday April 26 found 7 PPCTU members at the Masemore parking lot of Gunpowder Falls River ready to mentor an equal number of JHU student members of their Outdoors Pursuits Club. One of the students was a young woman and our member Cathy Nutter mentored her. Others of our party included Bob Dietz, Will Amland, Mike Shydlinski, Jed Feffer, Steve Graves, and me. After a casting demonstration by Bob Dietz, we all split up with our students. Armed with Griffiths Gnats and Partridge and Orange soft hackle flies the student mentor pairs began work on casting and tactics. The students eagerly spent the rest of the morning practicing and learning about trout fishing. At lunch we learned that several fish had been caught. Most of the fish were small, but the students seemed charged with their new found knowledge.

After lunch the student mentor pairs split up again and went to new areas along the river to try their hands again. Four of the pairs fished the river above Monkton Station where strong strikes were felt, and a few fish were caught. One student caught 3 trout in that area. A final gathering back at Masemore found all students had caught at least one fish, and all of them were very appreciative of the effort and interest imparted to them and their fishing experience by our Chapter members. I wish to thank all of our members who generously shared a day on the stream mentoring the JHU students. It is clear that the students came away with an appreciation for techniques and tactics of trout fishing that will stand them in good stead in coming years. Our hope is that they will go on to continue this type of fishing to further enrich and enjoy their fishing recreation experiences.

The students left us with grateful thanks, and with the hope that their members will be able to participate in a similar experience next year. Speaking for myself, I believe that I could have no finer day on the stream than to participate in such an activity. – Nick Weber

Water Quality

Maryland Water Quality Council Meeting  By Carl M. Smolka, Water Quality Chair

On Thursday, December 6, 2007, the Maryland Water Monitoring Council held their thirteenth annual conference with the theme, “Closing the Knowledge Gap – Connecting Maryland’s Streams to the Bay”. With the approval of the PPCTU Board of Directors and as chair of the water quality program, I attended this conference with the intent to learn what the current water quality issues in Maryland are and where we, as a chapter, might be able to make a contribution in the future. This was stimulated from conversations in September with Sue Muller of Howard County Parks and Planning, Keith Van Ness of Maryland’s Department of Environmental Engineering, and Dan Boward of Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources.

Doug Gansler, Attorney General of Maryland was the keynote speaker. Some of you may know that he spent most of his career as a prosecutor in Montgomery County. He was pretty adamant about enforcing existing laws on environmental issues and gave some candid comments about the conflict that exists in the state between ecology and agriculture – specifically the issues surrounding the poultry industry.

The conference had a number of presentations spanning topics from stream restoration to the ecological effects of poultry litter-associated steroids to tumors on brown bullheads, offered the opportunity to learn a few new words such as sinuosity, estrogenicity, gonadal morphology and found out why none of us should wet wade in the Anacostia or eat any of the little clams you see in the streams because of their ability to accumulate toxins; the main value of attending resulted from face-to-face conversations with Dan Boward , Suzanne Shoemaker (Audubon Naturalists Society), Keith Van Ness, and Ron Klauder (MD DNR) about potential engagement for volunteers in their quality monitoring programs and upcoming schedules for training. As these dates become available, I will be seeking volunteers from the chapter to participate. Stay tuned!

Hawlings River Project (2007)

Riparian Buffer - Planted!  By Jim Keil, Conservation Chair

On Saturday, March 10, we planted another 150 trees in the Hawlings watershed above Brighton Dam Road. You might recall that in October 2005, PPTU President Nick Weber led an effort to get the chapter and other volunteers to plant 200 trees in the same area.

Despite having to postpone this spring's planting due to poor weather, we still had about 40 volunteers, ranging in age from 12 to 70 or more. There were Girl Scouts, TU members, high school kids, parents, old hippies, and southern farm boys. It was great to see so many young people, especially, willing to get up early on a day off to do some good for our air, water, and soil.

The river itself was looking sublime. The heavyequipment work that the Montgomery Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and Park and Planning had done two years ago is clearly having a terrific effect on stabilizing the banks and allowing sediment to get up onto the terraces and riparian. Plus, it's really quite pretty. Many of the trees that we planted 18 months ago are doing well, despite the deer and mile-a-minute. And, yes, there were rising fish in the project area, at least one of which was an 8-inch trout. Another member saw another trout on a sandbar. I don't know if these were holdovers or fish up from the reservoir, but seldom are conservation rewards so concrete and immediate.

