Pain , embarrassment, or barbless hooks?

[local_hooker]

Two days ago while rowing the boat around Vernonia pond so the three yr. old could troll a spinner, she caught a fish. She brought it to the boat and attempted to lift it into the boat (I forgot a net). The fish flipped off, the spinner was launched from the fishes mouth and promptly lodged in the side of my head. My daughter kept reeling, bringing me down to one knee before I could stop her. I got her to sit still while assessed the problem. It was in past the barb. I could A.cut the line wear this thing home and have the wife remove it gently, or B. jerk it out and save the embarrassment. The thought of loading the boat infront of a crowd with a rooster tail in my head was too much, I took the pain ripped it out and continued fishing. I handle pain much better than embarrassment. What would you have done???

Sean

[Jennie@ifish]

I was fly fishing at Black Butte lake with a beautiful large wooly bugger, with gold flecks in it.
It was windy.
SNAP! I thought it just hit my ear. NO!
On next cast I learned that my fly had pierced my ear and stayed right there!
I had the same dilema. Do I go back to the families rented home and display this act of stupidity? Or do I yank it lose?
I sat down right there and tried to work it loose. NADACHANCE!
To the home I went, was greeted by concerned family members who didn't tease at all. They poured me a strong margarita and took me to ER.
The kind help there threatened to work the hook all the way through and cut the barb.
As they were discussing the lovely details, I finally was able to pop it out myself!
First choice is to take it out meself,
Second choice.. have another margarita!
Jen
Edit: and by the way, barbless fishing is required there. That was the most important thing I learned! Whoops!
I'm new to this fly fishing stuff, but I love it!

[ 05-07-2001: Message edited by: Jennie@ifish ]

[Firedog]

Take the pain. While Salmon fishing last fall on the columbia I was changing hooks on a Mag wart and drove the old one all the way to the bend right in the tip of my finger. it went straight in so no pushing it around and cutting off. One of my partners said " we are going to have to go in and get that taken out" I said Oh Bull**** it cant be that hard" to make a long story short I hard my othe rpartner hold onto my finger and I got hold of the hook with my pliers and gave it one good yank. Came out, bleed a lot and hurt pretty good but we didnt have to leave the river. If I remember correct we got a couple fissh that day also. was tender for awhile. Dr. is going to do the same thing after numbing it a bit, might as well keep fishing.

[Thumper]

Way, way back in ancient times I worked a bit in a hospital ER. We had no problem with yanking out imbedded hooks. The loop of line method worked great most times. Other times it seemed easy to bring the hook through the skin and cut off the barb, etc. I thought "Hey!" no problem! Even did it a few times on the river for other anglers. No sweat!

Then a few years ago I nailed myself in the finger while de-hooking a salmon. Argggh! It hurt. Bad. It was different when the patient was me! So I cut off the lure, leaving the hook in the finger, drove home and hid out in the workshop while I drank way too much Jack Daniels and worried that hook out over the next few hours.

So the lesson is that it is very easy to remove a hook --- from someone else. I now carry lidocaine in my tackle box to help numb the wound a bit if it becomes necessay to remove a hook from someone else (easy) or myself (oww!).

[hawgcatcher]

[img]images/icons/frown.gif[/img] I go with the "Keep Fishing". I was fishing Bass at Potholes Resevoir in Washington state a few years ago. I Went to release a small bass and the hook came out and drove the point of the hook on the bass plug clear into the tip of my middle finger. We were in the dunes area, seven miles from the resort and another 15 miles to Moses Lake for medical treatment. I could feel it rubbing the bone and decided that I had to get rid of it right then.

I took the needle nose pliers and gave it a yank. I gave blessing to the God of pain and stuck the finger into the ice chest for five minutes. When the finger was sufficiently numb, I went back to fishing.

The fishing was great that day and so I didn't loose out. Now if that had been in the face, I probably would have gone in.

[rcl187]

I often wonder-have any of you managed to get a hook through the hand or finger while a second hook or barb is still attached to the fish? Thought that would be kinda discomforting although I personally haven't done it.

