How to Extract a Fish Hook From Skin

You spent hours getting to a secret spot. Peering around a branch, you see a big one swimming to the surface. Envisioning a perfect cast, you raise your rod. You can already imagine reeling this monster in as the hook sinks into your skin and brings you back to reality. The solution to this problem isn't pretty, but it's better than the alternatives.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Knife
• Wire Cutters
• Wire cutters

1. 

   Inspect your wound. Fish hooks have a barb, a backward-facing point that prevents them from being pulled free. If the hook isn't embedded up to the barb, you can simply pull it out. If the hook is embedded past the barb (see A), resist the urge to pull on the line. This will be more painful than following the steps below.

2. Cut the line with a knife at any convenient spot to free yourself from the fishing pole. Set your pole and any other gear on the ground.

3. Using wire cutters, clip the head off the hook, leaving part of the shaft visible. The head is the circular part that the line ties to.

4. 

   Push the point of the hook through the skin in a curved path that brings it to the surface in the shortest possible distance (see B). Once the point is visible, the hook can be pulled out in the same direction. This sounds gruesome, but it's the least disruptive way to remove the hook.

Tips & Warnings

• Avoid pulling on the line. Any pulling will only set the hook deeper.

• An embedded fish hook is a potential source of infection. Treat the wound with an antiseptic solution as soon as possible.

• A deeply embedded hook means a trip to the nearest doctor.