Photo courtesy of L.L.Bean
The responses to TU’s announcement of a felt sole boot and wader ban have prompted questions from members. Here’s TU Whirling Disease Foundation Executive Director Dave Kumlien’s response to some of your questions.
The thoughtful responses being posted indicate that TU members and anglers are giving the issue of the spread of aquatic invasive species (AIS) by angling equipment some serious thought. The goal of the “no felt soles by 2011” policy is to produce a paradigm shift in the behavior and practices of anglers and water recreationists regarding their role in spreading AIS, and this reaction is exactly what we had hoped for. With the growing threats of AIS to our cold water trout and salmon resources, anglers and water recreationists must do what they can to help reduce the risk of spreading AIS.
I would like to address some of the recurring questions that have come up around the felt sole policy. First, regarding the question of felt soles being a “scapegoat,” there is considerable scientific evidence that felt soles move sediments and AIS. A study conducted at Montana State University on angler movement titled Movements of Resident and Non-Resident Anglers in Montana: Implications for Transferring Whirling Disease among Drainages in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem found that the average pair of wading boots sampled carried 22.10 grams of sediment. Extrapolate this to the angling population fishing on any given day in only the greater Yellowstone area, and you will conclude that felt soles are moving lots of sediment, and these sediments could potentially contain all sorts of AIS including whirling disease spores, New Zealand mud snails, Eurasian milfoil and didymo.
TU did not formulate this policy in a vacuum. One of the deciding factors in the development of the “no felts by 2011” was the formal request by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources asking TU to address the felt sole issue to the angling public and to wader and boot manufacturers. UTDWR is eliminating the use of felt soles by its professional staff, and other state fish and wildlife agencies and New Zealand agencies are following suit.
Felts are certainly not a scapegoat, but we agree that felt soles are not the only piece of angling equipment or the only method of spreading AIS. It is true that AIS could be riding along on wader booties, boot laces or on the surfaces of wading boots, and to address this possibility, TU is recommending that anglers not only eliminate the use of felt soles but that they also follow the guidelines provided in the Clean Angling Pledge to inspect, clean and dry angling equipment and to avoid moving fish, fish parts, water and plants between drainages. The Clean Angling Pledge can be found and signed here.
Another question that has been posed regarding the “no felts by 2011” policy is the availability and suitability of acceptable alternatives to felt soles. As an avid angler and a 30 year Montana fly fishing outfitter, this was a big concern of mine. I had tried some of the alternative rubber soles, and my experience with them was not satisfactory. However, I knew from discussions with leading wader and boot manufacturers that new alternative soles were being developed and tested, and at the 2008 Fly Fishing Retailer in Denver, Colo., Simms presented a new rubber sole developed in conjunction with Vibram and announced that they would eliminate felt soles in their product line by 2010. Other manufacturers including Patagonia, Korkers, Chota, Orvis and others are also introducing alternative soles to the market. Soon, there should be lots of choices available at a number of price points.
In the meantime, if you have felt soled boots that are in good condition or you just don’t want to switch, you can still follow the recommendations of the Clean Angling Pledge to inspect, clean and dry your equipment, and by following these guidelines, you will be doing your part to reduce the risk of spreading AIS. It is very important to understand that all of these actions, guidelines, and paradigm shifts are aimed at risk reduction, not risk elimination. There is no technique or treatment that will eliminate all risk of spreading AIS, but eliminating the use of felt soles and following the recommendations of the Clean Angling Pledge will reduce the risk of spreading AIS and causing damage to our precious trout and salmon resources.
You can read member comments by reading the original blog post about this topic.
By Steve Loy April 1, 2009 - 1:54 pm
I too am concerned about transfering unwanted critters into our waterways. Good sanitation habits will go a long way in general to reduce the risk.
I am no different than many other anglers, who have 2-3 pair of really nice felt soled boots in my closet. Tossing them makes little sense as they would only go to a growing landfill long before their time. Has any manufacture come up with a “re-sole” rubber product that can replace the exisiting felt soles? Even if it’s not as durable on the front end, it would allow millions of pairs of boots to continue in use at around 1/2 the price of new. Recycling could be a good option for the short term. I would certainly replace any worn out boots with the new non-felt technology.
Steve Loy
Colorado
By James Piotrowski April 7, 2009 - 4:36 am
Where was the membership in making a decision about whether TU would support a ban?
By David Norman April 8, 2009 - 1:04 pm
I agree with Steve, I think it is appropriate to devise a way to sanitize the felt (entrepreneural ideas). Good hygiene and antiseptic practices will go much farther than simple banning. Education within membership in TU, State and Local fishing licenses, even requiring the purchase of some type of sanitizing devise or mechanism with the purchase of felt sole geear, makes MUCH more sense. Much the same way we are required to have trigger locks on guns. I believe in freedom and liberty with responsibility. Banning is not an answer. Encouraging research for answers to managing the problem, not just identifying the problem, is a much more positive way to address the issue.
“The entrepreneur is essentially a visualizer and actualizer… He can visualize something, and when he visualizes it he sees exactly how to make it happen.”
