Are these also banned in NJ
Just wondering if these were also banned in NJ.
Felt-bottomed waders to be banned
KEITH WHITCOMB JR.
Posted: 02/17/2011 10:47:24 PM EST
Thursday February 17, 2011
BENNINGTON -- Come April 1, owners of felt-bottomed waders or shoes will not be allowed to walk with them in Vermont’s waterways.
According to the Fish and Wildlife Department, the law was passed to stop the spread of invasive species, the spores and eggs of which can stick to the felt soles and survive long enough to be carried to another watershed.
Officials are particularly concerned over the spread of didymo, an algae commonly referred to as "rock snot," and whirling disease of fish, caused by a microscopic parasite that deforms the animals’ skeletons and damages them neurological, causing them to swim in "whirling" patterns.
"In some cases, didymo can change aquatic insect communities and native algae populations in streams," said Shawn Good, a department fisheries biologist. "The abundance of certain types of trout food like mayflies, caddis flies and stone flies have been shown, in some instances, to decline dramatically where didymo blooms are found."
He said the didymo blooms can cover stream bottoms, and the concern is it could inhibit the life cycles of insects which fish eat. Didymo is native to parts of North America, but can become a nuisance in waterways it’s normally not found in.
Good said a didymo bloom was found in the Batten Kill in 2006. The river has also tested positive for the pathogen that causes whirling disease, which primarily affects young trout species and can devastate their populations. The Batten Kill Watershed Alliance has taken steps to educate the public on the spread of invasive species.
Tom Rosenbauer, of The Orvis Company, a fly fishing and outdoor sports outfitter, said Orvis was aware of the coming ban for some time. He said people had been talking about it in other parts of the country for the past few years.
Rosenbauer works for Orvis as a fishing guide and in the marketing division. He was named Angler of the Year for 2011 by the magazine Fly Rod & Reel.
He said felt, while providing anglers with good traction on slippery rocks, takes a long time to dry off, even if a person takes a hair dryer or heat lamp to it. Microorganisms and spores survive on the wader because the material stays moist, so it can be moved from water body to water body.
Orvis will still make felt bottomed waders, he said, at least until other states ban them. He said Orvis sells products nationwide, and for people who stick to one river or stream, it’s not an issue. He said the science that’s been done shows humans do spread species around, although animals such as ducks help.
Rosenbauer said Orvis invested some effort into developing a type of rubber sole that would provide as much traction as felt, and even came up with a tread design, but the end results didn’t meet the company’s standards. He said Orvis will only sell rubber soled waders that have metal spikes, as rubber alone isn’t safe on rocks.
Attempts to develop a chemical treatment for felt bottoms, to kill microorganisms, ended up ruining the felt, he said.
He said the ban isn’t a large inconvenience for the company, and may have resulted in a better product. He said he himself now prefers spiked rubber to felt. According to Rosenbauer, the bill to ban felt in its original form was a ban on its sale and manufacture, but he suggested to lawmakers that such wording would only hurt Orvis and do nothing to keep felt waders purchased in other states out of the waterways. There are a number of ways a person can modify their existing felt waders, Rosenbauer said, without having to purchase new waders.
