1: Pass a looped string, fishing line, or thick suture around the curve of the hook and wrap the end around your dominant hand. 2: Disengage the barb from the tissue by grasping the hook with the thumb and middle finger of your nondominant hand and pressing the hook a few mm into the skin with your index finger. 3: Once the barb is disengaged, sharply pull the hook out with the string. Protect yourself and bystanders from the hook, which often flies out briskly.