Tuesday
Mar302010
Uncle Jack's Didymo Killer
Tuesday, March 30, 2010 at 12:03AM 
A possible solution for those of you not buying in to all the eco rubber hype and are still clinging to your felt soled wading shoes.
According to the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research in New Zealand, Uncle Jack's Didymo Killer is 100% effective in killing Didymo on contact and will not harm you, your gear, or the environment.
This report by Vermont Fish and Wildlife also concludes there are some compelling reasons to use products containing the active ingredient found in Uncle Jack's, benzalkonium chloride, to control the spread of Didymo. Added Bonus? It's also effective against whirling disease.
tagged invasive species, uncle jack's didymo killer in Gear, Other Sites
invasive species, uncle jack's didymo killer in Gear, Other Sites
Reader Comments (7)
What's it do to fish?
Does it eliminate aquatic hitchhikers? mud snails, gammarides?
It will be a hard product to sale. Many area's have already outlawed the use of felt in it's waters. So legally having on you. I don't think that is going to be enough. Felt is dead like it or not & on the way out.
Eventually felt will be back, your not gonna stop didymo from spreading. Buy some Clorox Cleanup
More research since the tests on Uncle Jacks back in 2006 have shown as you state in the story Uncle Jacks is effective on contact and right there is the problem. Wading in felt soles over didymo forces the 'spores' deep into the felt. Unfortunately mere spraying on didymo killers, of which Uncle jacks is only one, does little to kill the 'spores' deep inside the felt sole. Here in NZ sprays are readily an freely distrbuted throughout the country, but didymo continues it's march.
The only ways to truly eradicate didymo from felt soles, is to freeze the boot for 12 hours, dry boots for at least 7 days in open air, or 48 hours in a heated situation. Or tramp around in your boots in a solution of Uncle Jacks or similar for at least an hour, then leave the boots to dry.
Merely spraying Uncle Jacks onto felt soles is, sadly, pretty much useless.
felt isnt just the problem its eveything that comes in contact with water, which means your waders too, so clean everything
Lets not forget about everything that basically touches the water! Like your waders, your fly line, flies, and your old fabric mesh net! Along with your boots! Sheesh! this stuff is going to be hard to eradicate!