ON BAD HOOKSETS AND GOOD RELEASES

Pinching down the barb of this fly hooked in author Dennis Dauble’s grandson’s nose would have made streamside removal easier and caused him less pain, if that tear is any indication. (DENNIS DAUBLE)

If you’re an angler, you’ll eventually get hooked, and here’s how to deal with it.

By Dennis Dauble

Ever been wedged in a lineup of combat fishers and felt drops of water on your neck as someone whizzed a golfball-size piece of cured roe past your face? Cast jigs at a school of rolling pinks from a crowded boat and dodged a steady “thwack” of lead on the gunnel? Yanked on a snag and sent a loose lure flying past your face? Had a pal stick a No. 6 Purple Peril in your shirt collar while they Spey cast in an upriver breeze?

If so, you might relate to the possibility of a bad hookset.

Six decades of fishing has led to two bad hooksets of a personal nature. The first occurred early in the wooing period with my wife. This was before a cellphone in every pocket and $3 cups of coffee, a time when my standard summertime fishing attire was a pair of cutoff jeans and tennis shoes.

Nancy snagged me in the back with a Super Duper while casting for rainbow trout on a remote Blue Mountains lake. But rather than miss the evening bite, we let the lure

Seek immediate medical attention if an unpracticed cast leads to a hook lodged anywhere in the face, like what happened to Dauble’s granddaughter Sofia with this worm-tipped spinner.

(DENNIS DAUBLE)

hang loose. Back home a few hours later, Dad dabbed rubbing alcohol on the point of insertion and made a tiny slice with a razor blade to remove the hook.

The second debacle occurred years later while I blissfully floated down the Columbia River in a oneman rubber raft. The trailing treble hook from a bass plug somehow got embedded in the meat of my thumb. I worked the incriminating hook from side to side (taking breaks between bouts of pain), and eventually freed up enough space between competing muscle fibers to pull the hook out.

RUNS IN THE FAMILY?

A budding angler at the time, my 12-year-old granddaughter Sofia hooked herself in the cheek with a No. 2 Mepps Spinner while she and a friend cast for bass at Lake Washington’s Coulon Beach. When I asked if it hurt, she matter-of-factly replied, “I could feel the worm wiggling on my cheek.”

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What’s known as the “string pull method” of removing a barbed hook involves tying fishing line or other string to the hook shaft, pushing down on the hook and sliding the line down to the bend, and then pulling firmly backwards. (AMY WALGAMOTT)

Sofia was promptly taken to the ER, where they deadened her cheek and surgically removed the lure. The injury did not leave a scar nor permanently damage Sofia’s psyche, but her mom still gets frantic when the event is recalled.

There’s more. This past August, grandson Adam and I hiked up the South Fork Walla Walla River on a 100-degree afternoon when wasps gathered along every seep in the trail. It’s possible Adam became distracted after catching and releasing six trout from a deep hole that swirled in the shade of overhanging alder. While the accident remains difficult to reconstruct, he somehow hooked himself on the tip of his nose with a No. 10 Royal Stimulator. The barb had sunk deep into cartilage tissue and could not be pulled through.

Our choice was to either leave the fly hang like a feathery nose ring or try the “quick jerk” method. Adam opted for the latter. Luckily, the hook came out on the second jerk. Adam now knows to attach a dangling fly to the cork reel seat of his fly rod when not in use. I have vowed to do a better job of crimping down the barb on flies, including days when trout will be kept for the frying pan.

A related story involves a close family friend. As BT tells it, the aberrant hookset occurred when he salvaged a hot tiger-pattern Wiggle Wart from a dead seagull’s mouth.

“I pulled the lure from the bird and used my teeth to snip the excess line, only to find the lure stuck in the bottom of my lower lip!” he explains. “I went into shock. Meanwhile my fishing buddy stood by and laughed at me for looking like a well-hooked salmon. He pulled my upper lip over my nose to evaluate the situation, placed a small Styrofoam bobber between the inside of my lip and gums, and the hook popped right through!”

RESOLVING A BAD HOOKSET

According to the US Eye Injury Registry, fishing accidents cause more eye injuries than basketball, the former leading sports offender. Sharp hooks that travel at high speed can cause severe ocular trauma, penetrating eyelid injury, and possibly lead to blindness. Anglers should seek immediate help if a fish hook is embedded in the eye or face. Medical assistance might also be necessary for a hook that could damage nerves or blood vessels when stuck deep in a joint or muscle.

In many cases, the hook has penetrated the skin and the point is close enough to push through without causing severe pain. In this situation, cut off or pinch down the barb and ease the hook out the way it came in. Embarrassment is likely the only outcome.

Alternatively, if the hook is found embedded in muscle or cartilage tissue and assuming the angler has not gone into shock, you might try the “string pull method.” Tie a piece of string, fishing line or dental floss to the shaft of the hook where it enters the skin. Push down on the eye of the hook until it touches the skin and gently loosen the barb. Slide the knotted string to the bend of the hook and employ a strong yank to pull the barb up and away from the point of insertion. Once things settle down, apply antiseptic to the point of injury. Administer a pain reliever or an ice pack and consider getting a tetanus shot.

More often than not, a bad hookset can be resolved without permanent injury. Which brings us to preventative action. Polarized sunglasses should be worn while fishing, not only for UV protection, but to prevent or reduce risk of injury from a bad hookset. Wearing a hat and shirt or jacket also helps keep errant hooks from penetrating the skin. Elevate your awareness when fishing alone and practice effective personal distance when fishing with others. Don’t let a bad hookset ruin a good day on the water. NS

Editor’s note: Dennis Dauble is author of four books about fish and fishing, including his recent award-winning collection of short stories, Bury Me With My Fly Rod. His website is DennisDaubleBooks.com.