black flies

[Rochert]

I have a slightly less than 100% cure for black flies, Dawn dish detergent. Rubbed on socks and/or bare skin, it really reduces the number of bites, plus your feet are really clean and fragrant.

[phern]

There is only one product that can garantee 100% effectiveness and that is "DEET". The more "deet" in a fly repellant, the longer the repellant is effective. In Canada, the maximum amount of deet allowed in fly repellant is about 34%. So those of you who have fly repellant of 80% or more ....use your left over stock lightly because you will not find any more. I have some that is 95% deet and 5% related toluamides. I got it when I was in the military a long time ago. We used to spray our clothes with the stuff.

You can get excellent results from those mild products (skin lotions and tan lotions) that have about 4 to 8% of deet but you will have to re-apply the lotion a few minutes later because the lotion gets absorbed by the skin. After a couple of applications of these mild lotions, your skin is not oily, does not stink of old dog breath and your ears won't dry out like automn leaves and feel like they will fall off. The stuff will still play havoc with plastics so you will have to wash the palms of your hands.

[Matches]

Are black flies the same as what some call horse flies?

[Canadian Guy]

I've heard that the flies love the taste of the soap mixed with your flesh. Kind of a special treat for them. There is no magic formula for keeping these critters away. Clothing and common sense mixed with a little deet and a screened in area is best. I spend a lot of time in the bush and it always amazes me the soaking with bug dope that many people do. This stuff is toxic. Every year we get a newly discovered off the shelf tree hugger type thing thats magic. As well learn to live with the bugs. A few bites aren't going to kill you and you'll be a lot more relaxed.

[Aaron-IN]

I agree with Canadian guy.....for those that must use something 3M makes a good product called ultrathon (get the cream if you can find it).

And no black flies are not the same as horse flies..they both suck moose #### though!

[wiswalleyenut]

Those flies sure look like what we call deer flies here. Both deer and horse flies bite like ****, but the deer flies will bite more often.

wiswalleyenut

[lobo1]

The ones we always had problems with didnt resemble what I would call a deer or horse fly at all - or a house fly for that matter. Really bad in the spring before the dragon flies etc could catch up with the hatch. These little midge looking creatures land and crawl and you never know it and they will bite repeatedly without you knowing it and then the swelling and itching kicks in for about a week.
Long sleeves pants with tight cuffs and collars will cover most of it but a few always get inside and wreck your day. rubber bands/ electrical tape work. light weight long sleeves - breathable clothes.

We have some older 95 and 100% DEET and those devil bugs just laugh at it - plus it burns your skin/ makes certain parts go numb if mistakenly applied/ and the fish hate the residue on your baits - so we stopped using it and just tried to cover up their food.

no magic cure but I do know that soaps/perfumes/cologns/ deoderants seems to attract them. Seems the stinkier you got - the better off you were with the bugs.

they say eating lots of leeks and garlic - and I mean LOTS of it until you smell like it thru and thru - might help -

good luck,

lobo1

[Alces]

I work up at the Gouin reservoir from may till september and this is where flyes are manufactured.
A skined and deboned mosquitos, leaving two pounds of meat is not to rare.

No joke, we have all of them up here and we used allkind of repellent and they did not work...until we found Watkins insect repellent, 28,5%deet 1,5 toluamides believe me THIS is the best, go to their site www.WatkinsOnline.com
I don't know if you can order from them, if you can, go ahead, the cream is the best, it goes on kind of creamy but a minute later your skin is dry and it is effective for at least 1 1/2 hour

[phishfearme]

matches - horse flys, deer flys and black flys are three different things. they're all biters but during the peak of black fly season - typically around the first week of june - even the horse and deer flies take cover. horse flys are hugh and look like house flys, deer flys are smaller and somewhat colorful and black flys are much smaller and when looked at closely look like small bees. - phish

[phishfearme]

matches - horse flys, deer flys and black flys are three different things. they're all biters but during the peak of black fly season - typically around the first week of june - even the horse and deer flies take cover. horse flys are hugh and look like house flys, deer flys are smaller and somewhat colorful and black flys are much smaller and when looked at closely look like small bees. - phish

[Frank Schaffer]

Soap may be good for temp. treatment. I still like a fly swatter

[Frank Schaffer]

Soap may be good for temp. treatment. I still like a fly swatter

[czy42strokes]

Have to agree with the 100% deet helps but I also spray tick repellent on the legs. I can live with the black fly but the NO SEE UMS I hate. they crawl under the watch band, everywhere. Trying to clean fish at the end of the day is pure murder when they are in their feeding mode.
Nothing but a stiff wind keeps them away.

[czy42strokes]

Have to agree with the 100% deet helps but I also spray tick repellent on the legs. I can live with the black fly but the NO SEE UMS I hate. they crawl under the watch band, everywhere. Trying to clean fish at the end of the day is pure murder when they are in their feeding mode.
Nothing but a stiff wind keeps them away.

[rebelrn2001]

I went to Watkins web site and couldn't find the insect repellant at all. Any more specifics?

[Alces]

After posting it, I went to check and you are right, I took the address from their bottle...well???
if you go to google and write Watkins insect repellant you'll get to WAL MART, the official watkins repellant dealer in the US.
http://www.forrelease.com/D20031008/chw015.P1.10082003122035.29613.html

sorry about the info, it was on their bottle, it's the best one, believe me

[McQ]

I'm a big fan of the Watkins product too. Started using it in the early nineties and find it to be much more effective than any other label out there. It is the only product that doesnt burn my skin and provides great protection. It is important to wear long sleeves and pull your socks over trouser legs. Apply once to exposed areas rubbing the lotion into your skin then reapply about 1/2 hour later, the two coats will last on me for about 4 hours.

Avoiding black flies is a chore and you'll be bothered less on open water, being inside at dusk is the best way to miss the mosquitoes but unfortunately I still haven't found anything that works on the deer flies except a swatter.

I try to book my longer trips in August now and that has been the best way to avoid black flies and mosquitos.

http://www.forrelease.com/D20031008/chw015.P1.10082003122035.29613.html

[Atlanta Dave]

MQ
Will we have to contend with black flies on our mid july trip to Gouin?

Atlanta Dave

[walleye chieftain]

you dont contend. you submit. brutal. why july?

[McQ]

By mid July the black flies are all but done. Mosquitos are still around at dusk, though not as thick. July through mid August is the season for deer flies and I wear long sleeves, pants not shorts and boots that cover the ankles ( that is your most vulnerable body area ). They annoy more than anything else, if you're dressed properly. I stop using repellent ( which I hate by the way ) in early July without any adverse effect.

[Atlanta Dave]

MQ
You always put in about the wc buisness directory where is it?

Atlanta Dave

[Wooglin]

I was up in the Sioux Lookout area last 4th of July week, and the only problems we had with bugs were when the sun went down, and it was mainly mosquitos. We sat in the boat all day with our shirts off, no fly or mosquito problems during the day.

We did have an issue with a dang squirrel though chewing into our tent and getting at our bread. Any repellent for them? I was thinking a pellet gun or a sling shot.....

[McQ]

Dave the directory is at the top of the page in the index. All categories are listed - easy to check them out. The Quebec listings are growing weekly and I expect you will start to see some from Ontario and other provinces soon.

For listing information regarding a Canadian site I can be reached at:

mcqonfishing@canada.com

[rebelrn2001]

I stopped at WalMart to look for this product and the guy said he thinks he remembered having it last year but it went on the clearance rack. Oh well, I tried. There are many other products that have significant amounts of DEET. I have to check my supply I keep on the boat and if it is low, I'll pick up something.