Sorry, I couldn't resist.


My bed Sunday night, a secluded sandbar along the banks of the San Jacinto River.

To make you feel better, right after taking this picture a SWARM of Texas-sized horseflies attacked me. I'm talking a thick cloud of them! I thought I had stepped in a hive of killer bees! I spent twenty minutes submerged in the river breathing through my hat hoping they'd leave. They didn't.

I ended up making a dash back to my sleeping pad (luckily under mosquito netting) and spent the night soaking wet and covered in sand. 75F is cold when you are wet. In the morning I woke up with the dull throb of an ear infection. I guess I picked it up while submerged.

Still, I count it as a wonderful weekend (even without the very friendly, uh, "European-style" sunbathers that I chatted with several miles downriver).

-Blast, who was let loose for a weekend but is now back in chains

Thanks for sharing Blast!!!

How did the kayak do???

You know, until a couple of months ago I had never had the pleasure of horseflies. Then those in Arizona discovered me, and apparently I am much better tasting than anyone else in the area, 'cuz those monsters just about killed me, right thru my shirt. So in all honesty I can say that I feel your pain...

Wildman,

The kayak is great. I love how quiet it is, I was able to sneak up on all sorts of deer, beavers, snakes, etc... It's more comfortable than my canoe and a lot easier to hual around. It also has a suprising amount of storage space. I wish I had bought it ten years ago rather than the motorcycle.

OBG,

I had encountered a lot of horseflies up in Minnesota, but never a thick swarm like this before. I really thought I had stirred up a nest of killer bees and I was in a mild panic when I ran into the river. Had I been thinking straight I would have ran for my mosquito netting instead. It would have been a much more comfortable night if I had.

Nature, you never know what she'll hit you with next...

-Blast

Horseflies suck!

I'm sorry, I just couldn't resist that one. It's true for all the meanings though. I hate the things, my first trip up north to fish taught me that. Thick swarms of tiny flying vampires.

BTW - deer flys are just as bad, but smaller

Anyone know if those green mosquito coils are effective against horseflies?

No. Trust me on this... thats a big NO. At least the ones in New Brunswick, Canada. They were immune to anything and attacked you at will and in swarms. Usually when a big cloud of mosquitos (they are not tiny back home!) where around you, the big horse flies would see what the fuss is.

But I would only experience the horse flies in the dense brush in northern New Brunswick, along with the monster mosquitos.

Same as Moose Flies... the say they only go after moose, thats a bunch of crap! In my experience they go after us humans just like moose, but if you see what they did to moose you would not want them to touch you (about 1" sore per moose fly on a moose - for humans its more tame but still a nasty bite)!

this is something you should think about when packing a BOB-
in the pockets of my PFD that is a Ditch Vest i carry a headnet
and a small bottle of %100 DEET.--last year i just had the
bug-off wipes in foil packs but thought the "real thing"
would last longer.