# Any poison ivy, oak or sumac in east fork?



## vinu (Apr 22, 2012)

I just came across a site which provided warning about these allergic plants. Any one has any info whether these plants grow in EF or any major SW Ohio fishing areas that we need to be aware of? I was stupid enough  to wipe my hands with some plant leaves (I didn't have a wipe) during my last east fork trip, but I remember those leaves and they are not like ivy or oak.


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## IGbullshark (Aug 10, 2012)

oh yeah, they are definitely there. you can pretty much find them all over wooded areas of ohio. at this point, you can tell the poison ivy from everything else because it blooms red.


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## FishDoctor (Aug 9, 2012)

I've seen lots of poison ivy out so far. Its in full grow mode. Not much poison oak yet. The sumac I don't see as much right near the river, rather back up in the forests.


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## chadwimc (Jun 27, 2007)

Those tangled vines growing EVERYWHERE near the water's edge at East Fork... Almost all of it is poison ivy. There's a little bit of honey suckle and Virginia creeper, but not as much as poison ivy.

"Leaves of three, leave it be"...


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## yakfish (Mar 13, 2005)

If you are fishing in Ohio chances are you are standing withing 50 feet of poison ivy! Be carefull. I get it every yuear without fail. My mother-in-law got a natural remedy that is supposed to limit the severity if poison ivy. I'm curious how well it will work this year, but I haven't got it yet so far.


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## vinu (Apr 22, 2012)

yakfish said:


> If you are fishing in Ohio chances are you are standing withing 50 feet of poison ivy! Be carefull. I get it every yuear without fail. My mother-in-law got a natural remedy that is supposed to limit the severity if poison ivy. I'm curious how well it will work this year, but I haven't got it yet so far.


Any idea how soon the symptoms will appear?


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## M.Magis (Apr 5, 2004)

vinu said:


> Any idea how soon the symptoms will appear?


It varies for different people. Some people, within an our or so. Some times it can take nearly a week.


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## SamiFish (Apr 24, 2013)

FishDoctor said:


> I've seen lots of poison ivy out so far. Its in full grow mode. Not much poison oak yet. The sumac I don't see as much right near the river, rather back up in the forests.


hmmm - i'm pretty certain i've been walking THROUGH (in shorts) loads of poison ivy and poison sumac down on the lower LMR. haha, so sadly i can confirm there's LOTS of it there. On the bright side, i suspect i'm immune to it (or something close - silver lining, yay!)


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## co-angler (Jan 3, 2010)

FishDoctor said:


> I've seen lots of poison ivy out so far. Its in full grow mode. Not much poison oak yet. The sumac I don't see as much right near the river, rather back up in the forests.


A friend of mine is an ivatologist for the ODNR and he told me that there hasn't been anything like what your describing around this part of Ohio for years.
Most people confuse Virginia Creeper for poison ivy but they would be wrong.
C'mon doc, you should know better!




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## SamiFish (Apr 24, 2013)

i dunno.... ivatologist or not (i can't believe that's an actual profession) i'm inclined to agree with fishdoctor on this one... a few salty veterans i ran into down on the LMR concurred as well

maybe a case of book smarts vs. street (or creek if you will) smarts?


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## Matulemj (May 29, 2012)

co-angler said:


> A friend of mine is an ivatologist for the ODNR and he told me that there hasn't been anything like what your describing around this part of Ohio for years.
> Most people confuse Virginia Creeper for poison ivy but they would be wrong.
> C'mon doc, you should know better!
> 
> ...


I see what you did there. 


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## thedudeabides (Apr 13, 2009)

Poison ivy, yes. Oak or sumac, no not here.


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## M.Magis (Apr 5, 2004)

Poison ivy is everywhere. Any ivatologist that says there's no poison ivy in Ohio may need to look into a different career. But there may have just been an misunderstanding. I think maybe he was just saying that there's no poison oak in Ohio? That part is true as far as I know, but there's no doubt that poison ivy is all over the state.