On Wednesday, prior to the Saturday planting, PPTU members Carl Smolka, Nick Weber, Dennis Covert, Bruce Eberle, and Patrick Masler (with ATV driver Tim Begley) pre-sited the pin oak, silky dogwood, silver and red maple, river birch, sycamore, pawpaw, and black willow. Then four courageous and sturdy fellows wrestled a bucking post-hole digger until there were 150 8-inch holes in the Hawlings riparian. This Wednesday preparation was essential to Saturday's smooth operation. With the aid of the Wednesday preparation and the enthusiastic Saturday diggers, we had most of the trees planted by 10:30 Saturday. We took a coffee and donut-hole break and then spent another hour and a half installing plastic screens around most of the trees to keep the deer and beaver at bay.

County has promised mowing to keep the mile-a-minute down, and if that doesn't succeed in keeping the invasives in line, then they have vowed more aggressive measures. I'd like to thank, first of all, Nick Weber, without whose efforts the planting would not have gone so smoothly. Thanks also to Cathy Nutter for coffee and munchies and her husband Bob for the photography, and members Arnie Strand, Ken Bowyer, Larry Vawter, Sandy Burk, and several newer members I apologize for not knowing.

The Izaak Walton League provided volunteers and funds from a National Tree Trust grant. Park and Planning loaned personnel and shovels, gloves, and pruners, and with their help along with representatives from DEP provided technical assistance, ran a tree planting tutorial, and took the lead on the Saturday planting. I don't know anyone who didn't have a good time on this outing. The weather cooperated; kids ran around, shrieked, and generally enjoyed themselves, and our chapter promoted the restoration of one more coldwater resource. There's always room for you to help. Please join us next time.

 

Brook Trout Conservation in Maryland (2006)

Beginning in February, ThorpeWood and the Mid-Atlantic Council of Trout Unlimited began work to facilitate the launch of a new group to protect and conserve brook trout in Maryland. More than 50 participants representing more than two dozen non-profits and public and private agencies concerned about the plight of Maryland brook trout have met three times now to focus on brook trout conservation in our state.  At the second meeting they adopted the name Maryland Brook Trout Alliance (MBTA) for the newly formed conservation effort.

MBTA was formed in Maryland to support the larger regional mission of the national Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture. The Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture (EBTJV) is the nation's first pilot project under the National Fish Habitat Action Plan, which directs locally driven efforts that build private and public partnerships to improve fish habitat.

The conservation goal addressed by the MBTA is to restore and protect brook trout populations across Maryland. Brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) are the only trout native to Maryland. Maryland brook trout populations have declined by 90 percent across the state as the result of land-use decisions made over the past hundred years that increased sedimentation, nutrient runoff, and water temperatures, and from more recent impacts as our population, road network, and water needs continue to grow. Once widely distributed throughout the state, results from a recent survey indicate that brook trout are restricted to only a few watersheds. Only 300,000 brook trout now live in Maryland. As a result, they have been listed as a species of Greatest Conservation Need (GCN) by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources' Natural Heritage Program.

The purpose of the MBTA is to halt and reverse the impact of stressors that are rapidly decreasing Maryland's remaining brook trout populations and to reestablish populations wherever possible. The MBTA's efforts are already gaining substantial momentum. We are developing plans to implement a comprehensive, sustainable, science-based program for Maryland brook trout recovery and protection. In addition, we have already organized multi-disciplined work teams in four key watersheds (Savage, Youghiogheny, Gunpowder, and Monocacy River) where 90 percent of Maryland's remaining brook trout reside.

The role of these teams is to galvanize stakeholders, resource users, and local and state agencies to advance coordinated habitat protection and restoration projects to improve water quality and insure the future of brook trout in the four watersheds. Three of these large watersheds flow into the Chesapeake Bay. The long-term goal of this statewide project is to implement strategies that sustain healthy, fishable, brook trout populations, which in turn leads to overall healthier watersheds for the state.  The Potomac Patuxent Chapter has elected to be part of the Gunpowder watershed and work to initiate projects based on watershed data available from state and other sources.  We also have membership on the steering committee that will monitor, coordinate, and help guide the MTBA and the watershed organizations.  Let us know if you are interested in participating in this interesting and important conservation program.  We could use your input.  Please see Nick Weber at the next chapter meeting!

 

 

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Conservation Activities

PPTU is a conservation organization dedicated to the preservation of coldwater fisheries and their watersheds.  As such, we see it as an obligation, and an honor, to be active in this mission.  If we are to succeed as a TU chapter, we need all of us working together!  We need your suggestions and ideas on what we should be doing, how we cold improve on what we are already doing, and how we can make this organization more meaningful to you.  Let us know what kinds of projects you think PPTU should be sinking its human and financial resources into, and what kinds of projects you would like to get involved in.  How can we be more involved in coldwater conservation activities that would merit your interest and involvement?  Any and all ideas or suggestions are welcome, and very much appreciated!  Your opinions are instrumental in helping to formulate what we are going to do as a chapter.  Please, take a few moments to help the chapter by sending your suggestions via e-mail to mail@pptu.org.