Blackfly

Have I been unlucky, or has anyone else been bothered more this year?
Been bitten at least half-a-dozen times so far since June, including last week on the Dane and then on the other arm by a water near Chorley this week, this last one has left me with an aching wrist and elbow, the damn things have never been this bad.
Given that they indicate good water quality, not going to complain too much, but could do without the side-effects.

You might find that they are terestials not water born. Get a good fly repellent. You are not diabetic are you? The wife and father-in-law get bit and both are diabetic.
These little black biting midges usually like warm damp comditions and live amongst bankside vegatation. They don't like it windy.
Another damp summer up here in the north West.

They’ve driven me into almost panic attack before now, getting them in my eyes, nose and ears, having me running up the bank with my landing net over my head, horrid things, small and silent.

Though the worst insects I regularly encounter whilst fishing are the deer flies, there out after a chunk of flesh and just don’t give up unless you kill them, horrid things, they have small blades in their mouth, that enable them to slash and lick as opposed inject and suck.

You thinking of horse flies and clegg flies, both related. Jaw parts are like scissors that cut the skin/flesh to get at the blood. Can leave a nasty scar after swelling gone. I have a mossi net that covers the head.

Wobbly Face (As Per Ed) said:

You might find that they are terestials not water born.

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Nah, these are Simuliids Black fly - Wikipedia, the free [email]encyclopedia@@AMEPARAM@@/wiki/File:Black_fly.jpg[/email]" class="image"><img alt="" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2a/Black_fly.jpg/200px-Black_fly.jpg"@@AMEPARAM@@commons/thumb/2/2a/Black_fly.jpg/200px-Black_fly.jpg, the same family of fly that I've encountered in Canada. The Blandford Fly is one, they have interesting aquatic larvae that filter-feed. There are stories of the early British explorers/invaders of the northern areas of North America being driven half-mad by them.

Get a good fly repellent.

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Got one, but I don't apply it until after I've set up in case of tainting, and these little gets home in pretty quickly, even in broad daylight. I use Shift, coz DEET is evil stuff and I don't want it near me or my gear Shift Insect Repellent ? Other Makers ? Page 1 but blackfly aren't always put off by it (very good for midges and mozzies). Tried Skin-So-Soft for a while but had to stop, the smell was worse than the midges.

You are not diabetic are you? The wife and father-in-law get bit and both are diabetic.

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No, I just taste good I think, must be all the chilli, garlic and red wine. Apparently there's a genetic basis to your fly-bite-likelihood, give that my ancestors are from further North I'd have thought I'd be OK. These and clegs drive me daft.

These little black biting midges usually like warm damp comditions and live amongst bankside vegatation. They don't like it windy.
Another damp summer up here in the north West.

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Midges are no more than a pest, the worst I get off them is a tiny red "measle" for a few hours and an itch (although the numbers around Coniston in June were scary!), any decent repellent deals with them, or a good breeze.

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Another interesting link here about Blackfly, something I didn't know about Mike Ladle
Treating a Blandford Fly bite

Complications from being bitten by a Blandford fly eventually killed one of Graham Marsden's mates. They do seem to be spreading to other rivers. I've seen them but never been bitten even though I only live 2 miles from the Stour, fortunately to the South of it as the prevailing winds blow it to the North which is why people in Wimborne and Blandford suffered so much. I'm not on the river in May which helps

Had bother with horse flies today but because they chew their way in I usually feel the bite and kill them which is what I did today.

Mark Wintle said:

Complications from being bitten by a Blandford fly eventually killed one of Graham Marsden's mates.

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Twice I've ended up with a mild fever as a result of these, but I'm pretty robust, wouldn't like to have any underlying conditions and get nailed.
Never used to have bother with them as a kid, they're popping up all over now.
I was once brought a sample of "bugs" for ID from inside someone's koi pond filtration system. Hundreds of black fly larvae, apparently it was full of them...

I'm not on the river in May which helps

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The seasons for these, horse flies and mozzies appear to be getting longer, past few years October has been a really bad month for skeeters.