whirling disease question

[foghorn]

a few years back i read that some rivers in montana and wyoming were having trouble with trout getting this disease--is it still going on and did it affect all species of trout there the same-i mean rainbows worse or browns worse or you know what i mean--foghorn

[tuwdfdave]

This question has been up for a while, but I am a newbie, so, here's an answer. First, while the media has moved on to other disasters, WD still remains a problem in Montana's and many western waters. The good news is that WD didn't end fishing as we know it, but the bad news is it isn't done spreading or doing damage. Regarding species impacts, the primary impact, so far, has been to rainbow trout which are highly susceptible. Lately, however, there's increasing evidence that WD is moving into native cutthroat populations (cutts are VERY susceptible to WD) and into Mountain Whitefish, too. Now, I know that many anglers are not big "whitey" fans, but this fish is an important part of a stream's ecology, and the loss of these fish to WD will have some impacts on trout. If you want some good info on WD, visit the Trout Unlimited website at www.tu.org under the Science, Aquatic Invasive Species section.