Who invented the smokin’ midge?

The Smokin’ Midge was invented by Ken Roberts a dedicated salmon fisherman, who began to despair about his days on the river being ruined by the dreaded midges. He tried lotions, potions etc, but the lotions smelled bad, tasted awful if they touched your lips, didn’t stop the midges from swarming around your face AND no matter how careful you were you ALWAYS missed a bit!

What he did find, being a smoker at the time, was that the smoke did seem to deter them. Obviously smoking wasn’t the solution, so after years of trying out various ideas and designs, he created the Smokin’ Midge. A little device that emits a small amount of special smoke, confusing the midges, so they are no longer attracted to the CO2 in your breath. Meaning they just don’t find you!

As Ken used it to make his river trips more enjoyable, others became aware of how well it was working and the business grew from there. It is like no other form of midge repellent and has saved the day for many participating in outdoor activities, for leisure and work.

In 2020 the Scotsman, contacted Ken after hearing about the Smokin’ Midge when researching for an article about Scottish Midges. This helped the invention to gain popularity and now thousands are sold every season, with great reviews.

As well as a great product, it’s a lovely story of innovation and perseverance. Something that the Scottish are quite famous for ! If you would like a wee read over the story the link is here.