Unhooking hooks

[The Compleat Angler]

Depends where the fish is hooked and what type of hook.

If in the lip, I firt try to remove the hook with my fingers, if it won’t come out easily, I use forceps, if that doesn’t work, I just cut the hook with side cutters. If hooked in the scissors, it’s nearly always forceps, when they get hook in the scissors, although the hold in the cartilage can be very firm, it’s seldom deep. So the hook should come out with forceps. I’ve only rarely caught the odd carp that has been deep hooked, extreme care is needed when unhooking these type of hook holds.

[yonny]

11 hours ago, Dez Animaux said:

Barbed hooks shuld be removed carefully with FORCEPS only.

I disagree bud. IMO it is far more precise using your hands.

With your hands you can apply pressure to the eye with your thumb and just roll the hook out with little or no damage,. With forceps you're ripping the barb through the flesh imo.

When using forceps the slightest movement of the hand can result in significant movement of the forcep tips, which in turn means significant movement of the embedded hook and barb. I only use them when I'm really, really struggling by hand.

[nigewoodcock]

Just now, yonny said:

I disagree bud. IMO it is far more precise using your hands.

With your hands you can apply pressure to the eye with your thumb and just roll the hook out with little or no damage,. With forceps you're ripping the barb through the flesh imo.

When using forceps the slightest movement of the hand can result in significant movement of the forcep tips, which in turn means significant movement of the embedded hook and barb. I only use them when I'm really, really struggling by hand.

Same. 

[yonny]

1 hour ago, Dez Animaux said:

So how can your thumb ''roll'' the barb out but the forceps are ''ripping'' it out?

Place your thumb on the eye and your index finger on the opposite of the bend/point against the skin/flesh. You push gently with your thumb while maintaining position of the flesh with the index finger. This disengages the barb from the flesh hence little or no tearing occurs as the hook is pushed out.

It's not possible to do that with forceps bud, it tears the flesh on the barb.

[yonny]

7 hours ago, Dez Animaux said:

 

If in doubt try removing one from your finger mate!

Been there, got the t shirt lol.

7 hours ago, Dez Animaux said:

I would 100% prefer a hook in my finger plucked out quickly and neatly with forceps working in a focussed manner popping the hook out the way it went in, than teased out gently and agonisingly with a fat carp angler's dirty, clumsy fingers.

I guess if you have dirty, clumsy fingers you're better off with forceps bud.

Each to their own and all that. I know I can remove a hook significantly more cleanly with my jim dandys than I can with the pliers.

[commonly]

14 hours ago, yonny said:

I guess if you have dirty, clumsy fingers you're better off with forceps bud

That's me, but I'll only use forceps if the hook has been swallowed, not that that's been a carp. Bream & pike! 

 

21 hours ago, Dez Animaux said:

most exclusive and strictest venues I know insist on forceps and will ban you

These type of rules, along with waders from another thread, really get my goat! I make it a rule to not fish venues with pointless (& barbless) rules!

& I fish some of the countries top venues. 

[greekskii]

On 16/10/2018 at 12:55, Dez Animaux said:

You don't just pull it out, you turn the forceps neatly and the hook just pops out, simple and neat

by ripping the flesh to create a larger hole that the barb will pull out easier from? 

 

On 16/10/2018 at 12:55, Dez Animaux said:

Personally I hate barbed hooks and feel that a beaked point barbless hook, which don't slip, should be compulsory. But at least barbs have gotten infinitely smaller over the years, and microbarbs don't do much damage

100% beaked point barbless hooks slip, as so every other barbless hook. You can disagree but I've witnessed it with my own eyes. 

 

Using fingers as Yonny said you 'pop' the hook out. minimal extra damage to the surface tissue. your way of turning the hook with forceps damages the deep tissue AND surface tissue. IMO thats worse than surface tissue damage only. 

 

On 16/10/2018 at 12:55, Dez Animaux said:

If in doubt try removing one from your finger mate!

I'd much rather pull a barbed hook out of my finger with the method I unhook the fish I catch than turning the barb inside my flesh and then ripping it out, it would hurt SO much more. 

[cyborx]

53 minutes ago, Dez Animaux said:

cheerio

shame, i was getting into this topic, for what its worth i use both forceps and fingers.

fingers to roll out a hook that is nicely in the lips and forceps for that rogue hook that gets taken a little to far back to get a thumb and finger on comfortably.

there is a genuine reason for both (imo) and a time for both to come into their own.

some people just wont be told tho, fyi my EXCLUSIVE venue does not insist on the use of forceps but waders? yes, for a good reason tho i would say that some of the more ridiculous rules come about thru personal preference of the more influential committee members playing God