Question about deer flies

[bushart]

I like fishin in my shorts and sandals and the last 2 years these @%## deer flies bite my feet and it hurts like crazy.--problem now is my feet are swelling after being bit--not fun

 

Question is ---Does Off or some form of repellant keep these carnavours away? Or Am I back to socks and runners.

 

Tanks

 

Bushart

 

PS--bass fishin sucked today---wind blowin like wild

[Muskieman]

Question is ---Does Off or some form of repellant keep these carnavours away?

 

 

Deep Woods OFF and Muskol work fine...they keep the flies off but helps the sun to burn the feet...

[wallyboss]

I know what you mean, I must've loss a couple of pints of blood yesterday. I asked the same question on another site and somebody said that they sell patches that you put on your hat. but I am not sure if it attract them to the patch and then they stay stuck to them or just because they always fly around your head. But I have the same problem as you. My ankles end up swelling and hurting like hell. If the patch attracts them I might try end put a couple in the boat close to the floor. The ones around my head I can hear, but the ones around the ankles by the time you figure out that one is there it's usually too late. I hate them with a passion.

[Dara]

just leave some other clothes off to attract them to that area instead

 

Not much works on them guys...not the tough ones anyway...just put your socks back on and live with it

[Greencoachdog]

Shorts and sandals are for wimmins!!!... but if you're tryin' to get in touch with your more delicate side, try lots of suntan lotion first.

 

You may want to consider bug suit pants.

 

Insect repellent will work if you put enough on, they sell the deer fly patches at Canadian Tire.... you may want to give them a try.

[Jonny]

Insect repellent doesn't work well for deer flies.

 

In my younger days a friend and I walked three miles over rough country to a little trout stream. It was hotter'n hell - no wind, sun beating down, and the banks overhung with brush and trees.

 

The trout were biting but the deer flies were killing us. We were using a white cream repellent at the time - McCurdy's (not sure of the spelling). It was good for mosquitoes and black flies, but a regular application wouldn't stop the deer flies. So we lathered the stuff on so thick that our arms and necks were white. The deer flies left skid marks before biting. It's really hard to make a nice quiet worm presentation when you're defending yourself against those critters.

 

We had used bread bags to pack our lunches and when they were empty we slit them up one side and put them on our heads under our ball caps to protect our necks. Man was that sweaty, but it was the only thing that kept the deer flies off!

 

***

 

What really bugs me nowadays is those little flies (about a third of the size of a deer fly) that hover around inside the boat and bite the hell out of bare legs and feet. Even a high-speed run with the boat doesn't seem to get rid of them. They land and bite again and again and again, and they're too fast to swat. They're gray with dark tiger stripes --- what are those things called?

[Musky or Specks]

We call those ankl biters or stable flies

[camillj]

Try a sheet of bounce ... I keep one in my jeans pocket .. and occasionally rub em on the neck/arms/legs/ankles ... not 100 % effective but it helps alot and arent spooky to the fish like deet

[Rich]

You could cover your legs and feet in vegetable oil.. but get ready for some wicked sunburns.

 

They are annoying.. your only defense is clothing.

[4thgen]

30% deet Deep Woods Off (blue) will do a pretty good job. I've found that anything less is useless.