Dealing with ticks

When I was living in Japan I had to deal with a different blood sucking nuisance. No, it was not mosquitos it was land leaches.Honestly though I would take land leaches any day because at least when they bit you you were not at risk of contracting a horrific disease.

Earlier this week I visited a new section of a river that I have visited many times. It is less than thirty minutes from my home and even when the water is very low the fishing is always epic. The stream run cold and clear even in the midst of a drought and despite the very low flow the river has some huge pools. I caught and released several fish that day including a fourteen inch Brown Trout that put up quite a fight.

This week the Dames Violet are in full bloom

When I got home though I discoverd two very tiny ticks embedded in my leg. These things were seriously tiny about the size of a poppy seed. So, the next day I went out and bought a bottle of Pemetherin. I hate chemicals but if I have to choose between short term exposure to harmful chemicals and the possibility of a lifetime of debilitating illness, well I guess I will have to take my chances with the chemicals.

I found quite a few Dryad Saddle mushrooms on my outing

I did not spray the Permetherin on my fishing clothing though - just my yard work and hiking clothing. I cannot stand the thought of poisoning the river as I practice exclusively wet wading (even in the shoulder season when the water is > 50 degrees). So, instead now I have implemented a few new practices when I am done fishing. First, I have a change of clothes in the truck and I change out of my fishing clothes as soon as I am finished fishing. In the past I used to drive home and change, but that is just no longer a safe option.

Thunderstorms moving in to clear out the smoke

Secondly, I spray myself down with an organic essential oil anti-tick spray after I change into fresh clothes. Lastly, when I get home I take my fishing clothes out of the bed of my truck and dry them on high for at least twenty minutes before washing them on hot and then drying them on hot again. It seems a little excessive but I have found ticks in our washing machine that have survived a hot wash. I love New England, I think it is a nearly perfect place to live but the ticks this year have been SOO bad.

A trophy trout section of water right next to the road - despite the pressure I managed to catch a lovely 12-13 inch Rainbow

I went fishing again later in the week and after visiting two river systems (one of which is a Trophy Trout stream) I implemented my new after fishing routine and thankfully I did not find any ticks on me after this trip. I live-streamed a short section of the trip on my Instagram channel. Absolutely, beautiful river that meandered through farm land and woodlands. I even spooked a few deer too, which was cool.

Hiking back to the truck after a successful day fishing

A random side note Dryad Saddle mushrooms are in season right now and they are popping up all over. These mushrooms are pretty cool because they can be used to make paper. I wonder how anyone figured that one out...