# Black fly repellent?



## Brownfisher (May 11, 2015)

Fished at dawn and was on a bit of a bluefish frenzy. Caught a bunch with a 4 lb. being the biggest. After that a good number of ladyfish, hard heads, and 3 nice whiting. After the sun was up about an hour, I got covered up so bad with black flies, I gave up. Any ideas on repellent? It maybe my imagination, but they seem much worse with a breeze out of the north.


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## wtbfishin (Dec 2, 2011)

Not your imagination, they are much worse when the wind blows out of the N and sends them down. I don't think there is no known relief but I'm all ears if someone does! 

I'm up N sound off when they leave Ha!:shifty:


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## engulfed (Jun 20, 2015)

Which area were you fishing? Were you using bait or lures? I love blues, but haven't gotten one yet this year.

As for the repellent, the only thing I've found that will keep the big biting flies off is the 100% DEET.


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## 500mike (Jul 1, 2012)

Long pants -long sleeves -hat -skin so soft and a fly swatter.


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## 6.5 mike (Sep 1, 2014)

Bout ate me up at Navarre this morning. Lots of small runners cruising the first drop off, funny watching them hit a twister tail 1/3 as long as they are. Did have a smallish sea turtle pop up bout 18 ft in front of me, kinda made my day seeing that.


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## Brownfisher (May 11, 2015)

I fish off the west end of the Bon Secour. We have a house in Matinique on the Gulf. I was fishing with fresh dead shrimp and cut bait from lady and bluefish. Caught the big blue off cut lady. They were so thick at dawn that I caught two at a time on a tandem bottom rig.


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## sethmac (May 11, 2014)

Not from Florida...but we use Thermacells in the stand. Think that would help?


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## a (Oct 2, 2007)

a plastic fly swatter works great


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## ChileRelleno (Jul 7, 2012)

Long sleeves/pants and 100% DEET slathered on hands/neck.


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## sleepyluke (May 28, 2008)

So are the black flies migrating through, or are the hit or miss? Friend was at Fort Morgan last week and they about carried them off a couple of days and his daughter got them so bad she had whelps. 

We are headed south in a couple of weeks with a 2 year old and don't want her eaten alive on the beach. She will not be happy to hang out in a condo for a week!


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## engulfed (Jun 20, 2015)

They are only bad when the wind is out of the North, _sometimes_. It's hit or miss, and seems like there must be several factors that coincide into the ideal conditions for them to hit the beach in big numbers. 

I have personally not had a problem with them this year. 2 years ago, though, I got them bad at the beach one day and they left extremely itchy wounds that lasted for a month and didn't want to heal. It was horrific. I've still got a couple scars from them.


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## ChileRelleno (Jul 7, 2012)

sleepyluke said:


> So are the black flies migrating through, or are the hit or miss? Friend was at Fort Morgan last week and they about carried them off a couple of days and *his daughter got them so bad she had whelps. *


His daughter had puppies?


Oh, you meant welts.
Just busting your balls a bit.


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## Brownfisher (May 11, 2015)

Very hit or miss. Wind changed and is blowing from the West and no sign of them for the past two days. Still catching blues, ladies, hardhead said, writings, and a bunch of Rays.


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## sleepyluke (May 28, 2008)

ChileRelleno said:


> His daughter had puppies?
> 
> 
> Oh, you meant welts.
> Just busting your balls a bit.


 
I guess win u dont speel too guud and u are more ******* than Harvard,, u git puppies instead of big ole red marks!!!

:thumbup: I deserved that one


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## stauty trout (Jul 19, 2012)

Are y'all talking about noseeums? If so this stuff (trust me) is some of the best stuff I've found for keeping them at bay...


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## Getsome (Sep 28, 2007)

What I don't get is I've been 23 miles offshore in November, North wind blowing strong, and gotten ate up. How can they fly that long? You would think that far out they would need to rest, then drown. I can tell you that's the one thing that will cut my fishing trip short.


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## wtbfishin (Dec 2, 2011)

stauty trout said:


> Are y'all talking about noseeums? If so this stuff (trust me) is some of the best stuff I've found for keeping them at bay...
> 
> QUOTE] I hate them too but no this is the PEST in question.


