Here's what Gringo sent .....I did a simple copy...paste but it won't do the diagrams...
Removing Fish Hooks
By Chris Tyler
?Youch!? is the thought that immediately comes to mind when I think of fish hooks embedded in skin. Hooks are nasty little beggars that are designed to stick into flesh easily and well, without coming out, but are not meant for human flesh. A deeply stuck fish hook can ruin anyone?s day out and I have seen it happen all too often. It is a nuisance, and very painful at best. At worst it can be a serious injury. There are first aid packs available especially for hook removal, but in my opinion the most valuable item in them is the instructions, so I?ll give you that here for free.
I must emphasise that when I am talking about hook removal in this article, I am only thinking about the smallish 16-10 fly hooks and bait hooks/trebles around 5/0 or less, normally stuck into a finger, toe, or ear lobe. Don?t try my advice on great game hooks stuck in your mate?s arm. While the same general principles in removal apply, larger hooks are more likely to involve underlying structures and require anaesthesia and surgical techniques by a doctor. Similarly, if the hook is near or in an eye, or bleeding is severe, or you think that the wound will require stitches or it is numb or white, or the hook is really deeply embedded, please just bandage it up and go to trained medical aid.
In your first aid kit or boat, you should have, as well as bandages and eye pads, some form of artery forceps or clamp to hold the hook, some string, disinfectant wash, and you will also need some type of wire cutter or multi tool.
Identify the type of hook that is embedded before you do anything. If it is embedded in your mate, then he might have to give you a similar hook so you know what you are dealing with. Remember, it?s buried in his flesh so you can?t tell much about barbs and so on. Three commonest types are as follows: Single barbed hook; Multi-barbed or baitholder type hook; and barbed trebles and ganged hooks.
Diagram 1: Types of fish hooks
A. Simple single barbed hook.
B. Multi barbed or bait holder hook.
C. Treble.
Single hooks can be tied together to form ganged hook systems for large baits.
Protect yourself
Take caution with these little things, as they very easily stick straight into the rescuer as well. Wear safety glasses, disposable gloves, and keep the hook secured so it doesn?t cause a secondary injury on removal. Tape up other hooks that are outside the flesh, like on a treble, which will usually embed only one hook. Unattached treble prongs or ganged hooks should be cut off. Also remove the lure part of a hard body, fishing line, bait or anything else that is now attached to the injury site. Wash with an antiseptic.
Hook removal is easiest where the skin is taut, like a hand or foot. On a neck or in an ear lobe you may be able to stretch the skin tight, but bear in mind that the procedure will be more difficult in these locations.
Methods
1. Retrograde technique
This is the simplest and most painless method and works best with barbless and superficially embedded barbed hooks. Apply downward pressure to the shank which will rotate the hook slightly deeper but also disengages the barb portion from tissue, and allows you to ?back out? the hook along the path of entry. If you feel resistance from the barb catching then you should try another method.
Diagram 2: Retrograde technique:
Rotate the hook backwards while applying downward pressure to the shank to release the barb from tissue.
2. String-Yank technique
This one is a little more complex to do but is more effective in the field. Small to medium deeply embedded hooks often will come out with this method but only on fixed areas of skin. Loose skin such as on faces, necks and ear lobes will need to be kept taut and do not respond as well.
Wrap a string around the midpoint of the bend, and hold the free ends tightly. Stabilise the skin area so it is tight. Depress the eye and shank of the hook with your other hand as in the retrograde technique, but keep the shank parallel to the tightened skin, and apply a firm, quick jerk to the string while maintaining downward pressure. As the hook could exit at speed, caution is required.
Diagram 3: String-yank technique.
1. Tie a lie or string to bend of hook.
2. Apply downward pressure to shank of hook to release barb.
3. Quickly pull string in opposite direction of entry to remove hook.
3. Needle cover technique
This technique is more for trained medical people as skin preparation and local anaesthesia is required. However, I put it in here in case you are on a trawler 50 kilometres out to sea with a good first aid kit and some 18g needles, and feeling partial to a bit of DIY surgery.
With this method the needle is advanced along the path of entry of the hook until the bevel is level with the hook point. The hook is then advanced to disengage the barb and twisted so that the barb enters the lumen of the needle, and the whole lot is removed together. If necessary this can also be done with a sterile scalpel blade as the incision makes room for the barb to back out. I must stress that as this is an invasive procedure and some tissue damage is inevitable, and it is not for untrained use.
Diagram 4: Needle cover technique
4. Advance and cur technique
This one too is generally for trained medical personnel, as additional trauma to surrounding tissue will be incurred. It will also require skin preparation and anaesthetic. However, the general principle is worth knowing as the same surgical technique can be employed for stubborn little hooks that are embedded with their point close to the skin surface.
With single barb hooks, grip the shank with forceps or pliers and advance the hook so that the point pokes through the skin. Cut off the barbed point of the hook and back it out through the entry point.
With multi barbed or baitholder hooks, a similar method is employed but the hook cannot be backed out due to the barbs along the shank, so it is pushed through the surface of the skin and continues to be advanced through the skin after the eye has been removed by wire cutters.
Diagram 5: Advance and cut, single barb.
Advance and cut technique ? single barb
1. Advance hook through skin
2. Remove barb with wire cutters
3. Back out hook through point of entry.
Diagram 6: Advance and cut, multi barb:
1. Advance hook through skin
2. Remove eye with wire cutters
3. Pull remaining portion of hook through wound created by advancing the point.
Wound care
Inspect the wound for foreign bodies such as bait or hook fragments, and ensure you have the entire hook out if you have cut any of it. Wash with antiseptic, and bandage. As a general rule antibiotics are not usually given unless a deep wound has resulted or other structures such as tendon or bone are involved. Tetanus toxoid is usually required though if your last booster was five years or more ago. If it becomes painful or inflamed see your doctor.
Prevention
Always better than cure - especially on yourself!
As with all things, a little thought beforehand can help avoid a painful mishap that would dampen your enthusiasm for a great fishing trip.
My number one hint is to remove or flatten all barbs. They serve very little purpose in keeping the hook in the fish; it is the tight line that does that. In fact, many experts claim that unbarbed hooks enter the fish?s mouth easier and deeper. There are also scientific studies that report no fish catching advantage in using barbed hooks. Barbless hooks aid catch and release fishing with improved survival rates.
From your own point of view, barbless hooks will ruin a lot less clothing, carpet and boat upholstery without affecting your fishing results. As well, if you stick one in your pinky it will pop out a lot easier and not ruin your trip, so flatten those barbs, and make your mates do the same.
The other valuable asset to protect is your eyes. Eye injury from hooks is very common and potentially blinding, so wear glasses at all times when fishing or casting. Wear gloves if you can. Sungloves are a good idea anyway, and I find mine aid in fish handling too. Lastly, wear shoes, as hooks through feet are extremely painful and debilitating.
Hint - flatten those barbs, and make your boat a ?barbless boat.?
Hint ? pack wire cutters, string, and forceps as well as first aid gear.
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