I hesitated to post this pic…but, it is extemely important to have eye protection; something you may ignore in the rain and gloom. Itook a smack in the eye on the Kilchis River a few years ago and was most lucky…My eyeball was scratched and felt bruised for a month. It happened so quick (pulling back on the line with rig in low hanging branch) then …snap>smack…just like that.
Now the treble hooked lure brings to mind two experiences I witnessed this past year on a lake and both had the same risk factors involved: crowded space, spin fisherman, inattentiveness and kids. Both resulted in surprised fathers who caught the child in the lower lip and forearm. Both fathers and daughter/son were not paying attention to the swing of the rod and the lure trailing behind before zinging forward. The trebles (unbarbed of course…don’t want to lose a planter trout) were buried deep. Also, this is not confined to spin fishermen. My son was fishing a canal in the St. Pete/Tampa area a few years ago. The fly fishing was good and the attention was forward. He knew his backcast was safe and all was well…until the drunk staggered into his obvious zone and whamo…buried deep into the calf. The hook was barbed but the drunk insisted on a transport to the hospital to remove the 2/0 monster. Needless to say the hospital bill for the uninsured drunk was in dispute for some time…I did not pay. But, it etched in my kid’s mind the need to always look around regardless of the implement being used. Fly fishermen generally give each other enough space..but on crowded rivers where salmon swim…the common etiquette shrinks and guys wade behind guys slinging heavy concoctions…so watch and sound out walking behing someone…”behind you”…
SwittersB & Exploring 