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## FishDoctor (Aug 9, 2012)

co-angler said:


> A friend of mine is an ivatologist for the ODNR and he told me that there hasn't been anything like what your describing around this part of Ohio for years.
> Most people confuse Virginia Creeper for poison ivy but they would be wrong.
> C'mon doc, you should know better!
> 
> ...



That got me LOL'ing


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## FishDoctor (Aug 9, 2012)

M.Magis said:


> Poison ivy is everywhere. Any ivatologist that says there's no poison ivy in Ohio may need to look into a different career. But there may have just been an misunderstanding. I think maybe he was just saying that there's no poison oak in Ohio? That part is true as far as I know, but there's no doubt that poison ivy is all over the state.





SamiFish said:


> i dunno.... ivatologist or not (i can't believe that's an actual profession) i'm inclined to agree with fishdoctor on this one... a few salty veterans i ran into down on the LMR concurred as well
> 
> maybe a case of book smarts vs. street (or creek if you will) smarts?


Its a play on a previous thread here  Worth a good laugh if you can find it.


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## FishDoctor (Aug 9, 2012)

Matulemj said:


> I see what you did there.
> 
> 
> Posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


That guy Co-angler, brilliant sometimes isn't he?


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## wannabefishin (Aug 20, 2012)

SamiFish said:


> i suspect i'm immune to it (or something close - silver lining, yay!)


It's counter-intuitive but actually if you do not get it, it is because you are not immune. The reaction to poison ivy is a (hyper) immune response. The reaction is to the oil on the plant. If you can (fairly) immediately wipe down the areas you know have been exposed with isopropyl alcohol or soap and water you should be able to minimize or prevent the rash. I used to get poison ivy really, really bad now I don't really care if I touch it. I go into the house and wash or wipe it down with IPA.


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## slowroller (Jun 30, 2009)

Careful SamiFish... I used to think I was immune as well. I'm 36 and got poison ivy for the first time two years ago... on my hands and my wiener nonetheless. I had set my tackle box down in poison ivy and proceeded to relieve my bladder of unwanted bodily waste. I realized when I went back to get my tackle that it was in poison ivy but didn't really care as I used to be the one to cut it down and pull it from garden beds because I was the only one in the group that didn't get it. I'm not going to lie, it wasn't a fun experience and something I'd prefer not to revisit.


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## wannabefishin (Aug 20, 2012)

montagc said:


> IPA? waste good beer on an itch?


 No not IPA the beer, that would be a waste of good beer. IPA as in isopropyl alcohol.


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## HOUSE (Apr 29, 2010)

slowroller said:


> Careful SamiFish... I used to think I was immune as well. I'm 36 and got poison ivy for the first time two years ago... on my hands and my wiener nonetheless.


Same thing happened to me...except for the wiener part. I've never had a reaction to poison ivy before, and then over the last few years I've seen a bigger and bigger rash appear when I touch the stuff. Last year I got my first small oozing lesion, so I can only imagine what the next bout with the stuff will bring. Thanks for the reminder to keep it away from my wiener by the way,  that sounds painful!


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## M.Magis (Apr 5, 2004)

HOUSE said:


> Thanks for the reminder to keep it away from my wiener by the way,  that sounds painful!


You needed someone to tell you that?  
Just kidding. 

I'm now fortunate that after getting it *horribly* as a kid, I don't get anywhere near as bad as I used to. I'm not why the body's reaction changes over time. I know the same thing can happen with bee stings, and I suppose most allergic reactions.


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## co-angler (Jan 3, 2010)

FishDoctor said:


> That guy Co-angler, brilliant sometimes isn't he?


I bag your pardon.... It's Ivyatologist. Dang spellcheck.


