September 4th 2011.Lenny Rudow
Fish Hook Removal: First Aid
Use this five step process to get a fish hook out of a person’s skin.
Getting a fish hook out of your skin isn’t a topic that makes one all warm and fuzzy inside. But it’s also something every angler should know about. Even if you don’t fish, you should have a basic understanding of how to remove a fish hook because swimmers and waders occasionally encounter fish hooks on lost rigs. So grit your teeth, be tough, and let’s get this job done.
If you're an angler or a boater, chances are you'll have a close encounter with a fish hook sooner or later.
Step I: Remove the lure, line, and any other items that are attached to the hook. That stuff will just get in your way, while you try to remove it. If it’s a treble hook, use foam or cork to cover any exposed barbs, and prevent them from sticking anyone else.
Step II: Ice down as much of the area surrounding the hook as possible. Wait a good five to 10 minutes, so the skin becomes somewhat numbed and the “patient” won’t feel as much pain.
Step III: Rotate the hook so the point presses up against the underside of the skin. Now, push it through. Ouch! This seems like you’d be making the situation worse, but the fact of the matter is that fish hook barbs do their job extremely well—they’re not supposed to back out of a fish’s jaw, and once the barb passes through human skin, pulling it back out is virtually impossible. Human skin, by the way, is a lot tougher than it seems. Pushing the point through can be difficult, and requires a surprising amount of force. Use a sharp, strong push; don’t try to gently ease it through, because that simply won’t work.
Step IV: With the point and barb now exposed, clip them off. Wire cutters, the cutters on a pair of pliers, dikes (also called diagonal pliers), or tin snips will get the job done. If you don’t have any of these tools, you can use a regular pair of pliers to crimp down the barb. But make sure no gap remains, or it’ll grab skin.
Step V: Now that the barb is rendered ineffective, the rest of the hook will easily slide back out the way it came in. Wash and disinfect the area thoroughly, and you’re ready to get back in action.
About the author:
Lenny Rudow
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- Lenny Rudow is Senior Editor for Dominion Marine Media, including Boats.com and Yachtworld.com. With over two decades of experience in marine journalism, he has contributed to publications including Boating Magazine, Marlin Magazine, Boating World, Saltwater Sportsman, Texas Fish & Game, and many others. Lenny is a graduate of the Westlawn School of Yacht Design who has won 28 BWI and OWAA writing awards.
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Tags: barb, fish hook, Lenny Rudow, person, skin
September 7th, 2011 at 1:58 pm
My father who was first officer on the paddle steamer Princess Elizebeth removed a fishhook from a young lad at Haldon Quay in Torquay Devon in 1961 in a similar way but without the use of ice or aneasthetic He cut the eyelet off the hook first with a pair of nippers and then pushed and pulled the barbed hook through using a pair of pliers to finally clear the palm of the lad. The tough tattooed sailer who assisted my father passed out at the sight of blood The patient who was about 12 hardly made a fuss. and the insident was soon foregotten.
Read more: http://www.boats.com/blog/2011/09/how-to-remove-a-fish-hook/#ixzz1XIJwh9ud