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## stauty trout (Jul 19, 2012)

wtbfishin said:


> stauty trout said:
> 
> 
> > Are y'all talking about noseeums? If so this stuff (trust me) is some of the best stuff I've found for keeping them at bay...
> ...


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## Jet fishin (May 5, 2012)

Try a Matrix Shad they work for everything.
Just ask Limit Out he can explain how they work 
Zin in the art of REEL Maintenance.
As WELL as the the true meaning of life.
May the force be with you


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## SWAngler (Sep 13, 2014)

Jet fishin said:


> Try a Matrix Shad they work for everything.
> Just ask Limit Out he can explain how they work
> Zin in the art of REEL Maintenance.
> As WELL as the the true meaning of life.
> May the force be with you


Correct, Matrix are good for no-see-ums too. They don't stop the biting though, but you are so busy catching fish you don't notice em. :thumbup:


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## FishWalton (Jul 22, 2010)

stauty trout said:


> Are y'all talking about noseeums? If so this stuff (trust me) is some of the best stuff I've found for keeping them at bay...



Yep, this stuff does work. Read about it on crappie.com where the Louisiana guys have been using it for years. I have been using it for about 3 years and it works. Check eBay for deals.....that's where I got mine....cheap. Make sure the wife/girlfriend know you are using it first.  Once at a mullet hole the guys in boats on either side of me started giving me the once-over when the aroma hit the air.


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## lowprofile (Jan 6, 2013)

Those burning insect repellent coils work well.


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## AUtigerfan (Sep 16, 2014)

You 2 are just in touch with your "feminine side", which is why you wear it. Lol


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## a (Oct 2, 2007)

lowprofile said:


> Those burning insect repellent coils work well.


how do you keep the smoke in the boat?


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## Chapman5011 (Mar 7, 2013)

I've had an issue before with the green flies offshore. 
They weremt there and then all of a sudden, they were all over us. And they bite. 
I never new where they came from


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## tailfisher1979 (Jan 24, 2012)

stauty trout said:


> Are y'all talking about noseeums? If so this stuff (trust me) is some of the best stuff I've found for keeping them at bay...


Somebody beat me to it. It works like a charm and you smell like Sammy's while fishing.


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## DLo (Oct 2, 2007)

cheap, imitation vanilla, just put some on your fingers and dab it around where you want to keep them away. I learned this over in Lousiana fresh water fishing where the flies were so bad they would get between your eyes and sunglasses, vanilla worked every time. Caution, it will make you crave pound cake.


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## Lawdog88 (Oct 9, 2009)

DLo said:


> cheap, imitation vanilla, just put some on your fingers and dab it around where you want to keep them away. I learned this over in Lousiana fresh water fishing where the flies were so bad they would get between your eyes and sunglasses, vanilla worked every time. Caution, it will make you crave pound cake.



Now that's funny, and much more manly than girlie foo-foo stuff from Vickie's Secrets.:001_huh:

(Yes, I did use Skin so Soft once.)


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## lowprofile (Jan 6, 2013)

a said:


> how do you keep the smoke in the boat?


Well this is the surf fishing forum, so no boat needed. 

Just put it close to the people. The scent will get In your clothes and on your skin and repel the bugs. They don't smoke very much, so I doubt it's the smoke keeping them away. I do know they work though.


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## DLo (Oct 2, 2007)

I got this second hand, so anyone who knows may correct me. I heard that the instructors on Paris Island use half liquid skin so soft and half rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle, supposed to stop anything from getting to you.


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## BentStraight (Dec 27, 2008)

The culprit in question are good old fashioned _STABLE FLIES_, here's an article from the University of Florida with in depth informationthat explains the whole situation.

https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ig133


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## Bluefish Blues (Jul 13, 2014)

DLo said:


> cheap, imitation vanilla, just put some on your fingers and dab it around where you want to keep them away. I learned this over in Lousiana fresh water fishing where the flies were so bad they would get between your eyes and sunglasses, vanilla worked every time. Caution, it will make you crave pound cake.


This is what me and my grandpa used and it works really good.


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