and I wasn’t even fishing. While reaching for something in my garage this morning, I stumbled and quickly grabbed the top of a cabinet to catch myself. I felt a ***** on my middle finger and instinctively pulled back. Unfortunately, it was a treble hook on an old Rapala lure I had carelessly laid there some time back. It was the front hook and the rear hook caught the wood grain so when I snatched my hand back, I buried the barb down into the meat of the pad of my middle finger. Ouch! I tried to pull it out but soon fingered out that wasn?t going to work. I considered the technique of pushing down the eye of the hook and snatching it out with a piece of strong line, but when I got it all set, it looked like there was a good chance I?d bury one of the other hooks somewhere else in my hand. Scratch that idea. I ended up doing the push through and snipping off the barb. I was surprised how tough it was to push the hook through the meat and the skin. That was followed by a quick trip the ER to get a tetanus shot since my last shot was over 25 years ago. Not a great start to the day, but a good reminder why I always pinch down the barbs on all my flies. Anyway, it?s all good and I?ll use this experience to teach my grandkids why barbless is the only way to go.
Jim Smith