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There's an invasive algae called didymo
and it's uh... it's just south of our border down in Arkansas. Nasty stuff.
If it ever gets in our trout streams, it could really be a problem. Right now
there's no way to get rid of it
and it could devastate our trout streams here in Missouri because our water
quality is just what it likes so it would go wild.
Well Missouri decided to be a little proactive and protective ourselves against this problem.
Since felt-soles seem to be the primary vector for transferring didymo
from one stream to another
we decided to prohibit the use of porous sole waders in our trout
streams here in Missouri. And that's just in the trout streams not in the warm water streams.
By wording the regulation to say porous soles we are
actually allowing you take your old felt- soles or your new felt-soles
If you just happened to purchase them,
and make them non-porous so they would be legal to use in our trout streams.
And here's how you do it. I am just using some contact cement. It is kind of a liquid.
and applying it on with a brush.
And it is going to soak in. And the first couple of coats you are going to think oh my gosh
this isn't doing anything.
After you get about four or five coats on there, it is going to have permeated this felt entirely.
and actually coated the top as well
and make your sole basically non-porous.
Now you are sacrificing
the traction that you had with your felt sole.
so what we can do
to help kind of bring back some of that traction is a product called
Plasti Dip, and I am sure there are other products like it.
But you can dip your plyer handles in
and give them a rubber grip and the grip on those is a non-slip grip
Well, when you apply that
on you have more traction on your boot. This is one where I have already put on
five coats of the contact cement and then applied a couple of coats of the plastic
dip to get better traction.
But it's going to take at least four or five coats of contact cement
first to make sole non-porous.
Now, a couple of things that you need to know. One is this stuff wears off.
Both of them do.
And so you're going to have to be diligent. You are going to have to make sure that you
take the time after every fishing trip to check your sole to make sure that
it's not wearing because
It starts getting fuzzy again then it has the capability of transferring an
invasive specie like algae didymo
into your stream,
or maybe get ticket. So you want to make sure that you take the
time to check your soles and retreat when necessary. It is going to take at least
four or five coats. You need to wait about thirty minutes between each coat.
And it's got to be thoroughly,
completely cured and dried before you put on the plastic dip or it will never cure
because that seals the outside.
So give it about thirty-six hours
after you put on your last coat and then add your plastic dip. Remember to treat
Your felts or better yet invest in a pair of those brand new alternative soled waders.
Hey, they are great. I have got a pair. I love them and you know they have good traction.
And you know what? For what you will spend on this and your time, and your labor and retreating,
you could have probably paid for a pair of brand new alternative soled waders.
Well, good luck with your fishing, and hope to see you on the stream sometime.