Wet wading

I hate spiders. When I was about 8 year old, I got bit in the middle of the night on the back of my knee. We counted 13 welts which turned to bruises which are indicative of a spider bite.

Fortunately it all cleared up on it's own, but I still hate spiders.

I wouldn't say I fear them. I just have a decent amount of respect for them.

They eat a lot of bugs, so I don't go out of my way to kill them unless they are inside the house. Even then, if it convenient for me to catch them and move them outside, I have been known to do that.

You see, I hate horseflies, deer flies and skeeters even more than I have spiders.

Deer flies are especially bad this year. When I head to my woods it's now only on my UTV, and I keep moving ... fast enough that they can't keep up. That is, unless I am wearing the the bee suit. Yesterday I had a couple dozen buzzing around me by the time I left the woods. They were drafting me. But I was wearing the suite because I was tending a bee hive in the woods.

A horsefly bit me yesterday when I got out of the pool. I swear it was big enough to wear a saddle.

That reminds me, I have a couple bat boxes that I need to put up.

Lots of barn swallows, but I figure bats would help, too.

 
I wrote this story several years ago. All true incidents, but I may have exaggerated the size of the spiders.

THE TRUTH ABOUT SPIDERS

I know that spiders were put on this earth with a well intended purpose but…..

When I was seven years old, I remember an evening when the whole family was in the kitchen, ready to eat supper. My younger brother was pre-occupied with a critter on the kitchen floor. A spider to be exact. And I remember my father saying to him “don’t touch it”. Well, we all know what happened next. My brother touched him and the spider bit him. I can still see the image of my brother writhing on the floor in pain. Ok, so writhing on the floor may be a slight exaggeration. We wanted to kill it in the worst way. But my father, being the ultra-conservationist that he was, wouldn’t let us. So began my all-out war on spiders.

A few years later I was in the basement with my father when I spied a spider the size of a small dog crawling across the floor. I reached for the closest object to smash it into oblivion when my father interceded. “They eat insects! They are our friends!” Well maybe they’re your friends dad, but they’re certainly not mine.

Fast forward to my military days when I maintained the Air Force base heating systems. I was usually armed with an acetylene torch. There’s no finer sound in the world than the pop of a freshly torched spider. Kind of like popcorn popping in a frying pan.

And they come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors, mostly big. As I grew older and wiser, I began to realize that not only did I not like them, but they didn’t like me as well. Not a severe case of paranoia, they were and still are out to get me. Like the time I was fishing along Kettle Creek, minding my own business. I soon got the feeling that I was being watched. I slowly turned around and there was a large spider with bulging eyes amongst the rocks, sizing me up. And when I tried to take a step towards him, he retreated into the rocks. Now one could surmise that he was just sitting on his front porch enjoying the view on a nice sunny day. But I knew better. He was out to do me in. So I had to devise a strategy. This was one cagey individual, but I had a plan. I walked away from the stream, put my rod in the car, and slowly stalked him from above. Now if only I could drop one large rock on him, the battle would be over. Or, I could carpet-bomb him with small pebbles. I chose the nuclear sized rock approach, with success. Phew! I slept better that night, knowing there’s one less spider in this world.

10 years ago again I’m minding my own business, driving down Route 80 when I felt something crawling in my hair. And I knew instantly what it was. Heart racing, I swiped the beast from my scalp and it landed on my leg. Now I’m face to face with the black hairy type. I flicked him from my leg, and where he landed God only knows. I don’t know how many times I ran off the road trying to find him.

A few years back my daughter stopped by at Halloween. When she left, I thought she deviously left one of those big fake spiders by the front door as a prank. I reached down to pick it up and it moved. Not a scurry mind you, it lumbered like an elephant. And when I stepped on it, it crunched like a walnut.

My last great encounter was this past year at my cabin. A dinosaur sized beast, it actually reared it’s front legs at me in defiance when I sprayed it with a household cleanser. My buddy saved my life with a well-placed boulder.

So there you go. Make your own judgement. And I know this story may rile the SPCA or Spiders Unlimited, or some other well-intended conservation organization. That’s OK. And if you want to send a spider over to the house to mediate a settlement, I just may listen. But until then, just stay out of my house, my car, my cabin, stay away from my trout streams, and stay out of my life!

Now about centipedes………………….

 
I wet wade no matter when as long as air temps are going to exceed 75 degrees during the day. I make my decision based on day time highs and not lows. I was pretty cold 2 weeks back when the air temp was 47 degrees at daybreak and the stream was 59. I had long sleeves on to handle it. At noon I was feeling pretty smart when the air temp was 88 and I was comfortable as could be. One thing I do is own super long soccer socks that go up past the knees. They aren't the worlds best protection but they do help from scraping sticks and stuff.
 
I'm with you!

I've been bit by one at least 10 times in my life.
The crazy thing is, I was today on my leg!

