Shown here is Mom and Dad with a string of fish, and the ad in the background is there for a reason. While trout fishing provided some of my best memories Growin’ Up in Maine, you risk the inevitable uninvited guests, mosquitoes and blackflies. Though never witnessed personally, old timers mention small children carried off by Maine mosquitoes. From experience, blackflies swarm. Some are specialists that distract you by landing in your eyes, nose, and ears while others take a chunk out of your hide.
People often vacation in Maine with the dream of resting comfortably on the edge of a pristine babbling brook while casting a spinner bait in hope of catching Maine brook trout. As a youngster growing up in Derby, ole time fishing in Maine back in the 1960’s was a deep woods adventure where you usually got wet, muddy, or both in the process. I’m not talking farm raised trout dumped in brooks to stock the easy-to-get-to spots, but the smart native trout born and bred in the real wilderness.
Whether fishing or hiking in Maine, you will encounter attacks by mosquitoes and blackflies. If you are outdoors, they will be there, and usually in large numbers. Be prepared with bug repellent and you can enjoy the natural beauty of Maine without the bugs. Our remedy for the mosquitoes and blackflies is Ole Time Woodsman mosquito repellent, and once you try it I believe you will agree the fragrance is indescribable.
They made it then. They make it now. Try Ole Time Woodsman. It was invented in the 1800’s and has been standard Mainer fishing gear ever since. For grins I checked online, and small sizes are priced for less than $10. Just don’t exceed the recommended dose. For me, I believe short term use may have warded off bugs for years, and could explain my lack of second dates as a teenager. Shoulda asked ’em to go fishing.
TAGS: Maine stories fishing blackflies
