Biting black flies

[dave1949]

I did some small mountain stream trout fishing last Friday on a weekend camping trip in northern PA. I landed 15 trout within about 4 hours. I didn't have any bug stuff with me, and ended up with about 20 black fly bites on my forehead where they came in under the brim. I didn't realize I had so many until Sunday evening when I got home.

I quit fishing early that day because I got a splitting headache... maybe from all of those bites!

Or pulling your hat down too tight to try to keep the flies out. :laughing:

 

[Thomas]

When the bugs bite more than the fish time to head home.

 

[Al 2]

On the lighter side, check out "the Black Fly Song" on You Tube. Land surveying in northern Ontario.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjLBXb1kgMo

Al

 

[pmhowe]

Last summer, where I live, I saw a mosquito. He was small, and carrying a suitcase, and walking towards Minnesota. Actually, we do see a few mosquitoes. They are small and, interestingly, don't hum like the eastern ones do. If there were lots of them, they would be a problem, as we wouldn't know they were coming.

 

[jix]

Black flies are cursed pests. In 60 years of living everywhere in Canada, north or south I have never found a bug repellant that is foolproof. Not even army issue stuff, which is 98% DEET and burns the sweaty skin. The most effective spray is Deep woods OFF in the blue can. It works for about a half hour. The dry spray OFF is more agreeable on the skin, but the black flies like it too.
My Friend and I went fishing up in the far north and there the flies were quite a problem. My friend stripped down and rubbed his entire body with army DEET. It set his scrotum on fire! he was in such pain that he had to dive into an icy-cold lake and stay there all day. Not even soap washing would relieve the pain. I built a really smokey fire and sat in the smoke...that was the best I could do... but it beats having your balls on fire

 

[jcummins]

I always wondered where that expression 'balls of fire' came from.

Im going to cringe for a week now.

 

[Thomas]

"My friend stripped down and rubbed his entire body with army DEET"

Was alcohol involve.

 

[jix]

Thomas..No alcohol on my part. As for my buddy, Well he may have been smoking something, but I did not see it. There is 2% alcohoil in army DEET, I think, but the stuff that made his balls burn was most probably the 98% DEET. That stuff even made my neck burn And it did not keep the blackflies off, either, Them Temagami black flies were bloody awful on that trip. But the lake trout were incredible in the deep clear water of smoothwater lake (but they would not bite) and also the walleye in the river, which we caught on worms.

 

[Jstpssng]

I recall seeing, i thought on this forum, perhaps not of a helmet rigged up with a bottle and sticky fly paper. The flies go to the high point.... On your head, and get stuck.

Anyone recall seeing that. Can't find anything on it.

Ole timer woodcutters used to spread B&C oil on their hardhats, and wipe the blackflies off every night. I was never sure if it actually helped; but I do know that the bugs which got trapped never bit again. :thumbsup:

Black flies are cursed pests. In 60 years of living everywhere in Canada, north or south I have never found a bug repellant that is foolproof. Not even army issue stuff, which is 98% DEET and burns the sweaty skin. The most effective spray is Deep woods OFF in the blue can. It works for about a half hour. The dry spray OFF is more agreeable on the skin, but the black flies like it too.
My Friend and I went fishing up in the far north and there the flies were quite a problem. My friend stripped down and rubbed his entire body with army DEET. It set his scrotum on fire! he was in such pain that he had to dive into an icy-cold lake and stay there all day. Not even soap washing would relieve the pain. I built a really smokey fire and sat in the smoke...that was the best I could do... but it beats having your balls on fire

Trout fishing is always best when the blackflies are biting though. :laughing:
A former coworker had a bottle open in his back pocket and ended up in the hospital with 2nd degree burns. (This happened the year before an incident which I mentioned in a previous post, when he got stung in the eye.) He was a school teacher who moonlighted during the summer; he finally decided that he was better off selling Amway.

 

[dan ny escarpment]

Thomas..No alcohol on my part. As for my buddy, Well he may have been smoking something, but I did not see it. There is 2% alcohoil in army DEET, I think, but the stuff that made his balls burn was most probably the 98% DEET. That stuff even made my neck burn And it did not keep the blackflies off, either, Them Temagami black flies were bloody awful on that trip. But the lake trout were incredible in the deep clear water of smoothwater lake (but they would not bite) and also the walleye in the river, which we caught on worms.

Temagami is a uniquely beautiful place, and I remember the bugs all too well from the 70's - 90's, but we were there after black fly season mostly. Talk about cold water...