When fly fishing, many anglers prefer to catch and release their
fly fishing prizes. Still, what should you do when you're the
prize?
That's Gotta Hurt
If you become a fly fishing fanatic, you will inevitably hook
yourself one day. Of course, this has never happened to me, but
my "friends" have done it repeatedly. Being a thoughtful and
observant person, I've seen how they go about unhooking
themselves from a fly. Again, this is never happened to me.
Ever. No, I won't take a lie detector test.
The Barb
The best hook removal method depends on the location of the hook
barb. The barb is the part of the hook that keeps the hook from
simply sliding back out of the fish or, in this case, you. The
essential question is which direction will result in the least
damage from the barb.
A "friend" of mine once managed to hook himself through the flap
of skin between the thumb and forefinger. The hook penetrated
from the top of this hand through to the palm. The barb had gone
all the way through the skin. In such a situation, the best
method is simply to cut the line at the base of the hook and
push it the rest of the way through the skin. This technique
will result in a minimum of damage.
Another "friend" of mine once slipped on a rock and hooked
himself something fierce in the meat section of the palm about
an inch below the pinkie. There wasn't anyway to push the hook
through, so it had to be pulled back out the way it went in. The
problem, of course, is the barb could have caused a lot of
damage on the way back out. So, what's the solution?
There are two solutions [excluding the hospital] to avoiding
barb damage. The first requires two people. The hooked
individual should press the hook slowly toward the curve of the
hook. Put another way, you want to compress this curve of the
hook. This sounds brutal, but actually should cause the barb to
retract from the meat of your hand. The second person then
applies pressure to both sides of the entry point to pull it
open. The hooked individual should then GENTLY slide the hook
out trying to follow the curve of the entry path. Sounds
painful, but it works.
If you're alone, follow the same instructions but you'll have to
do without the pressure. Just go slow and easy. If the hook
doesn't slide, don't force it. Just head off to the local
emergency room.
Catch and release is a good way to fish. Even if you catch
yourself.
More Information:Rick Chapo is with
www.NomadJournals.com - makers of diary and writing journals. Visit
www.NomadJournalTrips.com to read more articles about national parks and the great outdoors.
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