Singlebarbed says Where’s the Beef – In the absence of hard science are we being railroaded into a felt sole ban that may be a negligible factor?

Show me the fuggin BEEF I’m one of those skeptical fellows that grows more so with each article on invasive species and the proposed felt sole ban. We’ve all seen plenty of “trust me” science and the rise of the conclusive inconclusive finding, and I’m beginning to doubt that the facts support a ban.

It started innocently enough, with New Zealand Mud Snails less than 5 miles from my house, it begged additional research into which of the other odiferous brown rivulets nearby were also affected.

As you might expect, science largely sticks to the pristine, ignoring my fetid little creeks as already lost to pollution and therefore unworthy.

But the research papers led me down a deepening rabbit hole, each ending in question marks and supposition rather than hard science and facts. Blame my upbringing, as the Haight Ashbury in the 1960’s taught us to question authority, and not be led by the nose.

So I continued to dig deeper.

Research documents on the current strain of invasives; Didymo, New Zealand Mud Snails, and the Quagga and Zebra Mussels, tell a different story than our angling press. Their conclusions are rather surprising given the constant barrage of Cal Trout, Trout Unlimited, and Federation of Fly Fishermen literature – which makes felt soles the overriding scapegoat for much of our unclean behavior.

What’s not in doubt is our role in the spread of invasives like Didymo and the Mud Snail. Waders and wading gear are a known “vector” by which unwanted organisms are transported from one waterway to the next. But felt soles don’t appear to be the primary issue – and in many studies were not even mentioned.

I remember the outrage of senators forced to vote on a thousand page stimulus plan posed by the Obama administration, how there wasn’t time to read it all before the vote ensued.  It’s in my nature to ask, are we being railroaded to a similar speedy fix lacking proper scientific protocol with the proposed ban on felt soled wading shoes?

The documentation from the 2007 FFF Montana Symposium on invasive species lists fishing equipment, wading boot tops, and neoprene waders, as surfaces likely to carry the Didymo diatom, yet two years later only felt soles are facing a likely ban in 2011.

Cells are able to survive and remain viable in cool, damp, dark conditions for at least 40 days (Kilroy 2005). Fishing equipment, boot tops, neoprene waders, and felt-soles in particular, all provide a site where cells remain viable, at least during short term studies

Boot foot waders and neoprene wetsuits are outside the influence of fly fishing organizations as they’re used by many unrelated industries. Are we imposing our will on the only group that is semi-native to fly fishing, the detached boot – stocking foot wader makers?

… and does the science really conclude that’s the preferred alternative?

Why is there no push to change wading shoes uppers – rife with lace holes and layered tongues containing the same damp nooks and crannies as the felt sole?

Research suggests the upper lace area to be equally bad as the felt sole in terms of straining and capturing small organisms. A return to the welded boot foot wader would partially solve the issue, removing all laces and tongues and the damp areas surrounding them. Such a ban would be more appropriate than merely changing the sole and allowing the spread of invasives from the lace area, so why not ban both?

We’d all wear welded boot foot – cleated soles, like Dad did … a bunch of wading shoe manufacturers would go out of business, but we’d be doing our part to keep the environment sacrosanct.

… only manufacturers would never go for that, would they?

Didymo was first recorded in North America in 1894 (Cleve 1894-1896) at Vancouver Island in Canada, it’s native to Scotland and China, and didn’t get the invasive label in earnest until the New Zealand outbreak of 2004. It’s not considered an invasive to the Northwestern US, as its been here longer that some of us.

Many research papers suggest an incomplete knowledge of the Didymo diatom – why it’s initial presence is found frequently in dam tail waters, and while citing humans as a factor also raise the question about waterfowl and animal dispersal.

Many scientific journals postulate that it’s the evolution of the organism itself that has allowed its spread to warmer waters:

Why didymo all of a sudden changed into such an irritating and invasive species, no-one has yet figured out. The most prevalent speculation is we’re seeing the outcome of a biologically successful genetic mutation.

If true, then this becomes a completely different ball game – with birds, bears, and even wind able to carry a live diatom the short distance to the next creek.

The New Zealand government also supports a ban of felt soles, yet documentation from their website cites the lack of knowledge about Didymo in their 2004 research;

There appear to have been no attempts overseas to control or eliminate D. geminata, and no studies to date on how the species spreads.

