ITINERARY
Break out the DEET and head
nets when you’re fishing in areas
where trout are huge and salmon
are plentiful!
Wading boots like the ones worn
here (and below) will soon be
illegal in SE Alaska.
Say Goodbye to Felt in SE Alaska in 2013
It’s been a long time coming, but felt-sole wading boots will finally be illegal to wear in Southeast
Alaska beginning Jan. 1, 2013.
whirling disease is prevalent
and then travels to Alaska
the potential is the he could
unknowingly transfer those
organisms to Alaska. Rubber-
sole boots, meanwhile, have
a much smaller risk factor of
transferring deadly diseases
from place to place.
The rub has always been
that felt-sole wading boots
are much preferred over
rubber-sole boots. Several
years ago the conservation
organizations like Trout
Unlimited and the Federation
of Fly Fishers made a push for
manufacturers to introduce
rubber-sole boots to the mar-
For those traveling anglers
planning to fish in Southeast
Alaska, this summer marks
the last season for felt. Start-
ing in 2013 all fishermen (and
hunters) will have to wear
rubber-sole wading boots.
This regulation is in part
due to the belief that invasive
species can be transferred to
different watersheds through
the felt material used on the
bottom of wading boots.
Because the felt is porous it
can absorb deadly microor-
ganisms that potentially live
for extended periods of time.
For example, if a fisherman
fishes in Colorado where
ket. The move was met with
lukewarm fanfare. From a con-
servation standpoint no on e
argued the validity of rubber
soles. However, from a safety
standpoint it was problematic.
Rubber-sole boots don’t grip
the river bottom as effectively
as felt putting fishermen in
potentially dangerous situa-
tions. Fishermen run the risk
of slipping, falling and worse
case, drowning.
Whether you have rubber-
sole or felt-sole wading boots
you should still clean your
fishing equipment to help
prevent the spread of invasive
species. The best way to clean
your equipment is to use hot
water (40 degrees Celcius or
104 degrees Fahrenheit) or
saltwater. For hard to treat
equipment that cannot be
exposed to hot water it’s
recommended that you dip it
into 100 percent vinegar for
20 minutes. A one percent
table salt solution for 24 hours
can replace the vinegar dip
(2/3 cup of salt for 5 gallons of
water). Finally, be sure to dry
your equipment. If possible,
allow for five days of drying
time before entering new
waters. Peter Lloyd
Don’t Consider the
Alternative, Take
Your Bug Repellent
to Alaska
There are 35 different species
of mosquitoes in Alaska. Count
‘em, thirty-five! With that many
different species flying around
it’s no wonder people traveling to
Alaska come dressed in head nets
and insect repellent clothing and
douse themselves with DEET like
they’re wearing their old man’s
aftershave on prom night. When
trout and salmon are on the line,
who can blame them?
But are all the preventative
measures necessary? In a word,
yes. Can it be avoided? Unless
you choose not to fish in Alaska,
the answer to that question is
no. So you improvise and take
precautionary moves. You stock up
on insect repellent and consider
avoiding areas that are notorious
for biting insects. The peak mos-
quito season is mid-June through
July and in the northern part of
the state the mosquito popula-
tion is wrought with mosquitoes.
Avoid those areas during that
window of time and you should
be fine. Otherwise, you do what
everyone else does, suck it up and
wear the necessary clothing and
repellents.
Besides, mosquitoes aren’t
the only insect to worry about
either. There are no-see-ums
(black flies) and white socks that
will chew on you like you’re a
dead carcass, and they just hap-
pen to be out all summer. So the
alternative (not fishing in Alaska)
is not really an alternative. Which
is why I happily recommend Bug
Off clothing, a head net, and any
repellent that contains DEET. The
thought of not fishing is not an
option. Jack Hanselman
traveling angler 2012
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