Fish Hook Removal 

Fishing is a great sport not void of its own injuries.

To remove fish hooks when impaled past the barb, follow these steps:

	Press firmly on the eye of the hook.
	At the same time use a cloth, string, or some type of wrap that can be wrapped around the curved portion of the hook.
	While pressing on the eye, pull with one quick motion on the attached cloth. This is virtually painless.
	Irrigate the wound and bandage.

When a fish hook is in an unlikely location such as the face, it is NOT advisable to use the above technique. The pull and jerk method above would cause more pain. It is well advised to remove a fish hook in a sensitive area by anesthetizing the area and slowly maneuvering the hook out of the entrance hole. In the outdoors, if available, one can use ice, or liquid Benadryl as an anesthesia before removing the hook. Always remember to clean and irrigate the wound and make sure your tetanus is updated. 

For more information about surviving outdoors, please check Survive Outdoors’ website www.surviveoutdoors.com.

—Eleanor Peterson—