As does the 2007 FFF Invasive Symposium document which cites, “ an organism for which we lack basic biological and ecological knowledge.”

Yet we’re so sure felt soles are the primary culprit we’re willing to ban them. I’ll have to ask “who’s so sure” because the scientific community hasn’t concluded anything.

The Didymo diatom is a single cell algae, small enough to be undetectable to the human eye, and easily carried on skin; a wet tee shirt, wading vest, or your flies. The New Zealand Mud Snail can be found in greater sizes, but studies of wading anglers find the most common size found clinging to waders and equipment is1mm or smaller.

Tests by the California Department of Fish and Game on wading gear found a correlation between  New Zealand Mud Snails and wading boots, but more snails were found inside the boot than lodged in felt soles. (It’s my assumption that “padded insole inserts” were the authors term for felt soles.)

The majority of NZMS recovered were associated with wading boots. NZMS were observed on the tongue area of wading boots, associated with the laces or the area of the tongue that was tucked beneath the lacing eyelets. Large numbers of small NZMS were present inside of the boots, having worked down between the boot and the neoprene bootie of the wader. If the boots contained padded insole inserts, NZMS were also found underneath the inserts, associated with sand grains. NZMS were recovered from every treated set of wading gear. Numbers of NZMS per sample ranged from 1 to 227 with a mean of 33 (Appendix 2). Over 50% of NZMS recovered were < 1 mm in size

Wading anglers are one of the problems, but research cannot yet quantify how much of the problem we are – nor whether we’re the primary “pollination vector” or merely one of many culprits.

Boaters with their bilges and live wells can transport diatoms and aquatic hitchhikers far easier than we can. Species introduced into man made impoundments and lakes spill over the dam and populate tail waters with great glee – spreading further with each winter’s runoff.

But overlooked in all of this is the role of waterfowl – which can fly great distances and can transport algae and mollusks both internally and externally.

Jstor article

Jstor article

The above JSTOR abstract suggests both mollusks and diatoms can be hosted by birds over great distances and considerable time. It also suggests that we don’t the full story on the role of waterfowl on dispersion and additional research is warranted.

The New Zealand government study concurs, suggesting that the location of its initial outbreak was most likely spread via human vector, but doesn’t rule out the threat of additional spread via birds:

It is conceivable that clumps of D(idymo).geminata could pass live through the guts of birds or animals. Atkinson (1980) experimentally fed freshwater planktonic algae to ducks and found viable cells of the diatom Asterionella formosa in two cultures. However, because of the very long times involved in long-distance bird migration, this again seems most likely as a means of local transport rather than global dispersal. Another possible mode of local transport of diatom clumps could be on feet or feathers/fur of birds and animals. See Kociolek & Spaulding (2000) for more examples

Which speaks to the root of my issue; if the scientific community doesn’t  yet know the answers why do angling organizations insist they do?

In conclusion, dispersal of D. geminata from its original geographical range into other parts of continental Europe and USA could conceivably have been assisted by avian vectors. However, this is a most improbable explanation for the sudden appearance of the species in New Zealand. The most plausible explanation is that the species has entered the region on a human vector. Birds and animals (as well as humans) could possibly be factors in any future dispersal within New Zealand.

I’m not content to follow the herd. Three years of college biology and chemistry doesn’t confer any special knowledge other than my ability to translate their vernacular. The science appears woefully incomplete  – and someone has to point out the lack of facts in this Great Crusade.

Felt holds better than rubber, sticky or otherwise – and I don’t need science to tell me my ass hurts less when extremities are outfitted with felt and studs. There’s far too much “we’re not sure” in the supporting documentation than I’m comfortable with – suggesting some retired dentist or lawyer is trying to tell me I should wear – and not science.

Read about the subject and make up your own mind.

Considering that many of my locals waters contain invasives – and worse; Goat guts and dead cats – it’s no surprise that I am cautious and adopted the welded boot foot-cleated rubber soled wader. I won’t find out what I’m dragging with me for many years as the Pristine gets first crack at all the biologists. Rubber soles and welded foot ensure I don’t spread anything other than cigar butts for the moment.

No rocks and soft gravel bottoms allow me to stay dry in slippery rubber cleats. I have separate waders for trout fishing that are never used in local waters – they’re old and neoprene, but never will the apples and oranges intermix.

