alexkain Fish. Bugs. Pics. Blood. Lies.

The following is an opinion piece I wrote for my college journalism class in the Fall of 2010.

Geoff Schaake, 37, of Ballston Spa, NY wades along a stretch of the West Branch of the Delaware River. Schaake is one of many New York fly anglers who are concerned with the presence of Didymo in yet another New York watershed, Kayderosseras Creek.

This Spring, biologists at New York’s Department of Environmental Conservation confirmed that the invasive algae Didymosphenia geminata, commonly known as “rock snot” is present in another one of New York state’s trout streams. This time, Kayderosseras Creek has been invaded. The “Kaydeross,” as it is known locally, is a medium-sized stream that lies about 30 minutes west of the Battenkill River.

In 2007, the Battenkill was the first body of water in New York where Didymo populations were confirmed. Since that time, Didymo has been confirmed in the Delaware River System and Esopus Creek.

Conservation groups such as Trout Unlimited and proactive wading boot manufacturers have made proposals to encourage anglers to voluntarily cease from using felt soles.  States such as Maryland, Vermont and Alaska have passed legislation making the use of felt soles illegal.  These proposals and legislation have fueled debates on the issue at boat ramps and tackle shops around the country.

One only needs to take a quick glance at the list of places in the Northeast, and other regions in the U.S.A., with confirmed Didymo populations, and they’ll see that all of these waterways share two common bonds. These are all easily wadeable streams which receive an above average influx of traveling anglers. Furthermore, the center of Didymo’s infestation on these streams are primarily at locations where wading anglers gain access to them.

Despite this smoking gun, there continues to be a segment of the angling community who either adamantly denounce that anglers are at fault, or who feel that precautionary measures, such as discontinuing the use of felt-soled wading boots, will have any benefit.

“This is a feel-good attempt to fix a big problem while totally missing other causes– canoes and kayaks to name a few,” said Ed Ostapczuk of Shokan, New York in a story by Morgan Lyle called Felt Soled Waders May be Banned on some Catskills Rivers. Ostapczuk is an avid angler of that creek and longtime advocate for ecologically sound management of New York City’s reservoir system, who opposes felt sole bans.  Ostapczuk isn’t alone. A common question asked by felt sole ban proponents is, “What good will banning felt soles do when boats, waders, and other parts of the boots are also going to be transferring invasives?”

As stewards of the natural resources we so often exploit, it is our duty to take any precautionary measures available to us to remedy or prevent the further spread of Didymo and other invasive species. The conservation organizations and companies who are lobbying to discontinue the use of felt aren’t doing so because they want anglers to buy new wading boots, they’re doing it because there is valid science behind it. Research by several independent labs found that felt soles are the single most likely piece of fishing equipment on which aquatic nuisance species will be transferred from one water body to another.

Banning the use of felt soles is by no means the knockout blow we’re looking for. However, there is no debating the fact that eliminating the use of felt soles, either legislatively or voluntarily, will reduce the spread of invasive species such as Didymo. Wars are won by winning battles and some victories are measured by small, incremental gains. That is what this is about.