DEET alert/reminder

Last year in Montahoming was absolutely terrible for mosquitoes.

As result I ended up buying a small bottle of 100% DEET and putting it in
my vest. Today as I set out to wash and reorganize said vest I found that
it had leaked, melted some of the nylon vest itself and mucked up the
outside of a big, expensive, C&F waterproof box as well as ruining a set of
small magnifiers I used to look at bugs and a couple other items

This is the second time over the years I've had insect repellant damage
fishing equipment

..... be aware

On Mon, 16 Feb 2009 22:25:33 GMT, "Larry L"
wrote:

.... be aware

And never, ever, touch your fly line with deet.

On Feb 17, 6:25*am, "Larry L" wrote:
Last year in Montahoming was absolutely terrible for mosquitoes.

As *result I ended up buying a small bottle of 100% DEET and putting it in
my vest. * *Today as I set out to wash and reorganize said vest I found that
it had leaked, melted some of the nylon vest itself and mucked up the
outside of a big, expensive, C&F waterproof box as well as ruining a set of
small magnifiers I used to look at bugs and a couple other items

This is the second time over the years I've had insect repellant damage
fishing equipment

.... be aware

Growing up in Maine, I have learned about DEET. First of all, people
tend to overuse the stuff', slathering it on like its moisturizer.
Think of it as extremely toxic poison, because it IS. I always apply
it like this:

Roll up my sleeves, put down anything plastic.
Be near a water source (sink, puddle, etc)
Put 1-2 DROPS on my hand.
Wipe my hands together, spreading it over my palms
Wipe my (apparently dry) hands over the important spots: back of neck,
behind ears, around ear hole, back of hands, ankles. I NEVER put it on
my face or near my eyes.
Wash the palms of my hands carefully.

Imagine that is radioactive, and treat it accordingly.

Also, I NEVER keep liquid DEET in my vest. If I carry any at all, its
double-bagged in ziplocks, and stashed somewhere that I can find it if
I need it, like my glovebox.
In my vest, I keep a container of a DEET-based repellent stick. It
never leaks, you don't have to wash your hands after you use it, and
you can apply it carefully to where you need it. Likewise, I don't
paint myself like with a crayon...just one swipe across the ankles,
the back of the neck, behind and on top of the ears, and across the
back of each hand.


DEET is probably the most toxic substance sold over the counter in
pure form, and should be treated accordingly.

--riverman

On Mon, 16 Feb 2009 18:42:22 -0800 (PST), riverman
wrote:

Roll up my sleeves, put down anything plastic.
Be near a water source (sink, puddle, etc)
Put 1-2 DROPS on my hand.
Wipe my hands together, spreading it over my palms
Wipe my (apparently dry) hands over the important spots: back of neck,
behind ears, around ear hole, back of hands, ankles. I NEVER put it on
my face or near my eyes.
Wash the palms of my hands carefully.

Imagine that is radioactive, and treat it accordingly.

Never, ever go to Labrador in July. There are things far worse than
radioactive poisoning, and the combo of black flies/noseeums/mosquitos
is enough to drive animals into the water to escape them. The only
thing that really works is pure deet. Wear long sleave shirt, cotton
or capiline turtleneck or a buff. Put the deet on your face/ears,
wash your hands and put on fingerless gloves. Spray your hat with
deet. Now you are all set to fish all day.

The black flies of Maine are choir boys compared to what you find in
Labrador.

Dave

On Feb 17, 11:00*am, Dave LaCourse wrote:

Never, ever go to Labrador in July. *There are things far worse than
radioactive poisoning, and the combo of black flies/noseeums/mosquitos
is enough to drive animals into the water to escape them. *The only
thing that really works is pure deet. *Wear long sleave shirt, cotton
or capiline turtleneck or a buff. *Put the deet on your face/ears,
wash your hands and put on fingerless gloves. *Spray your hat with
deet. *Now you are all set to fish all day. *

The black flies of Maine are choir boys compared to what you find in
Labrador.


I agree that black flies are 99% nusiance and 1% edible, but the
mosquitoes in Maine can occasionally get legendary, although rarely as
bad as some other places.

I know about viscious blood suckers...you know some of my bug-laden
travel credentials...Northern Sweden, the Canadian Arctic, Northern
Quebec, Congo...Larador isn't the only place where you'll die without
bug protection.

DEET is amazingly effective, but does not need to be swabbed on like
aftershave. A good Ben's 100 repellant stick is safer to use, for you
and your gear. Give it a try...

--riverman

On Mon, 16 Feb 2009 22:21:38 -0800 (PST), riverman
wrote:

DEET is amazingly effective, but does not need to be swabbed on like
aftershave. A good Ben's 100 repellant stick is safer to use, for you
and your gear. Give it a try...

That's what I first brought to Lab, and it worked well, but not as
well as deet.

I've related this story before, but think it deserves repeating:
It was my third trip to that lodge, but my #2 grandson's first. I
knew what we were facing as far as biting insects, so every morning we
would bundle up with a turtleneck and put on deet and finally our
fingerless gloves and sprayed hats.

About the third day, Brian complained about the deet - his ears were
sunburned and the deet hurt. He asked if he could use my bug net. I
smiled and got the thing out of my duffle and he put it on over his
hat so the bug screen would be away from his face. When we arrived at
the dock to get in the Lund to go up-river, the head guide, Wilson,
smiled at me. I smiled back.

Off we went up-river and stopped when we saw rising fish in a little
back-water. I landed a nice brookie and then heard Brian complaining
that he couldn't fish. I looked at him and his entire head including
the mesh in front on his face was covered, *covered*, with insects.
Wilson laughed. I laughed. He didn't. It was like one of those
pictures you see of bee keepers covered in bees.

Wilson took the boat out into the current and the insects were blown
away. Brian took off the mesh jacket and put on deet. He caught fish
and had the trip of his lifetime, bite free.

Dave

"riverman" wrote


tend to overuse the stuff', slathering it on like its moisturizer.



That sounds like me ;-(










.Think of it as extremely toxic poison, because it IS.



Um, could that account for my declining brain function? It seems I'm really
starting to have problems .... ah, what were we talking about?