Tips and Advice

Band-Aids for a Quick Fix

It's not really funny, rather ironic that a small cut can keep you from fishing. When you cast long enough and hard enough you can develop small cuts on that all-important forefinger. It doesn't matter if you're left or right-handed. If you can't use that first finger you might as well not be there at all. Sometimes, when casting as hard as surfcasters you can actually bleed from the cuts fishing lines leave on wet fingertips. Athletic band-aids are perfect for protecting cut fingertips. When you buy them be sure to take the gauze off leaving just the adhesive portion; this is important because of the necessity of retaining sensitivity of balancing line you're about to cast. Before putting on the band-aid be sure that there's nothing in the cut. The quick fix will work for sometime, however, if it too gets wet then it will tear just like the tips of fingers so have more than one band-aid with you. It's hard to know when and where you'll need them so make sure to take a small box with you wherever you go by putting them in the bottom of the tackle box, or the back of your' fishing vest. It is possible to get fingertip wounds on bright sunny days, which is why you should have them with you at all times. At the end of the day, before heading home, take the time to change the band-aid, but instead of taking off the gauze leave it on. When you're not fishing the only sensitive thing you need to worry about is how long it will take for the wound to heal. This is a great quick tip to keep you into fish when otherwise you wouldn't be able to.

© Timothy Kusherets 2005/07