"Rainbow Trout Rebound in Renowned River"

"HELENA -- Rainbow trout are rebounding in the Madison River, the world-class fishing stream where Montana's first known outbreak of whirling disease occurred about 15 years ago, devastating the rainbow fishery.

In the 1990s, whirling disease slashed the rainbow trout population by 90 percent compared to levels measured in the 1960s and '70s.

Now, after a succession of rebound years, rainbows under 10 inches have 'pretty well recovered to pre-whirling levels' and the population of those larger is about 60 percent of what it was before the disease, said Dick Vincent, whirling-disease coordinator for the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks until his retirement last winter."

Susan Gallagher reports for the Associated Press July 20, 2009.