[Michael J.]

Hey, you guys should pick up this months edition of Field and Stream (150 Fishing Tips). There is a nice article about what to do in various situations (hook in the ear, hook in the eye, the best way to remove a hook in the field, etc.). You will definitely find some good advice. MJ

[ABL]

Last fall on Eagle Creek (07 Oct 00 to be exact) I went fishing with a friend from out of town. We had caught salmon all morning, keeping a couple and releasing several. We had decided that we would leave after the next fish. As it happened, we both got a fish on at about the same time. Earlier in the day, my friend had made an extreme hookset, which resulted in a hook in my neck…that one came out easily and was nothing compared to what we were about to experience.

I fought my fish and another nearby angler netted it for me. As I was taking out the hook, the fish flailed and the guy with the net jerked back. I quickly tried to pull my hand out of harms way, but ended up imbedding the hook in my finger and breaking 15 lb test line in the process. I headed over to shore to try and work the hook out. I couldn’t get it out with pliers and then tried using my knife to cut the hook out. I was having no luck and noticed that the guy trying to net my friends fish was really having a hard time of it. Worried that he was going to knock the fish off I told him to throw me the net. About this time, the fish takes a run downstream, so I head off following it. I soon realize that I am going to need to cross over to the other side to get close enough to net the fish. I go further downstream and cross over at a shallow spot, but when I get back near the fish I cannot see it because of the sun’s glare on the water. I’m going to have to go back downstream and cross back over.

As I am running downstream, I slip and fall, filling my waders with water. No time to deal with that now, I continue downstream, this time with water in my waders to compliment the hook in my finger. Then I fall again, this time hitting my elbow and sending my net flying. Now I am chasing the net downstream with even more water in my waders and of course the hook still in my finger. Finally, I catch the net and head back upstream. Unbelievably, he still has the fish on. I uneventfully net the fish, we take a photo and release it.

After the excitement of the fish, we get back to the reality of the hook in my finger, not to mention the five gallons of water I’m carrying around in my waders. We work on getting the hook out, my friend on the pliers and me with the knife, but we can’t get it out. We try to push it through, but that doesn’t work. My friend is trying to get me to go to the doctor, but I know that he will just do the same thing that I would so don’t see the point in sitting in the waiting room for two hours. I decide that if we get back to my house, we can use a razor blade to free the hook. I clean the salmon I had caught and we head back to the truck.

On the way home we have to stop for gas. The store at the gas station happens to have all the supplies we need, so instead of driving the hour home, we purchase razor blades, peroxide and bandages. Since there is no running water outside, we go into the restroom. I work around the hook with the razor blade, but cannot get the skin between the shank and the barb. By this time, the hook has been in for close to two hours and it needs to come out. Finally I tell my friend to hold on tight to the pliers and I yank as hard as I can to free the hook. Despite the pain, I mainly feel the relief of finally having the hook out of my hand. We cleaned out the wound and bandaged it up. The funniest part was when we walked out of the bathroom, there was a line of people who were waiting to get in. You should have seen the looks on their faces to see two guys walk out after what they must have heard.....Ouch, that hurts! Pull it out! Etc.

[local_hooker]

I suddenly don't feel so bad.

[Snagly]

I'm a strong advocate for fishing 100% barbless all the time. Here are the reasons:

1. Safety: Coming on a year ago I did something very, very stupid that would have ended far worse had the barbs not been pushed down. My two sons were six and three at the time. I had saltwater minnow lures on my desk with hook bonnets on. The boys asked if they could see the lures. I stupidly said yes and (I'm guessing) one kid picked up a lure and the other one decided he wanted to see THAT lure, too. Within seconds of saying "OK", I heard pair of horrific screams. Thug #1 had treble hook through the inside of his forearm. Thug #2 had the other treble on the same lure embedded deep into his index finger at the last joint. I shouted "Don't move!" and, fortunately they froze. (On bad days I wonder what would have happened had they bolted in opposite directions.) The looks of terror and cries of pain was so disconcerting I decided I had to get the hooks out NOW. Using my fingers on the 4x #2 treble, I reversed the hook out of the forearm on the bigger boy, then immobilized the little guy's hand and pulled the second hook out of his finger joint. Each came out without a problem. Then I caught ten minutes of well-deserved hell from the wife while we drove to the ER for tetanus shots. (The kids stay away from my lures these days, and I keep them out of reach as well even if they have hook bonnets on.)

