Felt Soled Waders Banned In Mo Trout Waters!

[jdmidwest]

I'll wade in...

Like all businessmen, we have to deal with new regulations around almost every corner. The Health Department keeps us busy changing the way we serve coffee and keep our freezers and refrigerators. Glad that's all we do cause to do more means spending big money to keep thing legal. Our swimming pool- a lady drowns in another state and isn't found for three day in a public pool. The pool was cloudy in the deep end- that's what hid her body. Now, in Missouri, we have to close our pool is there's the least bit of cloudiness in the pool. We closed is several days this year by order of the H.D.. I could go on and on.

Knee jerk reactions by regulators to try to keep bad things from happening- but you know- bad things keep happening and will continue. Will some of the regulations save lives (fish and humans) ? Some will and some won't. But most hurt business and this will hurt businesses in the short run. The only business it will help is the shoe makers and shoe sellers, and again, short term.

I can see out of staters not coming to Missouri because of the ban and yes this will hurt our businesses and might even cause a decrease in license sales.

How is algea spread from one water system to another anyhow? What's the most common vehicle? How are Zebra muscles spread? Same? Then what are you going to do with trailers and boats that carry water from one system to another? Could a case be made that trailers and boats could be more of a danger to spread didymo than boots?

But there's no need to get all heated about it - we're going to disagree because it takes all kinds of people to run this world... MDC is going to do it regardless what we say- already did it sounds like. I do respects an opinion from the opposite side. It can't hurt, I guess. But it will hurt some of us in the pocket book- that's for sure, whether we have to buy new shoes or lose business because of it.

It does take all people to run this world, and it really would run better without so much GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION. I am surely glad you brought out the politics on this one. It is not any party, it is simply the Government thinking that they know what is best without really thinking it thru. The government is here to protect us and we need less government.

[Phil Lilley]

Guess I was stating the obvious- that it will cost us money. I'm not dead set against the ban- it's going to happen and we'll make the best of it and come through it fine. And if it does keep it from spreading then that is a good thing.

We already have Zebra Muscles in Taneycomo but like Al said, they don't always devastate a fishery. It hasn't ours and looks like it won't. I venture to say Zebras were brought to our lake by a boat or trailer, that's why I brought up the comparison.

[jdmidwest]

Who is to say that I back my boat and trailer in the didymo infested waters of the White River at Bull Shoals and drag it all thru the snot, leave with it hanging all over the frame, in the bearings, in the lights, the wires hanging down, the fender wells. Then my next stop is Taneycomo. But I washed and dried my felt soles good on the way in the taxpayer funded didymo cleaning station. Or maybe 11 Pt on the way home.

[eric1978]

No, the only way the government funded brains have figured out to date is to ban felts. I really don't think there has been enough thought on this matter. And did I mention the alternative boots were all more expensive than and of the best felts were before the hoopla? There have been other threats to the trout in the past, but none required an executive order to change our equipment.

How many thousands of dollars worth of fishing gear do you have, JD? Yeah, me too. One more pair of boots isn't gonna break either one of us.

I saw you mentioned earlier that more research needs to be done before this decision is made. Well guess what? Research costs money...tax dollars. And you'd be screaming bloody murder that the government is wasting your hard earned tax dollars researching some stupid scum on the bottom of rivers if they did. So they really can't win with you either way. Am I wrong?

[crawfly]

Good science has gotten us where we are today. Yessiree!

If we can just declare a "War on didymo" it'll soon be everywhere and we can forget about it. Except for the non-profits events and drive to continue the "good" fight.

I don't know if you know it but "The snakeheads are coming!" "The snakeheads are coming!"

[jdmidwest]

How many thousands of dollars worth of fishing gear do you have, JD? Yeah, me too. One more pair of boots isn't gonna break either one of us.

I saw you mentioned earlier that more research needs to be done before this decision is made. Well guess what? Research costs money...tax dollars. And you'd be screaming bloody murder that the government is wasting your hard earned tax dollars researching some stupid scum on the bottom of rivers if they did. So they really can't win with you either way. Am I wrong?

I don't want the government to spend any of my tax dollars on it, that is the whole point. Don't waste money on boot cleaning stations that don't get used. What is the real method of transmission, where did it come from, and what can be done to stop it. There are more than plenty of private interest groups that can fund that out of donations, voluntarily from citizens. If it was such an issue, why did several Environmentally concerned companies come out with new felt soles this year. Because there are more than one way to transmit it and the government was grasping at straws with the felt sole bans?

[Phil Lilley]

Anyone else have any points? Ones we haven't heard? From members who haven't waded in?

[exiledguide]

Anyone else have any points? Ones we haven't heard? From members who haven't waded in?

Let me see, none of this substance exist in Missouri, can't grow in warm water streams, but me fishing the James or Big Piney Rivers in felt soles will destroy trout fishing in Missouri? Makes sense to me oh and don't walk to far downstream or you will fall off the earth and don't use a public toilet because you might catch...

[exiledguide]

And if it does keep it from spreading then that is a good thing.

How can something that doesn't exist be spread. Somebody answer me, please have the laws of physics changed? Can something that isn't here be spread some where else from here? We need to nominate the MDC poobahs for the Nobel Science prize. They, through all their scientific research, have proven that something that isn't here can be spread to over here.

[Ham]

I am not all that well versed in this algae. What water temps does it require to survive?

Potential state wide ban on felt even on streams where the didymo can't grow?

maybe I'm not understanding this correctly.