I called my wife at Kalama River Bait and Tackle this afternoon. She told me she just had a guy drop off another anglers rod, vest and fish. The angler who owned the gear was on his way to the hosptital to have a hook removed from his eye. From what she was told it doesnt look too good for the guy, the hook was imbedded in his eyeball.
Always wear some sort of eye protection, I always try to wear my Polarized sun glasses. Besides helping me see in the water they protect against flying lead, swivels, hooks, flies etc.
Rememeber you only get 2 eyes, try to keep them!
If any of you know the guy who was injured, Tell him his gear is safe and it is at the store.

Ouch, that sucks. Remember to always look behind you before you cast, I do. Maybe somebody wasn't looking before they pitched and hooked the poor guy. Damn, it just makes me cringe to think about where he was hooked. I've seen it in the ear, but...

I always fish with polarized sunglasses. I have seen a couple guys catch split shot and sinkers in the eye, and one guy ended up losing his sight from it. His line was hooked on some bed rock, gave it the old heave ho, and it was like a 22 bullet going right at his eye. The lenses on the glasses would have slowed it down enough for him to be OK. It's a fact, as my glasses saved me from the same thing a couple years ago. Fishin is fun, but not worth losing your eye sight over.

I've never caught a hook in the eye, but I did get one in the cheek a few years back. The hook went in and came right on out the other side. All we could do was cut the hook point off with some side cutters and then pull it back through. It hurts like a Mofo! I could only imagine what a hook in the eyeball must feel like. Fortunately, I always wear glasses. Just goes to show, you can never be too carefull.

That suck's.Good luck,
STRIKE ZONE

The update on Phillip, is that he is doing well. He had to be rushed to OSU because the Dr.'s here couldnt deal with it. After surgery he stopped by here to pick up his gear and of course his fish, and he said he felt pretty good. They said he should regain full eye sight in that eye.
Best of luck to Phillip, and I hope to see you back on the river soon!!!

Sandra
Kalama River Bait & Tackle

[ 09-05-2001: Message edited by: NW_rvrbank_Babe ]

Toutle river summer run fishing about 1978/79. Coming out of the canyon on the main river I witnessed a fisherman loose his eye. Blood running everywhere. Seems he had hung up and was looking at where it was in the river as he backed up the bank to break off. The leader snapped and the lead flew from the river like a bullet and hit him in the eye. Today he wares a patch. I learned allot that day about how the best day fishing can be worse than the worst day at work.

Glad to hear the guy is doing good and wont lose his eyesight. But, he came in the same day after he had went through this whole ordeal? Wow, what a tough fisherman! BTW, did the guy say if the hook was really right in his eyeball? Ouch.

Say, wasn't there a guy that fished the E. Fork Lewis up by Lucia Falls years ago that had lost an eye due to flying lead? Does anybody remember this guy? Never met him, just heard stories about him.

I was at the Quilcene on Sunday and watched as one of the young snaggers yanked and missed and the illegal spoon with a trebble and barbs he was using flew out of the water and imbedded in his arm past the barb....that kids was in some pain. I always wear my polarized glasses when fishing, especially in a combat zone.

Phil came in yesterday and was back on the river.
The hook did go right into his eye and it went throught the whites and tore his cornia.
he is in good spirits, and couldnt wait to hit the river again. He is a true die hard fisherman.