Go down to Barlow's, buy a popper kit, build a popper, decide to take it down to the local bass pond at dark to try out and then tie the popper at the truck and start walking out to the pond, holding the popper in one hand, stripping off line with the other hand, waving the rod tip to work line out of the tiptop in preparation for walking up and casting and then step on said fly line and JAM THE HOOK ALL THE WAY INTO YOUR RING FINGER UP TO THE %^&^*() SHANK! And then stand there in the dark, all alone, hoping against all hope that you had mashed the barb down because everyone knows that you always mash the barb down because something might happen and then you might be standing alone in the dark with a popper hook jammed all the way into your finger with the barb that you forgot to mash down and I'll be you-know-whated if I am going to push that thing all the way through! And then get those forceps and clamp on and pull and oh my G*d the barb is not mashed down and then grin with pain and just pull on that @#$%*-*^&% hook until it comes out by main force.

I was fully expecting blood to come gushing forth but by whatever little smidgen of goodness there was I had managed to miss any major blood vessels and it simply trickled. By this point I swore to myself mightily and decided that I was not going to puss out and go home. So I fished for a while. But my heart was not in it anymore. So I went home and dreamt about jamming the hook in my finger. I lay there and forced myself to confront the mental image of the incident over and over until it kinda quit hurting so much.

This morning all I have is a small red dot and a grim determination to never ever ever let any hook get to the vise jaws without mashing it down first.


I've been pretty much distracted and worried by a lot of things lately. I've been using fishing to clear my mind and relax and get away from it. But last night I allowed the worries and problems to creep in and whirl around my head like a storm cloud. So I got stupid and did a stupid thing.

that little red hold doesn't look impressive does it? No, but I can assure you that when that hook was in it, it hurt like all kinds of baby dog emmeffness

Robin as much time as you spend on the net with the rest of us fools why didn't you use the mono trick?

i only fish barbless

Dave, that is a good question.
I was all alone, in the dark and when I thought about the mono trick I could not see how I'd pull it off one-handed. In retrospect I suppose I could have held the tippet (still tied to the hook eye, yay Davy Knot!) in my teeth. But I confess that I was not calm-minded nor clear-headed enough to settle down and really think it through. maybe next time....only there will never be a next time!!!!!!

Oh Robin, I am hurting just reading this. I know the pain you experienced. I did the same thing with a Kastmaster one fine evening while sharpening the dang hooks...drove it all the way in by my fingernail. It hurt like you know what. I tried the mono method, but I was alone and could not do it...I tried it two or three times, and believe me if you don't get it the first time,
your hand is shaking definitely by the second time. I mash most barbs, but not all of them. I haven't mashed any of the ones I buy. Makes me wonder if I should go through all my flies and do that, but I don't want to miss a hook up like Mike said happened to him after mashing barbs. Anyway, sorry that happened to ya. It will make you a bit hook shy from now on, or at least it did me!

well, it's a choice we each must make, "to mash or not to mash" to clumsily steal from the Bard.

steal from the what?

i was attached to a pickerel one time via a raplala bait w/ large treble hooks...i'll show ya the scar some time.

Oh my that really sounds like a terrible experience. I have seen those pickerel get really vicious. One almost got my son last winter. He was a breath away from getting attached to a pickerel while trying to get the lure out of it's mouth! I cannot imagine having that happen. I am personally a chicken when it comes to pickerel. I let my son pull them off for me...yes, I admit it. I heard a description of them turning your hand into hamburger meat, and it really left a big impression on me...mini jaws...lol.

Now you know how the fish feel. Maybe we should quit fishing and join PETA.

Heh, I only wish that my finger was wired like a fish's mouth! It would not have been excruciatingly painful.

Ouch. And I thought it was painful when I tore lead wire off towards the point.

Mashem. Pliers are the first tool I use for a new fly.

I still cannot believe that I let that slip by. At lunch today I sat down and mashed every barb in both of those popper kits. Preemptive strike so to speak.

I like leaving the barbs up, makes for more adventure. Nothing like trying to unhook a 6lb. hybrid and dodging 3 sets of treble hooks at the same time.

six pound hybrid, three sets of treble hooks = priest