They look like a house fly. But they're ANKLENIPPERS.

[Fishstix]

While riding around LO Sunday waiting for a rod to fire I took the time to get a close photo of one of these things. They usually show up when you are reeling in a salmon, it triggers feeding time and they drill your ankles. Bug spray is cocktail sauce for these buggers. Kill one and 10 show up for the funeral.

[jason]

this is hilarious but you are true about the the ankles biters. i just got back from maine, they have the same problem there. only they are a lot bigger.

[waterlogged]

If you think the ones in Maine are big you oughta see the ones in Texas.....you know everythings bigger in Texas.

[ray koziatek]

MOM !!!!!!!! stix found you..........SWAT............mom,mom?where did you go??????????

[SkeinMachine]

Their called Stable Flies.

They look like a smaller version of the common house fly,with light tan stripes on their rear end.

They only show up on calm days,and only when your wearing shorts.

They bite right through socks.

Stable Flies

Jeffrey Hahn, Assist. Extension Entomologist

Stable fly. :Jeff Hahn:

Whether you are outside at your favorite lake cabin or sitting in your backyard in town, you probably have experienced a problem with flies biting at or near your ankles. These flies, similar in appearance to house flies, are known as stable flies. Stable flies, sometimes called biting house flies or ankle-biters, are about 1/4 - 3/8th and are gray with four longitudinal black stripes on their thorax.

However, while house flies have sponging mouthparts for sopping up liquid food, the mouthparts of stable flies are modified into a long, sharp bayonet-like proboscis. They feed on the blood of not only people but on many other mammals, including dogs, cattle, and horses. They are very persistent and very annoying.

[ray koziatek]

glad they dont bite above the ankles,, when im buffing it, that might be a swating comcern.....double owe owe

[Fishstix]

Do they originate in the boat or do they come out of the water?I know when my boat is clean they really chew on you. When my boat is dirty with fish blood and slime around they dont seem to bother as bad. I figure the slime and blood gives em something to do.

[SkeinMachine]

Do they originate in the boat or do they come out of the water?

Good question,where do they go at night????

Fly swatters help pass the time when the bite slows down.

[ray koziatek]

they hatch outa the water when its dead calm you can see em pop outa the little eggs or sacs ,when i was way out there as i so often am (offshore bob) ive scooped the sac outa the water and gave birth right in my hand.kinda felt like a papa till the sob bit me then a swatted him like he was my own kid.............if you get out on a calm day shut everything down and watch what happens sometimes it lookes like a trout stream during a mayfly hatch,steelies hitting the surface and jumping everywhere.bring along a ultralight or flyrod.things just havent worked out for me to try this year.but there on the boat..

[drlfc]

When those blood thirsty flys start chewing on your ankles through your socks I don a second pair of socks...preferably a pair of nylon dri-liner types. Those teeth aren't long enough to get through two pairs.

Dr. Lou

[Nemesis]

I work in the pet industry. One of my customers has lots of dogs + cats + horses. She grooms dogs and cats all day. Fleas are her worst enemy. She found a product called "flea free" www.fleafreeanimals.com and she swears by it. Its a all natural liquid you put in the pets water.

GET THIS: She mixes 4 Table spoons in 1 gal of water. Each morning she shakes the jug of water and she pours 4oz. in a glass and drinks it. She goes fishing and scouting for hunting with her husband and she doesnt get bothered by biting insects. He refuses to drink it. She says you cant smell it on her. Its made with garlic and lavender oil. These are things bugs hate.

Check the website out.

If I was a captain or a mate on a boat day after day, I would give this a try.

Just my .02

Brad