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Bryan Briggs
03-29-2005, 02:51 AM
Done this before? On Sunday, I was fishing a tandem rig when I hooked up on the bottom fly. While trying to release the fish, it slipped out of my hand back into the stream, impaling my ring finger with the top fly. Fish is doing it's best to get away... head shaking, flipping. Your finger does not make a good three weight... I was able to break the fish off after a couple of attempted runs by grabbing the tippet between my finger and the fish and lifting. Thank god for smashed barbs!
Mason
03-29-2005, 03:04 AM
Here is one for ya....

Tying on my flies one day on the river. Got the top fly on, tied some tippet to the bend and put that fly in my mouth while I tie the second fly to the tippet section. Finish tying the fly on and forget to spit the first out. Cast the rig, right into the lip. Forgot to crush the barbs first.
Sumner Newman
03-30-2005, 04:27 PM
I had exactly the same thing happen to me about 6-7 years ago while fishing a favorite still water. (Oh my heck - did I say still water!? Heaven forbid!) It was a good fish and he drove that second fly well into my finger. But, thanks to the fact that I carefully and fully bend down all the barbs on my hooks before putting the hook in the tying vice, I like you escaped what would have otherwise been a traumatic and painful experience. It slid out easily with no pain.

Barbless is definitely the way to go, if for no other reason than these types of experiences. In addition however, and despite what some others might say, I also believe that barbless hooks benefit the fish, if you are releasing.
Telefish
04-03-2005, 10:13 PM
Been there, done that, multiple times. Now I always use a net when unhooking fish on tandem rigs - regardless of how small the fish is.

Mason, ouch! I have a habit of using my teeth to finish off my tippet to fly knot. This is all fine except that I also have a habit of fishing with my giant puppy. And he has a habit of walking into my fly line while I'm tying on flies. I know that one of these days I'm going to to get a fly in the lip. Stupid habits are hard to change!