I have no plans to abandon felt if the ban is successful and the science is still conjecture. We once buffed the cleats off jungle boots and equipped them with indoor-outdoor carpet – and can do so again. A couple pairs of cleated boots to cover my local waters, and a couple more rug equipped for trout expeditions should cover me nicely..

… and I’ll scrub snot off out of them in between.

(The California Department of Fish and Game article should be read specifically as it also addresses the effects of cleaning products on both waders and wading boots and whether the materials were damaged by the cleaning protocol.)

Tags: New Zealand Mud Snail, Diatom, Didymo, waterfowl, JSTOR, California Department of Fish and Game, Federation of Fly Fishermen, Cal Trout, Trout Unlimited, pollination vector, felt soled wading shoes, jungle boots, Neoprene waders, Obama, Stimulus Plan, Quagga, Zebra mussel

28 thoughts on “Singlebarbed says Where’s the Beef – In the absence of hard science are we being railroaded into a felt sole ban that may be a negligible factor?

  1. EcoFly

    Great post, Keith. You took the words right out of my mouth on this one. However, there is a map out there somewhere with little red dots on the bodies of water that have tested Didymo positive, and it’s pretty much a map of every fly fishermen’s United States bucket list. I’m not saying that diatoms aren’t being transported by other means, but when you see the map, coincidence goes out the window.

    (It’s been about a year since I saw this map, and I’ve actually been trying to find the link for a few weeks now. I’ll email it to you when I re-find it.)

  2. EcoFly

    I think the map above is a tad out of date, as I know of several streams in NY that have tested positive, but aren’t on there yet. The one thing that sticks out at me, personally, is that the areas rampant with didymo are not only the ones where wade fishing is the dominant means of angling; but also that these places are the places to go for the traveling angler.

  3. KBarton10

    Thanks for the additional information Alex, there’s little question that we’re part of the larger puzzle.

    Didymo is an especially fascinating topic to me, as numerous sources are suggesting that the diatom may have evolved – and where it normally tolerated only cold water, that the evolution of the diatom now makes it able to survive in warmer water.

    … hence it’s newfound pest status.

    Evolution has always connotated many thousands of years – if that theory is true – this would make the mutation only a couple hundred years old.

    Interesting stuff.

  4. That Guy

    padded insole inserts does not refer to felt soles. They are things like Dr. Scholls for providing arch support and the like and they were discussing snails that got underneath those. After reading the piece from California, it looks like they did not even look at felt soles. I whole heartedly agree with you that the verdict is still out on felt soles. There is no good data suggesting a ban. Thanks for providing the opposition argument in such respectful and non-angry way.

  5. EcoFly

    Diatoms are fascinating, probably one of the coolest things I got to study last year in school, also one of the most beautiful.

    On a side note, I’ve yet to hear about a trout stream or insect population that has been hurt on a significant level by the presence of didymo. Have you?

  6. KBarton10 Post author

    From my readings it appears the Didymo mat blankets most life – but many of the outbreaks are limited versus a complete blanket of the watershed. Time may be required to smother everything – which could be the reason it hasn’t destroyed everything yet.

    What’s interesting is the New Zealand research that suggests that the main flow of the river can be completely affected, yet the feeder creeks can remain clear. They were attempting to find a correlation among all of the smaller streams that would explain their resistance to the diatom. Ph, Temperature, or something allows the feeder creek to remain largely unaffected.

    @That Guy: We try to save alll the righteous indignation and wrath for the humor pieces – better outlet for bile …

  7. Trout Book

    There are many changes occurring throughout the ecosystems all over the world that are cause for concern.

    Unfortunately, ceasing or reducing human activity is the only real solution.

  8. Sam

    Thank you for taking the time to look into such a hot topic among all water users. We believe that Korkers provides a unique performance solution for preventing the spread of invasive species while enhancing angler safety. The OmniTrax™ Interchangeable Sole System offers anglers the ability to choose the condition specific performance outsole that optimizes the fishing experience. Korkers believes felt remains the best solution for traction in the river and can be used responsibly in support of the Clean Angling Pledge. Owning multiple soles, from felt to sticky rubber, empowers anglers to approach and fish the river knowing they aren’t compromising the environment itself.
    Happy Fishing,
    Sam
    Korkers

  9. EcoFly

    Sam,
    A person in your position should be careful not to give the impression that an angler changing his/her soles is going to prevent the spread of invasive species such as didymo from one watershed to another. I admire the cleverness behind what you’re saying, but changing soles only empowers the ignorant. (Please don’t take that as an insult.)

