Fishing hook protector

When moving to or from a fishing spot, it's common practice to slip the hook into one of the line guides on the rod. Nothing wrong with that practice but it's easy to hook clothing, shrubbery, or oneself with the exposed hook. To avoid such mishaps, find a small plastic box with a snap lid* and fashion a barbless, smooth hook for it (I used a brass cotter pin). Place the fishing hook, fly, lure, etc. in the box and use the barbless hook to attach to the line guide. Crank the reel to snug up the line and move on.

If your fishing party includes children, this tip can save you from hearing a lot of crying. The established procedure for a a hook embedded beyond the barb is to push it through before clipping off the barb; children do not seem to enjoy this procedure.

* Candidates are pill boxes, earplug boxes (one was used in the example photo), or make your own from a short length of plastic piping.

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