Blog

"The Science of Felt - 2009 A look at the science driving the move to eliminate the use of felt soled waders Bob Wiltshire Center for Aquatic Nuisance Species In September 2008, Trout Unlimited called for the elimination of felt soles on wading boots by 2011. Just a week later, Simms Fishing Products introduced a new line of felt-free boots and announced that, beginning in 2010, they would no longer sell felt soles. These actions came from increasing concerns that felt soles were providing a perfect home for transporting invasive species. In fact, New Zealand had already announced that they were banning the use of felt soled boots beginning October 1, 2008. Since that time additional felt bans enacted (SE Alaska beginning January 1, 2011) and most wader companies have added felt-free alternatives to their product line. The response from the fishing community to these actions has been mixed. Many anglers are embracing the new boots and believe if protecting our waters means giving up felt they are fine with the trade. Others are not so accepting, citing cost and the belief that the new waders don’t work as well in certain water types as reasons they oppose the switch. Recently, the science that underlies the movement to eliminate felt has been questioned. There are some who believe; anglers are being coerced into buying new boots based on no or flawed science, that there is no proof that anglers are moving invasives and that there is no proof that felt is worse than any other part of a boot. In fact, there is sound scientific evidence that anglers are moving invasives and that felt is much worse than any other part of a boot or any other fishing equipment. To understand how we got to a point where the perceived science is so different from the actual we need to back up and look at what put the focus on felt in the first place. The single biggest factor was the rapid spread of didymo in New Zealand. Didymo, Didymosphenia geminata is a single celled algae that is causing significant impacts to pristine trout waters worldwide. Native to the Northern Latitudes, didymo was not historically a significant problem. However, following its introduction to New Zealand in the early 2000’s it quickly became a significant ecological and economic problem." Per: www.stopans.org full article here