Felt sole ban in Alaska

[ScottP]

http://newsminer.com/view/full_story...w_left_bullets

Ban applies to fishermen only. Who else wears felt-sole boots? Clammers?

Regards,
Scott

[MontanaMoose]

Gonna be some really reasonably priced felt soled boots out there pretty soon. Hey, why not buy a few pairs, scrape the felt off, then have your cobbler install vibram soles on them....just sayin'.

Cheers,

MontanaMoose

[ScottP]

That's an idea. Simms wants $44 for a pair of the Vibram soles (installation is extra). Probably wouldn't be cost-effective for the pair of Freestones I have, but get a good deal on some Guides and then you're talking.

Regards,
Scott

[Mike Thomas]

They banned felt soles here in NZ at the start of last season, ban applies to fishermen only, so if you are guiding, rafting or kayaking felt soles are o.k. Makes no sense to me.
All the best.
Mike

[Jax]

I'm with you Mike; Still have splinters in my fingers from scratching my head over that one. Jax

[NJTroutbum]

It's the politically correct thing to do now. Barbless hooks and nylon nets are old news.

[sagefisher]

I hate to see felt soles going the way of the dinosaur, but it is difficult to hold back a tidal wave once everyone jumps on board.

However, if you really think of it, felt soles are getting a bad wrap. So you buy some of the less effective replacements. That really won't stop the transportation of unwanted species.

The next time you take your waders off think about what you are doing. Do you remove the laces, open up the eyelet strips and scrub out all those tight little places where unwanted hitchhikers can hide? Do you turn your boots inside out (don't try it, you can't) and clean out the inside? Nope, you don't, and neither do I.

The only really safe answer is to require everyone who is not living in the area in question to only use brand new boots. That can get expensive and naturally they won't do that, although I was under the impression that if you fly to OZ then you had to use new equipment.

I am afraid that the reality is simply that as long as we like to flitter about enjoying the great outdoors, we will transport unwanted species with us. Sometimes it may be something that is harmless, like your fishing buddy, but sometimes it may be something that in a few years will destroy a river or lake system.

A few years ago I got a group together and ten of us took off for two days of fishing on the Missouri River in Montana, then two days of fishing on the North Platte River in Wyoming, then two more days of fishing on the Big Hole River back in Montana. Ten people, 20 shoes, that is how these unwanted species will leapfrog their way around our country.

Larry ---sagefisher---

[Clay]

This felt sole thing has all the political correctness of any good tree hugger. I would think it is better than any marketing campaign that has come up for boot sales. Most of these boot have shoe laces, they have the fabric in the boot itself. Just because your sole doesn't transfer ditty snott as well the rest of the boot can. Do I think it minimizes the transfer? Perhaps by a small percentage. If we were really concerned about this we would be dipping our boots after each body of water in a sterilization solution.

People want to feel good about doing something to help the environment, but some of these laws are just silly.

By the way there are some great deals right now on felt bottom boots. Simms has closed out there line already and I found some G3 boots for $89. They don't have any good size selection left at that vendor or I would have bought those.

Felt plus studs are still better than the latest wiz bang vibrams with studs for traction. If you look at real test they talk about how good they are, but they still don't match. The only thing the new vibrams are good for is snow, felt is terrible in snow.

OK, done with rant.

[hardhat]

Maybe so, but the makers of wading boots have to love it!

[Sagerods09]

Why don't some one just invent a spray or something that you sprayed down your boots with once you leave the water so that it would kill all bacteria and hitchhikers while they were stored. That way when you start a new trip out you would be sterilized for any stream. Or are the boot companies secretly got people pushing this so that more people will have to buy new boots more often?