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Hello, since this is my first year trolling after April I have a question about the summer months. Are the massive amount of biting flies always present? I was around the Gong area on 5/24 and was besieged by hundreds of these sob's . Since it was a hot day I wore shorts and sandals, omg I was bit, no exaggeration, at least a thousand times. My legs were a bloody mess, they tore me up. Is this how it always is? I'm a big guy and get hot quick but if these flies are like this all the time I'll suffer in long jeans because i can't go through that again.

just when there is no wind.

Yes they are always around when hot and calm and the only way to keep from being bit is to cut your legs off below the knee and toss them in the water lmao

always good sox, tennis shoes, they love ankles, and what I call fly pants, old jeans, scrubs best I can tell you killing them don't seem to help

Gotta learn the tricks of the trade. Invest in the lightweight clothing that covers you but is lightweight and breathes. Long sleeves and length of pants that go past ankles. Wish I knew the technical name, but they wear it like down in Florida. If it gets wet, drys very quickly. I call it my parachute pants and top. You know, the kind that has a zipper to remove the bottom and turn into shorts. I also take a lightweight towel, or tee shirt, bandanna...dip it in water and place over my head. Covers my neck and most of my face. The coolness of the wet is refreshing!! Minimize skin exposure to the bastards and you’ll be fine! If pants are too short, an old timer told me to double up my socks...flies can bite thru one layer, but have trouble with two. Unless you have anti flies horse spray....

Duct tape your ankles. Make sure you wash down all fish blood and slime.

Thanks for replies, wish i knew about them before hand but at least I know now. Won't make the mistake of bare ankles ever again!

Ankle flies! I go with the mechanical barrier method with long baggy pants and socks. That's more lower leg coverage than the average GenX er wears in January. I actually carry two products with me which work pretty well. One is insect spray with Picardin in it instead of DEET. Sawyer makes a good one and it's available on Amazon. For those who are more "organic" try No Natz spray - has enough botanical ingredients I'm tempted to use it for cooking - Amazon or www.nonatz.com. Other remedies include dryer sheets and gin. When they get real bad in the back of the boat, have everyone go towards the bow and blow a fog of yard guard near the stern! Kills a few of them, scares away bunches more, but the satisfaction comes from seeing the dozens and dozens of them writhing in agony on the deck!

a $20 pair of pants from Walmart is plenty light and you're not out much if they get torn or stained. The ripstop clothing from Columbia is great, but pricey. Hate to cut a hook out of those. Gander used to have ther house brand for about $30. I wear winter weight socks. Except for yesterday, no socks. What a mistake!

I have used the Thermacell and it helps. I forgot mine and went to Erie last week, came back a blood mess. It seemed like the little bastards and their relentless attacks were spurred on by killing them. Biting through socks was not a problem with them. 2 layers of socks, and still got bloody ankles. Scrubbed my feet with alcohol pads. Hope I don't get worms, and have to drag my butt around on the carpet like my beagle .