|| |—| || |Photo: Toshbrown.com| When the bite is on, who’s got the time to run to the E.R. to remove a fish hook from an angler? The string-yank method works well on most embedded small to medium-sized hooks. This technique is for minor injuries only and should never be attempted when serious tissue trauma occurs or eye injuries are involved. Here’s how to do it:
1. Wrap a length of sturdy fishing line or string-give yourself enough line to get a grip-around the mid-point of the bend in the embedded fish hook. Make sure there is slack in the line-or, better yet, cut the hook free.
2. Depress the shank of the hook against the skin in order to disengage the barb. Wrap the other end of the line around the index finger of your other hand.
3. Jerk Firmly and quickly on the line or string in the opposite direction that the hook entered the skin while continuing to apply pressure to the shank. Apply an antibiotic ointment and bandage the wound.
Illustrations: Pete Sucheski