    If korkers wants to make some money, how about engineering something that anglers can store their wading boots in- spare soles, waders, etc.- that “disinfects” them, or at least accelerates the quarantine process.

    Personally, I think it sucks that I have to disinfect my gear with something like 409 or bleach, and then not only wait for it to dry out, but make sure it has been thoroughly dried out for several days before I can have enough peace of mind to go fish a different watershed.

    The company who makes a product that allows me to wait shorter intervals between fishing different watersheds is going to make money from me, and I’d guess a lot of other people.

  10. Derrick Filkins

    It was obvious to our fly shop at the start that the felt sole issue was just an opportunity to make a few bucks off of people who believe everything they read that comes from the various Gods of Fly Fishing. What Keith has done is a discussion of the facts instead of demonizing felt soles. When I was at ICAST this year I came across a product used in the Marine industry that kills everything it comes in contact with as long as the piece being sprayed stays wet for 30 seconds. The product is used on boats where a variety of different textures and surfaces are encountered. I gave the name of the product to Korkers and I hope they will follow up to check its efficacy on Wading Gear.

    Thanks for your excellent research of the available material. We would appreciate the opportunity to publish your findings in our next monthly newsletter. Please send us an email at info@flymasters.com.

  11. Sam

    EcoFly,
    The only empowerment given to the ignorant is the media bringing felt to the forefront of a much bigger problem. Banning felt will in no way completely solve the issue of invasive species. In fact by encouraging people to buy rubber soled boots as a solution to the problem potentially makes the problem worse. As the article points out, invasive species can be carried on all gear including waders, boot insoles, laces, boats, etc. Korkers supports the Clean Angling Pledge, which asks people to inspect, clean and dry all of their fishing gear after every use. Innovation and design give Korkers a unique position that allows anglers to use felt, or the sole of their choice responsibly, by allowing the user to detach soles and dry them completely. Trying to be clever is not our position, giving people options is.

  12. KBarton10

    @Derrick – Feel free to use the post – if nothing else it may stimulate a little discussion and cause folks to dig a little deeper.

    @Sam – I think we’re all on the same page, recognizing that wading anglers are at least one of the culprits, and only the “how much” is unanswered.

    It’s encouraging that manufacturers are as responsive as they are – even in the face of pontential profit loss – their willingness to do their portion is a good thing.

  13. Ian Anderson

    Keith,

    I too am a skeptic at heart. I have only recently begun to do some reading in the area of felt soles and invasive species. I agree with you that there is not enough data to draw enough of a conclusion to say felt soles are bad.

    Aside from the marketing hype and the resulting products “shoved down our throats” my chief concern is that once people wear there new “eco-friendly” wading boot their attentions to their wading practices will slip because now they do not have to be concerned; they have no felt! What you have mentioned in your piece here is that the upper portions of the boots as well as the waders themselves also play a role. Therefore, just getting rid of the felt does not help the issue. It seems best practices are to have different gear for different fisheries, treat all your gear that gets wet, and/or allow enough time to pass between uses for any hitch-hikers to die (but since we all fish everyday the latter is not an option).

    Sometimes it is easier to be lemming and run off the cliff than to question where your going. Thanks for sharing.

  14. KBarton10

    Ian,

    You bring up a very valid point. Anglers could be lulled into complacency thinking sticky rubber no longer makes them a threat, and that’s not the case.

    Hell, most anglers I know grumble if they’re forced to change their underwear once a week… let alone wash the darn things.

    The vendor community would unite solidly behind us if we purchased different waders/shoes for each watershed – they’d be ecstatic. I think I’ll insist on a discount – despite my desire to stimulate the economy

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  16. Steve Schmidt

    I agee with much of what you have said. I wish that the majority of the fishing public was as educated as you are on this subject and other critical subject that tevolve around our sport.From a retailers perspective talking about felt vs sticky let’s us tell the story about invasive species and the role anglers pay in transporting them. That in and of itself is worth having them.

  17. Brian Bennett

    Patagonia, who has had sticky rubber and invasive species awareness hang tags on all their footwear since 2005,is not dropping felt. Clean, dry and inspect is much more critical to preventing invasive transmission than felt vs rubber.

    Think about that the next time your back your drift boat trailer into the mud.