— Robert L. Schwartz
David N. – TX
By Rob April 17, 2009 - 8:38 pm
I think I’ll keep using my felt soles. Why? Because I enjoy fishing without the fear of slipping on the rocks.
Better yet, why not ban wading permanently??? doesn’t wasing stir up sediment which is not good for trout?
Be reasonable. Some activities have side affects and this is one of them. Local access and trails allow sediment to flow into the rivers, why ban use of those trails? Why create “wilderness” areas? The land needs to be used for everyone, not just self centered trout fishermen who want the land all for themselves. [end rant]
By Rob April 17, 2009 - 8:43 pm
Talking about invasive species…
Why encourage non-felt shoes to curb invasive species but yet encourage the stocking of rivers with brown and rainbow trout (southeast US)? The browns and rainbows are invasive to the the brook trouts of this area, yet TU encourages the practice of stocking non-native, invasive species into the rivers, just for your fishing pleasure…
Talk about TU’s efforts for your own personal use and not the environment…
By Nick December 2, 2009 - 12:35 pm
Banning felt is pointless and just makes TU look more elitist. I’m not a fan of vibram’s traction on most surfaces. Here is a site with a good list of guidelines for sanitizing: http://www.westdenvertu.org/snails.htm
By Ron Rhodes March 9, 2010 - 11:23 am
Vermont House passes bill (H. 488) to ban the manufacture and sale of felt-soled boots.
The bill is sponsored by TU member and State Rep. David Deen. It is now before the VT Senate for consideration.
Our chapter, the White River watershed chapter, is supporting the bill and I assume the state council will follow suit.
By Phillip Reid April 1, 2010 - 10:46 am
Where was TU membership in the vote for TU to ban? We were not, I was not asked……..money money money…..shame takes toll on such a good organization!
By Fox Crow June 26, 2010 - 2:57 pm
I agree with some of the other TU members. Were members consulted before supporting a ban on felt soles? Please don’t be like AARP and support chances that members don’t support. As an older “fly fisher” I am concern about falling in fast moving streams. Felt soles seem to keep my feet steady on rocky bottoms. It seem that banning felt sole boots is more of a knee jerk reaction.
By Dan Longnecker September 15, 2010 - 9:50 am
TU,
I have been fly fishing since I was thirteen years old and have over fifty years of pleasure from the sport. Recently I traveled to Alaska to fish for silvers, dollys and grayling. While there we fished numerous fast moving rivers and had great success. I can not imagine doing so without felt soles. Sadly, I learned that Alaska to is banning felt soles in 2011. I chair an aquatic health advisory committee in the Department of Agriculture in Ohio. We study health issues and concerns for aquatic species and make recommendations for legistlation. As having the misfortune of receiving over one hundred invasive species into Lake Erie from international shipping from around the world, I find this felt ban a sad indication of mis-information. Ships blow their ballasts into our waters and bring in numerous unwanted species. Your ban on felt is kind of like Florida requiring snow tires year around because there is the risk of snow fall. Wake up folks and open your eyes to the real world we live in. TU, please consider being a champion to a cause that can indeed make a difference to all streams accross the great United States, not just a few. Encourage your law makers to address the real invasive species issue, ballast water. If you agree, please speak up now or forever hold your peace.
By Adam Wilner February 24, 2011 - 11:47 am
Here in Maryland, many anglers already ignore the wash stations, and the ban on felt will make more people think they don’t need to wash their boots, thinking that rubber soles will solve the problem. Rubber soled boots still need to be treated. READ MY ARTICLE ON riveranglermd.com
http://riveranglermd.com/Ban_on_Felt.html
By Ron Rhodes April 2, 2011 - 6:41 am
Vermont law banning felt wading boots took effect April 1st. Hanover Outdoors (www.hanoveroutdoors.com) is doing a boot swap… trade in your felt boots and get 25% OFF a new pair of sticky rubber boots. For more info. on the ban in VT see http://www.whiteriverpartnership.org
By T Thorpe April 16, 2011 - 1:36 pm
TU-
Unfortunately shoe laces, sleeves, flies, ducks, and furbearers as well as boats and swimming gear can also move unwanted little thingies just as well as felt soles.
Too bad some outdoor manufacturing companies who sell waders are involved in pushing this legislation.. HMMMMM .
We must realize that “invasivs” are here to stay and that animals have moved about the Earth with or without us for millennium.
Now it seem that ‘greenies’ want to change all that and unfortunately are finding support from those who will make a buck along the way.
By ctakahashi September 9, 2011 - 1:06 am
Hi,
Speaking as an environmental scientist with extensive experience with invasive species, I cannot stress the danger that some of these organisms pose to the environment, not just to the “trout guys”. Things like Quagga and Zebra mussels can COMPLETELY wipe out an established ecosystem. The fishing industry has been wiped out by Quagga on one of the Great Lakes. Pumping stations, cooling fluid intakes for nuclear power plants and other aquatic equipment have to be constantly cleaned of just the mussels alone! ANYthing which can help to slow the spread of these organisms should be enacted. Otherwise, you can kiss off the fisheries and the ecosystems that they are a part of. Many invasives are imported unknowingly (or sometimes deliberately, sadly) and those who do so uncaringly need to educate themselves in the effects of those introductions.