Just remember, when you kill a spider a larger one is watching you do it!

Funny story, I was removing a window unit air conditioner about 5 years ago. Inside was a large wolf spider. I was able to get him out and into a trash bag. As I'm cleaning up, I happen to look over at the trash bag, just in time to see it rip through a hefty bag with its legs and start running down the side walk.
No joke.
Don't mess with that spider!
I call my wife and explain to her "how to worst thing just happened." She gets worried then hears the story.

I'm still laughed at to this day.

But I swear, that spider would kill you!

 
Well well well Sal, you brought up the W word. Wolf Spiders. That large spider I thought was a fake placed by my daughter? A wolf spider. That large spider at my cabin? A wolf spider. And believe me that wolf spider at the cabin would not back down 1 inch. Raised it's front legs in defiance. That is no exaggeration. And about a year after I wrote the story I had another stand-off with another wolf spider at home. I was going down the basement steps of our home and there it was. We have good carpet on the steps so I didn't want to crush it into the carpet. Went upstairs and the first thing I grabbed was Resolve carpet cleaner. I swear in the face of God (which means everything to me) that spider backed me down 2 stair tread with it's front legs raised in defiance before it expired. I hate spiders.
 
Thanks Ken, I'll sleep better tonight!
 
I loved that movie.

Great story outsider. Spiders Unlimited was a nice touch.
 
There are definitely some large wolf spider in PA and Ohio. I see quite a few around the farm.




 
I went to make coffee the other morning, and when I opened the lid to the water reservoir, a spider had taken up residence overnight and spun a web. I was not happy. Thank goodness it was a little one.
 
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My wader season is usually late Nov - Feb. I think having grown up wet wading make waders feel very restrictive. As long as I'm warm up top, I can handle pretty cold water (or giant spiders) on the legs.
 
I wet wade a lot during the late spring and summer...I've been alert and on the look out a lot in the Poconos in very prime rattlesnake territory quite a bit this year and I've only seen a garter snake on the Bushkill.

I wear my Orvis wading boots and wet wading guards with the Simms neoprene wet wading socks and I love it. I've worn Keens and sandals in the past but I like having studs, especially on the Lehigh river and other fast water or slippery rocks. Quick dry shorts or quick dry Simms long pants if I'm in thick brush.

I also haven't seen any ticks. When I lived in Western PA as a kid the ticks were terrible. I haven't seen anything in the Poconos/Philly area this year...but I do use very a strong bug+tick spray quite a bit.

Mosquitos though...I hate em. I have been butchered through face masks this summer and I still don't know what to do. And I'm definitely not using bug spray on or around my face!!!
 
Get a fishing hat that has a 360 brim. Spray it hard with deet.
Spray the back of your neck. Throw out the flat brim ;-)
Bugs get near your face, lower your brim by looking down, they will go to your neck and then leave.

Signed,
A guy with the blood type they prefer
 
An Arturo Fuente Flor Fina 858 Maduro works for me and I swear for ticks, bears & small screaming children too because I haven't had a tick on me in years and only one bear encounter in my life.

The screaming children thing is an added bonus...;-)
 
Bamboozle wrote:
An Arturo Fuente Flor Fina 858 Maduro works for me and I swear for ticks, bears & small screaming children too because I haven't had a tick on me in years and only one bear encounter in my life.

The screaming children thing is an added bonus...;-)
Click to expand...

A cigar?
 
Get a fishing hat that has a 360 brim. Spray it hard with deet. Spray the back of your neck. Throw out the flat brim Bugs get near your face, lower your brim by looking down, they will go to your neck and then leave. Signed, A guy with the blood type they prefer
Click to expand...

LOL time to get a new fishing hat.

Problem is I usually sweat off the bug spray in the summer. Need to bring a small bottle with me.

Mosquitos love me...I've gotten some odd bites this year on my forehead, fingers, knuckles, cheek, scalp, etc. It's usually just my legs and arms but not this year.
 
rrt wrote:
After a guy got an infection in his leg from wet wading the Little Juniata River a few years back that could not be cured and he lost his leg because of it, I have foregone wet wading. For you guys who still do it, be careful out there.
Click to expand...

I wet wade the little j all the time, Its not a good idea to wet wade any river with any open wounds. And on top of that I wear pants, not sure how much the pants actually help, but its very comfortable. Got a pair of $40 field and stream harbor pants, super light and dry very quickly. I wet wade as much as possible, very enjoyable way to fish.

And to add: I know dozens of other regular little j anglers who wet wade in the summer months, and all of us still have both legs. Atleast for now.
 
dryflyguy wrote:
Bamboozle wrote:
An Arturo Fuente Flor Fina 858 Maduro works for me and I swear for ticks, bears & small screaming children too because I haven't had a tick on me in years and only one bear encounter in my life.

The screaming children thing is an added bonus...;-)
Click to expand...

A cigar?
Click to expand...

Yup!
 
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