Since most billfish live in warm, subtropical climes, there is no shortage of pesky insect pests awaiting your arrival back at the dock in most marlin hot spots. From blood-sucking no-see-ums in the Bahamas to black saltwater mosquitoes just about everywhere else, biting insects can make your trip miserable and even result in serious illness. Trust me - no one wants to tangle with a bout of dengue fever, malaria or worse.
All of the very best insect repellents contain DEET, or N, N-Diethyl-meta-toluamide. However, DEET is also an effective solvent and may dissolve some plastics, rayon, leather, and painted or varnished surfaces. It's also extremely noxious to fish. In fact, Dr. Keith Jones reports in his book Knowing Bass that most fish find DEET more repulsive than any other substance known to man.
No matter where I go in the world, biting insects will fly, crawl or slither through just about any obstacle to get to my sweet, tender flesh, so I'm forced to slather myself and my children with DEET whenever we step outdoors. It's the only thing I've ever found that keeps the bugs off - that is until I found La Fresh (www.lafreshgroup.com).
While I'm usually skeptical when it comes to "all-natural" repellents (not one has worked for me before), I was pleasantly surprised with La Fresh. La Fresh uses peppermint oil as its main ingredient, and you experience a slight tingling sensation and the pleasant smell of mint when you apply it. And more importantly, it seems to work for me, especially for 30-minute stretches - after that it's time to reapply. And while La Fresh doesn't seem to repel as long as products containing DEET, I feel much better using it on my kids.
La Fresh comes in handy disposable towelettes that make application a breeze - and a fresh smelling one at that.
Dave Ferrell
Orlando, Florida
