pike unhooking gloves

[The Flying Tench]

Thanks everyone

 

J

[JV44]

Personally like the tingle affect of the mini Cutts off the rakers when I jump in warm radix bath ,if it stings on the fingers it means I have had a good day .

May have a go at the syndicate bit John or one of the weirs if you fancy meeting up

[Andy_1984]

surgical gloves I imagine would make a fish quite slippery ?

[philocalist]

surgical gloves I imagine would make a fish quite slippery ?

I would imagine that surgical gloves are routinely used successfully in all sorts of slippery situations far more challenging than handling a fish, no? Having said that, the product I mentioned is designed to enhance handling whilst preventing punctures from hypodermic needles.

[corydoras]

Sorry guys - I feel it should be pointed out that most butchers / boning / filleting gloves are not really up to the job when trying to avoid damage from a pike whilst unhooking. You should also be considering the safety of the fish, and many of them will tangle gill rakers way too easily ... and whilst they are very good at stopping fingers being lopped off by a long sharp blade, most are a fairly loose weave (even the 'metal' mesh ones) that is naff-all use in prevnting puncture wounds from the teeth of a pike, which seem capable of penetrating most things. Treble hooks are potentially an even bigger hazard, particularly if you have a loose flier, or are lure fishing ... or chinning out a pike.

 

Thing is, there ARE products that work well, cost little more and just need a bit of hunting down. Lindy make a very good glove - the Fish Handler, which will stop virtually all teeth puntures and cuts, buy may be a bit awkward to track down in the UK (though I suspect Google will throw them up in specialist predator shops)

Chad Cains Pike Glove can usually be found for about £12 in the UK - again it does a good job, but their 'Muskie' version is a safer bet if you can locate one.

If anyone really feels the need there is also an excellent range of gloves avalable from Hexarmor, where to a large degree you can choose from quite a big range to give you the desired combination of puncture resistance and cut resistance; whether or not they are waterproof, or even insulated ... but you get what you pay for / pay for what you want! :-)

 

'None if you can' is often trotted out - ok if you can get away with it, but let's be honest - if an angler has caught many pike, he usually carries the scars to prove it! My own viewpoint is that whilst 'no gloves' may be an option chosen by many, I'd rather avoid the cuts and scrapes that leave you wide open to the potential problem of Weils Disease, which is a real nasty and present at most angling venues, courtesy of the resident rat population.

 

Final bit of advice - if you DO go the glove route, make sure you get a size big enough to slip on and off your hand fairly easily ... and be aware that you are buying a single glove, not a pair, so keeping your hands warm is not their primary function :-)

http://www.thefriendlyfisherman.co.uk/section17106/product3154/LINDY-FISH-HANDLING-GLOVE.html