Ok I fish a lot of frog water. Around here at higher altitudes mosquiotos are almost non existent and in places ahere they actually are attacking anglesr “Off!” works like a charm. So it is not a problem however: On most of the lakes there are hordes of biting flies that can turn your day of fishing into a nightmare. All summer long mostly during nice sunny weather. Off does not appear to keep them at bay.
Does anybody know of some remedy to the “fly situation”?
Thanks.
Not sure this will help, but, I saw somewhere and now I do not remember where, a solution to biting deer flies if deer flies are your problem. The item you purchased was a small 3-4 inch square that you attached to your cap. It did not repel them. It was similiar to the idea of the sticky fly strips. Since deer flies have a habit of buzzing your head and with this small square attached to your hat, they would become stuck to the strip. I have never tried them, but, they do make sense. Sorry I cannot remember where I saw this item.
Wear a big floppy hat, a Tilly works fine. It does not keep the flies away but it keeps them from buzzing directly around your face and ears. Particularly effective for keeping black flies from buzzing around right in front of your eyes.
In the Queen Charlotte Islands an older Native gave me some rancid bear grease Mixed with other stuff that he said I’d be better off not knowing about. You rubbed it on your ears and your forehead right at the hairline where the no see ums always bite. It kept everything at bay. I heard mosquitoes screaming in terror as they fled. Boy did it stink! Amorus skunks would rub up against your leg purring in admiration. To get it off which at this point was to save your marriage took a lot of scrubbing with lots and lots of soap. Plenty of elbow grease was needed to get that foul smelling stuff off so that your wife would at least let you back into the house. But it sure worked.
“Repel” brand insect repellant is the only answer I know to all biting bugs. It is 100% Deet.
I spray it on my shirt- sleeves, across the shoulders, and on the front button strip. I also spray my hat except the front brim.
It is very important to keep it off your forehead or you will be tearing all day. Also keep it off your hands as it is a solvent that eats fly lines real well.
In the old days, in the mid 70’s, I spent a bunch of time in the Adirondaks in the spring. The best product was called “Old Woodsman”. It was chuck full of ingredients that kept away the black flies, mosquitos, and people (who were not also users of the stuff). The ingredients included creosote and camphor. Creosote is probbably a cancer causing agent.
Now-a-days I use Deep Woods Off and treat bites with topical benadryl.
Good luck!
Ed
Somewhere last week I had read that Cutter Advanced Sport was rated numero uno with their organization. Sorry, don’t recall where I saw it.
Try a head net from http://www.piragis.com/ I got into the blackflys on one canoe trip. Had to break off a hemlock branch and sweep them off my face and head,take a paddlestroke and sweep them again over and over.
Avon ‘Skin-So-Soft’. It’s the only thing thing I know that will stop Florida Yellow Flies. They drink DEET and get even meaner!
Thanksfor all of the info thus far. The flies I’m talking about go mostly for the exposed skin on the legs but they will go after your arms or back. They are I guess regular size between 1/4 and 3/8 of an inch.
Funny thing about them they will only come after us in the boat on the water. The moment you go on shore they dissapear.
Same thing happens on Leech Lake, Minn.
In order to have the “facts” on repellents, everyone should read the CDC’s postings on Insect Repellent Use and Safety:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/qa/insect_repellent.htm
Give this a shot.
Some Construction workers in Muskoka in the bush were attaching Bounce Fabric Softener Dryer sheets to the back of their hats and helmets to ward off Deerflies etc.
My buddy tried it and said it worked like a charm.
If it doesn’t work for you, stuff it under the seat of the truck for an air freshener.
DuFf
Learning to live with blackflies