HEAVY wading boots

[Silver Creek]

Falling in a river can be a very serious, even fatal, event. When I buy my next pair of wading boots I will be most concerned with traction, not weight. I would probably stay with felt, except that I am concerned that Montana will soon ban felt. If not felt, then aluminum. I always look to save money on reels, but not on wading boots.

My two cents,

Randy

The felt sole ban came in after Max Bothwell, a research scientist for Environment Canada, wrote an influential article that linked angler's felt soled boots to dydimo spread. Since dydimo is a one celled organism that is easily carried in felt, the reasoning was that banning felt was a way to cut down on transfer of dydimo. Other invasive organisms like zebra mussels, New Zealand mud snails, etc can be transferred by boots but a felt has no different affinity since these organisms are visible on the felt soles just as they are on rubber soles are are removed by washing.

Here is his original article, On the Boots of Fishermen:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/232833850_On_the_Boots_of_Fishermen_The_History_of _Didymo_Blooms_on_Vancouver_Island_British_Columbi a

He now believes that dydimo has been in North American waters and that it is a change in water chemistry, specifically lower phosphorus levels that has caused dydimo blooms.

Read the article in American Angler, July-August, 2013, pp 8-9.

"'I no longer believe the problem is North American streams is the result of it (dydimo) being moved around.' ?. Scientists are now convinced that dydimo lives in many streams, but blooms only when the water has far less than the normal amount of phosphorus?? The most damaging dydimo episode in the US seems to have been on Rapid Creek in South Dakota, where a six-mile bloom dramatically impacted a blue ribbon brown trout fishery. In 2007 and 2008, Bothwell and other scientists added phosphorus to sections of Rapid Creek. Sure enough, the dydimo mats shrank"

He published his findings in Freshwater Biology (2012) 57, 641?653 in an article titled:

http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_...rdb5422748.pdf

"The blooms were present only in rivers where average dissolved P was very low. Didymo in higher nutrient waters had higher cell division rates, shorter stalks, and did not form blooms.

?. the blooms are caused by low nutrients in the overlying water, which promotes excessive stalk production. Subsequent surveys, experiments and observations in New Zealand have all been consistent with low nutrients (specifically low P) driving the blooms."

http://sciblogs.co.nz/waiology/2012/...-in-nz-rivers/

I think this recent discovery makes more sense than the old theory that all of a sudden dydimo sprang up due to anglers boots when anglers have been using these same rivers for over a century with no dydimo blooms.

What is causing the dydimo blooms, I surmise, is the current trend of reducing phosphorus in detergents and lawn fertilizer. So as we get rid of phosphorus to prevent algae blooms we get dydimo blooms.

Ever wonder why NZ has such a problem with dydimo? They have lots of crystal clear streams and rivers with low phosphorus because there is little runoff from agriculture and lawns.

So dydimo is not spread by boots. Therefore the main reason to ban felt soled boots is no longer valid.

As to the concern that Montana will ban felt soles, this was already been proposed and died in committee. The reason, I suspect, is that the proposed law would have allowed state and federal employees to continue to use felt soles while banning them for the public. This places the safety of state and federal employees at a higher standard than the general public.

The states that I know of that have banned felt soles have an exclusion for federal workers and state workers. These states know that rubber soles are more dangerous than felt and forcing emergency and state workers to use felt places these workers at risk for injury and death.

So there an exception for State and Federal Employees:

Vermont has banned felt boots but if you investigate the law, it exempt state and federal employees. They can continue to wear felt.

"Sec. 1. 10 V.S.A. ? 4616 is added to read: ? 4616. FELT-SOLED BOOTS AND WADERS; USE PROHIBITED

It is unlawful to use external felt-soled boots or external felt-soled waders in the waters of Vermont, except that a state or federal employee or emergency personnel, including fire, law enforcement, and EMT personnel, may use external felt-soled boots or external felt-soled waders in the discharge of official duties."

http://www.leg.state.vt.us/docs/2010...ssed/H-488.pdf


The proposed Montana law does the same. I have read that the reason this died in committee was because government employees wanted the security of felt soles and lawmakers could not agree that this was fair to the public.

"NEW SECTION. Section 2. Use of felt-soled boots and waders prohibited.

(1) A person may not use external felt-soled boots or external felt-soled waders in the waters of the state.

(2) The possession of external felt-soled boots or external felt-soled waders on the banks or shores of a stream or lake or in a boat, raft, canoe, or other water vessel is prima facie evidence that the person or persons in whose possession the boots or waders are found were using the boots or waders in the waters of the state.

(3) The provisions of this section do not apply to a state or federal employee or emergency personnel, including fire, law enforcement, and emergency medical technicians, using external felt-soled boots or external felt-soled waders when acting within the scope of duty."

https://leg.mt.gov/bills/2011/BillHtml/SB0230.htm


https://leg.mt.gov/bills/2011/sb0299/SB0230_1.pdf