Blanket Weed

[dalesman]

The middle of last week arranged for today off, the run up today the river looked low but very fishable, arrived at the sim and found the swim covered in blanket weed instead of the pristine gravel runs, never seen it before.

 

[108831]

Long hot sunny days with clear water and less flow and blanket weed appears,it is algae really...

 

[dalesman]

Long hot sunny days with clear water and less flow and blanket weed appears,it is algae really...

First time in 40 years of fishing the Swale this has happened at least for me

 

[ian g]

Possibly to do with increased nitrates.

Environmental impacts of nitrate pollution - Aquamonitrix® - Nitrate and Nitrite Analyser

Aquamonitrix suppliers: Find your nearest supplier or distributor of Aquamonitrix real-time nitrate and nitrite analyser.

aquamonitrix.com

 

[dorsetsteve]

The lack of higher plant life, the presence of algae such as such, sadly an indicator of undesirable water quality.

 

[sam vimes]

First time in 40 years of fishing the Swale this has happened at least for me

If you've not seen it in 40 years, you must have been fishing well downstream in summer. I don't expect to see anywhere upstream of Langton clear of green snot in summer unless we have a reasonable flood or the fish clean it from the gravel by feeding (fat chance) or spawning.

 

[theartist]

Be careful if wading as that stuff on medium sized stones is slippery and I mean proper slippery.

 

[dalesman]

If you've not seen it in 40 years, you must have been fishing well downstream in summer. I don't expect to see anywhere upstream of Langton clear of green snot in summer unless we have a reasonable flood or the fish clean it from the gravel by feeding (fat chance) or spawning.

Langton upstream was covered of it

 

[sam vimes]

Langton upstream was covered of it

As I said, it's been that way (every summer) for decades.

 

[The bad one]

Alan's right it is an algae, known as Filamentous Algae. The type of it is difficult to say without seeing it and getting it under the microscope. The Ribble suffers quite badly from it with 10 days of sun belting down.

 

[seth49]

It’s this one on the ribble I’ve been told. Probably everywhere else too.

Oxford University Plants 400: Cladophora species

The 25th July 2021 marks 400 years of botanical research and teaching by the University of Oxford. As a celebration and count-down to this anniversary the University of Oxford Botanic Garden and Harcourt Arboretum together with the Oxford University Herbaria and the Department of Plant...

herbaria.plants.ox.ac.uk