Eric this is going to sound like a big fish story but I promise it is true. I was wading a creek fishing for smallmouth by myself a few years ago and caught a nice 2.5 - 3 lb SM in water up to my thighs I lipped him and he decided he did not want to wait. I ended up with two of the three barbs in my had with the SM still attached to the other hook flopping like crazy. I finally got ahold of him there I was rod under my arm, fish in one hand and a hook in the other. I eased over to the side sat down in the waters edge placed the fish between my knees held him with my knees took my wire cutters and cut the hook holding the fish and let him fall into the water. I used the looped fishing line to remove the hook, both barbs at the same time, So it does work.

Now for the really wild part caught the same fish two days later at the same riffle still had the portion of the hook I cut in is mouth. I removed all of the hooks and let him go.