What state will follow

[AKguy]

Ak has banned felt boots. Is there any kind of push for this in PA or MD? I'm sure this is a sore subject.
Felt boots

 

[DGC]

I appreciate you mentioning this. There has been debate here at the forum about the relative effectiveness of the non-felt on the one hand, and the extent that it reduces didymo or other infestation on the other. At the very least, other states are likely to follow suit, and so a new purchase of wading boots should take this into consideration.

The older I get, the better the grip I need, and so I have many different pairs of felt boots/bootfoot waders for those occasions I might fish more than one stream in a day or multiple streams in a short period of time. I also clean up with salt solution but don't rely on that.

MD has established wash basins at some of its better known C & R streams, but they are not well maintained and look to me like they could create a false sense of security.

 

[jayL]

They can pry my felts off my cold, dead feet.

Picture of infection.

This wound is STILL healing. Falling in the stream is no joke, and I learned that the hard way. I will be lucky if this thing heals before 9 or 10 months are up.

Until I am convinced that a felt substitute provides equal traction, I am unwilling to change. I have no problem bleaching and fully drying my felts.

 

[DGC]

On the other hand, as I am sure the regulars will testify, some of our limestoners are best approached with lug soles, not felt. On streams like the Letort and Falling Spring, felt increases your chance of slipping and falling.

The big central PA limestoners are the opposite. Nasty shards of rock especially on Penns.

I mention this since AKguy is learning the area.

 

[AKguy]

I also have felt boots. I have been bleaching mine. I have had three knee surgeries and can't afford another one from a slip or bad fall. Looks like I will be staying in the drift boat when I go back to visit family.

 

[osprey]

JayL..........I thought you would have been healed up by now , i hope you're almost there. That happened last autumn right? I agree with you on the felts , some of you know i'm an amputee , i lost my left leg below the knee in a steelmill accident , there is no way in hell i could wade without felts. I'm gonna wear them even if i have to make my own. I can't see where all the critters that use the same waters we do , like turtles , snakes , muskrats , ospreys , etc. would not spread an organism no matter what we did with our boots.

 

[Squaretail]

Dang Jay. You been having cravings for brains?

Almost seems like a nightmare.

 

[Fishidiot]

DGC wrote:
On the other hand, as I am sure the regulars will testify, some of our limestoners are best approached with lug soles, not felt. On streams like the Letort and Falling Spring, felt increases your chance of slipping and falling.

The big central PA limestoners are the opposite. Nasty shards of rock especially on Penns.

This is a good point. However, even on the rocky creeks one must still walk muddy trails and scamper downs ravines to get to the water and felt can be treacherous. Felt/Cleat combos can help with this. Nevertheless, I'm sticking with felt too and am confident that I'm careful with drying or bleaching soles.
I'd also add, for those of you with falling concerns - get a walking stick (I use an old broomstick) if you don't already use one. This will help immensely with getting down those muddy trails and will function as a wading staff. I'm surprised I don't see more fishermen using sticks. I don't carry it all the time but I'm always glad when I do.

 

[jayL]

osprey wrote:
JayL..........I thought you would have been healed up by now , i hope you're almost there.

Just saw the doc an hour ago. He told me to keep taking meds and doing what I'm doing to care for it, and come back the last week of June. He said it could be another year.

 

[wildtrout2]

jayL wrote:

osprey wrote:
JayL..........I thought you would have been healed up by now , i hope you're almost there.

Just saw the doc an hour ago. He told me to keep taking meds and doing what I'm doing to care for it, and come back the last week of June. He said it could be another year.

Jay, that's unreal! I can't believe that thing is still open after all this time. I just hope your days of wet wading are over.

 

[jayL]

wildtrout2 wrote:

Jay, that's unreal! I can't believe that thing is still open after all this time. I just hope your days of wet wading are over.

They are. I might make an exception for a place like the bighorn, if I were to return, but for rocky PA streams, I am done with it.