What Is The Felt Ban Fine?

[Jeremi]

I have replaced my felt sole boots with the Simms Rivertek. With the Vibram soles. Just wondering what the fine will be for those that get caught with felt.

[drew03cmc]

I haven't heard anything about a fine yet. I am sure it won't be cheap, but probably $75 or so.

[moguy1973]

Snap your pole and a kick in the groin?

[fishinwrench]

They'll probably classify it something really sinister sounding , like "Endangering a protected riverway", or "Attempting to transport destructive material", class B felony. LOL

Seriously though, An aquaintance of mine was run through the ringer bigtime, they had been watching him park next to a bridge and cross a field and return to his van by wading back up the creek. They plotted a full scale swat type sting out in the woods because they just knew he was either tending some weed or cooking meth. They never dreamed that he was merely into hunting arrowheads and I suppose in an attempt to cover up their embarrassment they charged him with "Defacing/disturbing an archeological site....and he actually got some jail time and 2 years of probation, even though there was no known documentation classifying the area as an archeological site, and the owner of the property couldn't be located.

What does this have to do with the fine for wearing felt? I dunno, I guess just that they could potentially call it anything that "works" in the courtroom.

I bet you could ask 100 Prosecutors across the state if they can tell you the extent of punishment for wearing felt boots in a trout stream, and 99 of them will look at you like you just farted and say.... "Huh?"

[Wayne SW/MO]

Like all MDC tickets I would assume it will go to a county judge. The end result will be that if you're local a slap on the hand, from STL or KC $50, from Kansas jail time.

[timsfly]

150$ + court costs, that is what I was told by a MDC employee, but I don't know if he really

knows or was just talking.

[drew03cmc]

Nice, so about $200 for wearing felt boots, when you can buy cheap rubbers for about $50 from BPS, granted, not sticky rubber, but rubber anyway.

[ozark trout fisher]

I doubt the fine will be all that much, but I do hope that it's significant enough to at least be a deterrent. I've personally decided to go with the contact cement route instead of buying new boots.

I know that it will probably be the cause of me having even more Funniest Home Video moments on the stream, but such is life. I couldn't possibly have that many more of those than I already did with felt. You could put together a whole comedy reel from most every weekend I spend on the river. Just add a laugh track and you could probably get it put on Comedy Central...

[jdmidwest]

They will probably just slap the snot out of any violater and let them go....