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## huntindoggie22 (Mar 28, 2008)

yakfish said:


> If you are fishing in Ohio chances are you are standing withing 50 feet of poison ivy! Be carefull. I get it every yuear without fail. My mother-in-law got a natural remedy that is supposed to limit the severity if poison ivy. I'm curious how well it will work this year, but I haven't got it yet so far.


What's the remedy or is it a secret 


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## co-angler (Jan 3, 2010)

huntindoggie22 said:


> What's the remedy or is it a secret
> 
> 
> Posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


Not that you'll ever need it because poison ivy is extinct around here but my pal who is a remedologist swears that a plant called Jewelweed will kick it square in the butt. Google it.
The stalks are full of liquid that you simply rub over irritated area.....
When nature puts a yucky in your way, she also puts a helpy near too...


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## HOUSE (Apr 29, 2010)

I have used jewelweed to help with the sting of stinging nettles as it usually grows in the same area as that bastard of a plant. I have used oatmeal to help with poison ivy, although that pink calamine lotion seems to be the gold standard.

Here's a video of a guy rubbing Jewelweed all over himself and showing how it works:


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## FishDoctor (Aug 9, 2012)

montagc said:


> Yes, the more you are exposed, the worse it gets.


Sometimes, sometimes not. Hypersensitivity reactions are fickle things, you can desensitize yourself without ever knowing it. The severity of the reaction often changes as one ages, sometimes getting better sometimes getting worse. 

I think its actually probably easier to desensitize someone from poison ivy (a t-cell mediated hypersensitivity) than something like a nut allergy, which is a antibody (specifically IgE) mediated hypersensitivity reaction.


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## FishDoctor (Aug 9, 2012)

slowroller said:


> on my hands and *my wiener* nonetheless.



Right poison ivy


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## oldstinkyguy (Mar 28, 2010)

Im pretty sure the LMR has the most virulent, contagious strains known to man. I've heard there isn't any on the Whitewater or the GMR though...


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## FishDoctor (Aug 9, 2012)

oldstinkyguy said:


> Im pretty sure the LMR has the most virulent, contagious strains known to man. I've heard there isn't any on the Whitewater or the GMR though...


Quite true. And if your are really lucky a LMR sasquaunicornisaugeratch might even fling their ivy laden poo at you whilst out on the LMR. You know sasquaunicornisaugeratchs eat poison ivy and their digestive track actually concentrates the oils in their poo. Ask House, he dissected one's stomach once.


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## Matulemj (May 29, 2012)

oldstinkyguy said:


> Im pretty sure the LMR has the most virulent, contagious strains known to man. I've heard there isn't any on the Whitewater or the GMR though...


I also see what you did there.


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## FishDoctor (Aug 9, 2012)

Matulemj said:


> I also see what you did there.
> 
> 
> Posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


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## catmando (Aug 21, 2006)

Wash with soap & water and take a benadryl.

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## oldstinkyguy (Mar 28, 2010)

HOUSE said:


> Last year I got my first small oozing lesion, Thanks for the reminder to keep it away from my wiener by the way


Wear "waders", its the "wading wet" that gets you in trouble


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## TRAILGATOR (Jul 3, 2011)

FishDoctor said:


> Quite true. And if your are really lucky a LMR sasquaunicornisaugeratch might even fling their ivy laden poo at you whilst out on the LMR. You know sasquaunicornisaugeratchs eat poison ivy and their digestive track actually concentrates the oils in their poo. Ask House, he dissected one's stomach once.


He might also throw his Copperhead necklace at you also.


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## TRAILGATOR (Jul 3, 2011)

catmando said:


> Wash with soap & water and take a benadryl.
> 
> posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


Ivyrest Lotion wouldn't hurt either.


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## kingofamberley (Jul 11, 2012)

I'm already on my third round of poison ivy rashes this year (I've been doing some landscaping work, and no matter how hard I try to avoid the poison ivy, it always finds me). The first round was pretty bad but my body seems to be handling each subsequent exposure a little better. The way I see it, its just a price to pay for living in this part of the world.


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