Felt Soles Are Still Legal in Connecticut — Fewer Farmington River Anglers Choose Them Every Season

Connecticut is one of the few Northeast states where felt-soled wading boots remain fully legal, yet fewer anglers on the Farmington River and Housatonic River show up rigged with felt each season, based on gear trends reported by CT-area fly shops. Felt was the standard for decades because of its grip on slick, algae-covered rocks. Several neighboring states have restricted or banned felt because it can trap and transfer invasive species — particularly New Zealand mudsnails and didymo algae — between waterways. Rubber soles have closed the grip gap enough that many Northeast anglers no longer see felt as worth the tradeoff, even where it's still permitted.

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