After reading the stories on the thread here about all these people cutting and yanking on barbed hooks, you have to wonder when someone will write in and say "I tried to remove a barbed hook from my finger/ hand and ended up tearing a nerve/ tendon and did myself permanent damage." In Australia where I fish remote river systems (sort of like "Survivor" with 10-20lb fish) every guide for 800 miles fishes 100% barbless and so do the clients. These guides are real macho characters, but none of them enjoy cutting hooks out of people, starting with themselves.

2. You won't lose fish by going barbless: Aside from special cases -- vertically fishing heavy spoons or jigs -- I don't think I'm losing more fish by fishing w/o a barb. Some writers argue they catch more because the hooksets are easier and the point penetrates farther. You do have to avoid slack line at all costs, but if you can keep tension on your fish you'll land the same percentage after going barbless. Just keeps your hooks sharp.

3. You're legal everywhere, all the time: Many systems are increasingly barbless-only. Once you smash down the barbs it isn't worth the effort to change hooks on lures (or buy new flies). It's also a time-waster to hunt for the barbless versions if you're on a no-barb section one day. (Plus the warden may get suspicious if he checks your gear.)

4. Easier on the fish: It's a lot less damaging to the fish w/o a barb. It's easier to unhook fish that are green(er), and if the line breaks the fish is almost certain to be able to dislodge a barbless hook over time. If you target natives, that should be a consideration as well.

My 4 cents worth.

[Tinman]

That reminds me of the time I snagged myself in the butt with a Mepps spinner, clear through my jeans, into my backside.

My options were clear, and humiliating. I could a) give a mighty yank and tear the seat out of my jeans along with a chunk of my anatomy, b)go home and have my dad get it out. In either case, I had to ride my bike (I was in high school at the time) a couple of miles to get home.

I chose plan "b", and rode home on my bike, standing on the pedals, with that damned spinner hanging on my butt, tinkling like a bell and glinting in the sun for all the world to see. Thankfully, Judy (sweet Judy, I never did get the courage to ask her out, though endless were the hours I fantasized about it) was not outside when I rode past her house.

[Capin' Dan]

My favorite memory was a story told by Phil Westrick Ultimate charters Westport and he had the pictures to prove it. One of his clients had a hook get out of hand and buried it into the left cheek (Not the upper cheeks) of the man behind her after the third or forth yank and accompaning scream they looked behind them. The skipper performed a minor surgery and fixed the problem.

[FEAR NO FISH!]

Last year, while power trolling with deep thundersticks for walleye, my daughter caught her first 10 pound walleye. Being 10 years old and not wanting to listen to me, she reaches into the net to take the lure out of the walleyes mouth. Suddenly she screams and swings her arm up once,twice,three times and there goes net, walleye and lure. Somehow she was able to throw the hook. We were able to retrieve the net and fish by reeling everything back up. It was a valuable lesson. She has a new respect for needle nose's now. [img]images/icons/shocked.gif[/img]

[Jennie@ifish]

Be careful when releasing salmon with those sharp treble hooks on Kwikfish.
This thread brought back painful memories for Bill.
He was on the coastal tidewater with some clients, when he was guiding. He was releasing a chum and the darn thing hooked him in the hand.
So, he had a treble hook totally embedded in his hand with a fighting chum salmon digging it deeper into him.
He finally got the salmon released and left to be taken care of at the local hospital.
OUCH!
Dang, I'm not releasing my own chums anymore!
Jen

[SSPey]

100% BARBLESS