I was skipping a fluke around and under the buck brush very early one Saturday morning at Ky Lake last spring when a horse decide to eat a bit. She wrapped me around a stump, branch, tree, whatever and I never could move her. Up comes the trolling motor, down with paddle (all one handed mind you for I was by myself). In after the big girl I go. She is still under water which is exactly where my left hand went searching the dark muddied up water for her. I find the mouth about the same time she decides she is done playing and spits the 3/0 Gamakatsu right into my thumb under the quick and back out the side. Now I am hooked, wrapped around the vegitation. My right hand goes under water and cuts the line to free my hand. For some reason the hook would not penetrate all the way thru to get the barb out the other side, or maybe I was just too big of a wuss to push hard enough, I don't know. Out comes the trusy Leatherman, and I start cutting away the edge of my thumb to get the barb exposed. After a few minutes of surgery, she popped right out. No bandaids, not that they would have done any good, so out comes the duct tape and paper towels to strap her down to help stop bleeding. Changed this "Bandage" several times over the next couple of hours. Ended up having one of my best days that day with several over 3lbs. Never did get stitches but it took forever for the surgical incision to mend. "When in doubt, cut it out"


Tight Lines