[FISHN50]

With Whirling Disease so Prevalent How do you, or do you clean or sterilize your waders, boots, float tubes etc. when you go between watersheds..?

[MrEsox]

It might not be a bad idea to clean your equipment. If you are in an area that has a lot of the tubifex worm in it then it is a must do. Though going from WD river to WD river it does little help since both have it. It is when going from WD + to WD- streams that it can make all the differance. It is a lot like the milfoil and zebra mussles that hang on a boat and can hop to differant waters.

[MTskibum]

I dont usually clean my equipment, but most every place i go has it.

How long does your equipment have to sit out for it to die? A couple dry days?

[philthy]

Good question, MTskibum. I thought I'd heard WD lives almost forever, but I may be mistaken. Too bad I haven't won the lotto where I could have separate gear for infected and clean areas.

[MrEsox]

The thing is WD is a parasite that ends up at the base of the skull. If I remember right, it starts as a larva in the tubafex worm until it is eaten or can come into contact with a trout. I say trout since that is what it wants to be in. Most times such parasites like WD can form a cyst or spore that allows them to go dormant until the time is right to come back. Most flukes, tape worms, and bacteria can do the same things. That is why if a hatchery gets a WD fish in it, they cant just drain the water and dry it. Tuff little bugger they are

[fyshstykr]

How many are using the 10% bleach solution?
That should kill on contact with the spore.

[FISHN50]

Whirling Disease Page. FLY2FISH posted a link to this link. Ck. it out. It has some good info. Another link said Soaking in 409 cleaner will kill the spores.
Commercial Solutions Formula 409 Cleanser Degreaser Disinfectant

Thanks Fly2Fish

[philthy]

After looking at the links posted by FISHN50, I wonder if that copper treatment for aquariums would work? I've used it to treat marine marine fish and it knocks the snot out of oodinium spores.