For those summer ankle biters in the canoe; I hate to admit it, but this year we actually each resorted to a fly swatter and it seemed to work!  I mean, there were obviously no fewer flies, but the satisfaction of littering the bottom of the boat with fly carcasses somehow made their marauding attacks a bit less 'painful'.  In past years, they would bite and you'd swat with your hand, miss; only to have them return and bite all over again.  Frustration!  Not this year!  They may (or may not) get one bite in and...swat...another one bites the dust!  One thing I did learn though, be sure to clean up the dead bodies and dump them overboard once in awhile, because they seem to attract more friends.  Nothing seems to bring out the curse words more than those ankling biting flies...and they always seem to know when you have a fish on.