Felt Soled Waders Banned In Mo Trout Waters!

[Outside Bend]

So the White River is a barren wasteland for trout now that it has been invaded? I have not been there in about 5 years.

No, but populations and fish condition have been declining in Norfork tailwater since didymo began blooming there.

But, the question was, have they ever determined where the didymo come from in the White River System? Since, historically, all of this area was a shallow ocean at one time, who is to say it has not laid dormant all of these years waiting for the right conditions to bloom again? How long can it lay dormant and still be viable? If memory serve me correct, it is a single cell organism, pretty simple in its life structure.

Pretty unlikely, given that didymo is a freshwater organism. Even if it could survive in oceans, nearly every Ozark stream was covered with seas about the same time, so there's no reason for didymo to be present in the White but absent everywhere else.

And besides, if didymo can spend millenia locked in sediment and still be viable, there's no reason to think they couldn't persist in felt soles for a very long time as well, and be moved from stream to stream by anglers. Glad to see you've come around

Everything in nature has a control of some sort for the most part, a predator or vunerabiltiy.

Right. The best defense is a good offense, an ounce of prevention beats a pound of cure, and all that. If we can prevent didymo from invading our streams, we won't have to worry about how to eliminate didymo from our streams.

[3wt]

But, the question was, have they ever determined where the didymo come from in the White River System? Since, historically, all of this area was a shallow ocean at one time, who is to say it has not laid dormant all of these years waiting for the right conditions to bloom again? How long can it lay dormant and still be viable? If memory serve me correct, it is a single cell organism, pretty simple in its life structure. What are its weaknesses? Everything in nature has a control of some sort for the most part, a predator or vunerabiltiy.

Doesn't matter. If it can be spread from there, and we don't want it spread from there, then we should do what we can to stop it.

You are correct that some simple microbes can go dormant and survive for long periods of time in an inhabitable environment, I don't believe diatoms and algeas are among them. Don't they say a 48 hr. drying kills it?

It's a very long shot that this was somewhere down in the mud waiting for the chance to bloom. It is an invasive, and questioning where it came from is important, but mostly for the effort of containment.

What we should be asking is whether felt soles are a legit transmitter.

Check this out.

http://www.stopans.org/Science_of_felt.php

[Outside Bend]

See what happens when we screw with natural waterways? We disrupted the native smallmouth and created trout fisheries, not to mention creating a habitat conducive to didymo.

It's not a question of whether dams are good or bad, drew. It's about whether anglers should be responsible for themselves and for the fisheries they portend to cherish. No one seems to have a compelling argument why they shouldn't.

Yes, rubber soled boots are expensive, but expense doesn't absolve you from doing the right thing. It's cheaper to dump your old freezer off the nearest bridge than to take it to the dump, but that doesn't mean it's an acceptable thing to do. And while it's true wading in rubber soles isn't as carefree as felt, it's not insurmountable. It's time to bite the bullet- if we as anglers aren't willing to do something a little painful to protect our fisheries, how can we expect the CAFO's, farmers, aquaculture interests, big business, mining companies and the rest to give a darn?

[RSBreth]

My favorite waders for Taney are my duck-hunting boot-foot (non-felt) waders - but my old wading shoes were needed some new felt - which won't happen now. I'll buck up - but I'll need to do some research first.

I fall on my butt enough on dry pavement...

[ColdWaterFshr]

Good point Outside Bend.

3 wt - the article you linked seems to confirm that felt-soled boots ARE a legit transporter of didymo. Read it toward the bottom.

I'm due for some new boots anyway. I'll get the rubber ones. I've always hosed my boots and waders off, and dried them real good out in the sun or set by the furnace, but never went to the lengths of soaking them in any disenfectant or bleach.

It would be great if all the wader boot manafacturers would get on board with this and quit making ANY felt-soled boots and also pull all of their felt boots off the market. But that wouldn't look too good on a profit/loss statement.

[drew03cmc]

It's not a question of whether dams are good or bad, drew. It's about whether anglers should be responsible for themselves and for the fisheries they portend to cherish. No one seems to have a compelling argument why they shouldn't.

Yes, rubber soled boots are expensive, but expense doesn't absolve you from doing the right thing. It's cheaper to dump your old freezer off the nearest bridge than to take it to the dump, but that doesn't mean it's an acceptable thing to do. And while it's true wading in rubber soles isn't as carefree as felt, it's not insurmountable. It's time to bite the bullet- if we as anglers aren't willing to do something a little painful to protect our fisheries, how can we expect the CAFO's, farmers, aquaculture interests, big business, mining companies and the rest to give a darn?

The actions of man caused this, building the dams with bottom discharge causing cooler waters that are hospitable to didymo. Why is it that people HAVE to spend the extra money on wading boots now? They seem to think that all outdoorsmen are made of money, or at least those that fly fish...It is a joke that I am darn sick of. Oh well, I don't fish in the winter much, but when I do, I wade. Felt for me. until they are pried from my feet. I have spent the money on them, and to be told now that you can't use them is criminal. That is like a school selling a text book, Volume 1, for full price, in April, then in September telling students they need Volume 2 by Christmas. It's terrible.

[ozark trout fisher]

The actions of man caused this, building the dams with bottom discharge causing cooler waters that are hospitable to didymo. Why is it that people HAVE to spend the extra money on wading boots now? They seem to think that all outdoorsmen are made of money, or at least those that fly fish...It is a joke that I am darn sick of. Oh well, I don't fish in the winter much, but when I do, I wade. Felt for me. until they are pried from my feet. I have spent the money on them, and to be told now that you can't use them is criminal. That is like a school selling a text book, Volume 1, for full price, in April, then in September telling students they need Volume 2 by Christmas. It's terrible.

Listen, this sucks for all of us. I just recently bought a pair of felt soled boots too.

But the question is, are we going to put our money and our convenience ahead of the health of the streams? I think that for those of us who care about these streams, and their health, it is time to put our money where our mouth is. If we only are willing to help protect these streams to the extent that it doesn't cost us any extra money or convenience, well I don't think that says anything particularly good about fisherman. Of course it is possible to use felt soles and not transport didymo, if you are more or less religious about not using them out of state, etc. But the fact is, not everyone does that.

[Idylwilde]

The DMC is working to get a solution for a fix you can do to the felt you have now and make them legal to wear. Look for it on their site in a few day's. (weeks) And if you need new boots look into the Korkers they have all the bases covered even the laces and boot itself. This is not going to be as we expect. Agents are not going to swarm the stream March 1st and issue tickets to everyone that has felt on. (I hope!!) Don't go trowing good boots away just yet, wait and see what the DMC comes out with.

[stlfisher]

To me it is a minimal inconvenience and small expense to help keep the streams healthy. Seems to me lot's of folks want to have a clean healthy stream as long as the sacrifices to keep it that way don't affect their current practices. OB stated it well a few posts above.

[Snow Fly]

The Conservation Commish I talked to said it will be a "State wide water ban" not just trout waters.......Also if anyone is interested there is a guy who does boots and has the rubber soles on hand to replace felts,probably save some $$..........I know nothing about them but the local fly shop had the info!

Craftwell & Dunnright

756 S. Truman Blvd

Festus, Mo. 63028

636-937-4200