  18. KBarton10

    That’s welcome news Brian. I’ll wait for the scientists to sort fact from good intentions – and in the interim it’s nice to know I’ll have at least one vendor that I can buy felt soled wading shoes from …

    You’re likely not at liberty to tell – but is Patagonia looking at their lace-tongue design to assist in denying critters a hiding place?

  19. Bill Klyn

    Good story that goes straight to the point on the band aid apporach of banning felt sole wading shoes. Aqautic invasives do ride on laces, mesh, mud and particulate matter, trailers, etc. What needs to be done is fundamentally change anglers thinking and behavior. Anglers in saltwater rinse their gear after every use. Freshwater anglers have to adopt that same principle to rinse gear and follow that mantra of Clean, Inspect and Dry. This significantly reduces transportation of those nasty invasives to other waters…

  20. john Cole

    good info
    why not wash or soak boots etc in a solution of clorox. remember you can sterilize creek water for drinking with a few drops per quart. I would not think that would cause damage to the materials.

  21. Bob Wiltshire

    Thanks for a well researched and written post. Unfortunately, most of the scientific information that you need to reference was not available when the FFF hosted the Didymo Symposium in 2007. I applaud you for reading the proceedings of the conference and trying to really understand the issue. Its very refreshing to see an article written that responds to actual science and not just opinions.

    One of the main objectives of the Symposium was to identify the gaps in our knowledge that needed to be filled and researchers around the world have been working to answer many of the questions raised that you have repeated here. In some instances we now have better info and in other areas we still have a lot to learn. Unfortunately, you have to really dig and be persistent to find the newest data as most of it is only published in agency reports at this time. One good place to fin some of the latest research info is http://www.biosecurity.govt.nz/pests/didymo/research. However, this is only one site and to really learn the latest science you will need to develop contacts within the research community. Didymo research is a high priority and there are new discoveries being made on a regular basis.

    I want to respond specifically to the assertion that felt has never been scientifically identified as being worse than other boot parts. In fact, research has shown that felt is much worse. Although the research was not available at the Symposium, it was there that it was realized it was needed and was conducted soon after. You can read the research report at http://www.biosecurity.govt.nz/files/pests/didymo/didymo-survival-dec-06-rev-may-07.pdf, beginning on page 52. This is the most complete study I know of and is very strong proof that felt is a significant problem. The research also shows why it is not possible to merely spray or soak felt to get rid of Didymo.

    Don’t get me wrong, I completely agree with you that there are lots of other problem areas with boots that need to be addressed. Note that the referenced paper states that the smooth rubber boot foot waders were by far the best and I believe that this is the product we should be demanding from our boot companies. However, I am afraid that we are looking at trees instead of the forest. Even if we got everyone to switch to boot foot waders we still risk transporting invasives through lots of other equipment and our daily activities.

    It is time of each of us to make the commitment to be a Clean Angler. After every trip we need to Inspect, Clean and Dry to the best of our ability. We need to make cleaning an automatic part of our fishing and we need to teach others to do the same. It is important to note that this is the first thing that companies and organizations are saying. It is not “buy new gear and save the environment”. Rather it is Inspect Clean and Dry as the first line of defense.

    It is time for us to instill a new ethic in everyone who fishes – Only Clean Anglers are Good Anglers. Learn to clean your gear after every use and teach others to do the same. Take the Clean Angling Pledge at http://www.cleanangling.org.

    Bob

  22. KBarton10 Post author

    Bob,

    Thanks for the update and the links to more current information. I assumed a lot of folks must be working on the science as we’re moving into crisis mode. I’ll review the latest research tonight.

    As I fish among chemicals as well as invasives you’ll get no resistance from me on the clean angling pledge.

    If you could work “soaked in alchohol” into the Clean Angling mantra, it’d sure make your job easier. Anglers would fall all over themselves toasting each other in the parking lot – and make scrubbing their gear a cheerful exercise.

    Yes, I’m being silly…

  23. Bob Wiltshire

    You are sure right about the alcohol, If only it worked we wouldn’t have to worry about anyone spilling it into the water! I can see it now, the newest cocktail at the local watering hole would be the “Dirty Wader”.

    You would enjoy some of the comments I get about another program I am involved in called “Anglers Against Weeds”

    I appreciate you highlighting this issue as it is here to stay and we will need to figure out new ways to deal with new problems. Let me know if I can ever get info for you.

    Bob

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