Ever?

Where does the Banjo Minnow fall on this list?

Now that's funny! But really, Vibram did a better job of wool pulling than those grade-schoolers at Banjo Minnow.

I completely agree hunterag! Felt does trap and transport organisms from place to place, but so do laces, leather, cloth, waders, boats, trailers, fly lines, flies, and waterfowl - just to name a few. The way to minimize the introduction of invasive species is through education. Our local TU chapter setup and maintained sanitizing dip tanks each year at various access points on our local streams to help protect our waters and reinforce the importance of cleaning and maintaining your gear. Banning felt soles makes folks feel better about the situation, but really doesn't address the problem.

In the felt vs rubber performance debate, most folks tend to overlook the differences in wading style and water type.

Back in my guiding days, I spent 200+ days a year on big western rivers. Shuffling clients around the stream, physically holding my drift boat in heavy current, launching and trailering my boat in fast water all proved much more hazardous in rubber soles (and I tried many different varieties). While not a super-aggressive wader, I often found myself in precarious situations attempting to keep my clients safe. Spider rubber, Aqua stealth, Vibram - none of them offered near the performance in my rivers for my activities. In slower streams under different conditions - especially if there is a lot of hiking involved - I can see where rubber soles might do just fine (felt sole are super slick on dead, dry grass).

Just in case felt goes away completely, I have stocked up on felt soled boots and sandals and will continue wearing them responsibly despite the threat of fines.

Hilarious!

Regarding the felt v. rubber sole debate, I think this debate's biggest tell is that Simms, the company who deleted felt-soled shoes from their inventory entirely in 2010, is re-introducing felt soled shoes for their 2012 line-up, and they are $20 - $30 less than the Vibram-soled boot--Simms Headwater Boot, their new Simms Guide Boot, and their new Simms Freestone Wading Boot.

My problem with the rubber-soled shoe is that it does not act like the rubber soles on my Wellies, which I wear when it is raining, torentially downpouring, slick, going to rain, and I muck around without slipping or falling, even in the swift water on the concrete. Vibram's nature is not conducive to safety. A gentleman in our fishing club, in trying to be a conscientious fisherman, sent his felt-soled shoes off to be re-fitted with Vibram soles. He brought them to the club, and they did look impressive. Watching him navigate the water, which was far from a new fishing spot for him, and then watching him fall because he was slipping down the stream is frustrating, not to mention the obvious fact--it hurts to fall. Older people particularly, but all of us in general, find falling uncomfortable to say the least, and fearful in reality. Vibram increases the fall rate drastically, so now with felt being outlawed in Maryland, Missouri, and Vermont, with who-else-knows jumping on the bandwagon, what options are left to older anglers in particular?

The real issue at heart is being a responsible fisherman, and washing everything you own that has the potential to transfer the aquatic invasives, which is everything and not just the soles of one's shoes--really!

I had a couple different pairs of the Aquastealth and now Korkers Kling-on. Never had the Vibrams so I can't speak for them, but I thought the AS sole did about as well on most surfaces as felt, better on some, and then failed miserably on some types of rock (volcanic smooth basalt type stuff like you'd find in canyons). Overall, I like the AS sole best and am disappointed it's gone away on fishing boots. Seems like each companies replacement is a poor substitute, including my current Kling-on soles. At least I have a very good hiking sole now, and I can still get felt, plus studded on either kind.

I agree there are all kinds of other gear that can transmit organisms, so felt is probably really not as critical an issue as it was made out to be. It just took hold and turned into a slogan of sorts. One of the things I hate about felt is how heavy it gets, and the fact that if you spot-hop on a river, it makes such a mess in your car. If I could still get AS soles, I'd stick with those but now I'm thinking about picking up some felts for my Korkers.

flyfshrgrl-

Well Said!

I used to fish (until recently moving back to Texas) the tailwaters in Eastern TN. Several of the rivers did have didymo in them. There was a lenghtly discussion on an another Forum about felt vs. Vibram, and it seems that about 70% of the responders believed that felt gave them better traction, even though they had tried Vibram soled boots. There was also an agreement that didymo can be spread by many factors other than fishers, and fly flingers.

And I applaud SIMMS for re-introducing their felt soled boots.

But your point is well taken about thoroughly cleaning all of your gear, that may have been in contact with the water.

+1 for flyfshgrl
Simms did tell

I have fished with felt, felt with studs, vibram in two brands, and vibram with Simms star cleats. Without addressing the issue of transporting rock snot, for traction in wading I prefer the vibram soles with star cleats.

I went ahead and purchased a pair of Orvis Clearwater II with ecotrax (vibrant soles). I'll let you guys know how it works.

I have purchased both and my vibram soles were so slippery that i had to purchase the star cleats for another $40 in order to wade anywhere on the Eagle or Roaring Fork in CO. Went Fishing with a guide there this last year and he noticed that i had cleats in and told me to take this out because they SCARE THE FISH. Catch rate went up double in the next hour. SOOOOOO back to my felt boots I went. Felt like i got scammed by the fly shop on these rubber soled slick as Sh$T boots. They were a 2010 Simms guide boot so everyone knows. Just Wash your Stuff.