Video Pro Tips: Safe, Painless Hook Removal

[Editor’s note: Here’s another one of those evergreen posts that should probably appear every year to ensure folks know how to do this properly. A hook gets buried in every angler eventually.]

A few years ago, we posted a shocking video that shows how to remove a hook stuck in your skin. That video was most notable for the guy actually hammering the hook point in for good measure. For the more squeamish, here’s a much more civilized demonstration of the same technique from photographer Louis Cahill and Georgia fishing guide Capt. Kent Klewein. Together, they produce the Gink and Gasoline blog. The quality of the video is much better in this version, and it’s a skill every angler should know.


This method should not be used with big hooks in sensitive areas.
Photo courtesy Steve Hemkens

6 thoughts on “Video Pro Tips: Safe, Painless Hook Removal”

  1. That’s a very informative video on removing a hook from someone. I’ve been hooked once when I was seven years old by a fly fisherman at Pennsylvania’s famous “Fisherman’s Paradise” near State College. I don’t remember how they removed the fly from my arm, but it wasn’t a good experience.

  2. I do alot of saltwater angling and we have used this same method extensively.We have removed trebble hooks up to 6/0 the same way,so hook size & barb size makes no difference.Well done guys for posting this.

  3. Hmmmm, if you use barbless hooks (as I think every angler should), you can easily just back it out. What goes for the fish goes for the fisher. 🙂

  4. Thanks again for sharing this. It’s definitely beneficial information. I had the extreme pleasure of removing a fly from my friend’s forearm just a couple weeks ago!

  5. I work in an urgent care and this method does work great for when you are in the field thx for sharing have done it many times. But, I carry an 18 g needle and use the retro technique now days. Barbed or not it backs right out the same.

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