Anyone who’s spent enough time on the water knows that accidents can happen when you’re around the sharp hooks, tools, and fish teeth associated with fishing. Of course, no one intends to get injured, but it does happen now and then. It is for this reason that anglers should keep a fishing-specific first aid kit on hand. Today we’ll take a closer look at some of the items that every fishing first aid kit should contain.
Scissors – Handy for cutting bandages, but be sure to use a separate, sterile pair for first aid.
Medical tape – Strong and adhesive, it’s useful in a variety of emergencies.
Bandages/Band-Aids – From small cuts and blisters to deeper slices and bleeding, bandages, gauze, and Band-aids in a variety of shapes and sizes can be irreplaceable.
Alcohol swabs – Great for cleaning keeping bacteria found in the water from invading minor cuts, scrapes or pokes and becoming infected.
Hemostat – An item that’s gained popularity as a hook remover, it can also be used to remove hooks from your skin, or hold a sewing needle if someone suffers a deeper laceration.
Tweezers – Great for splinters or stingers from bees.
Pain relief medicine – Whether it’s Tylenol, Motrin, or Advil, some form of pain relief is a great solution to aches, sores, or headaches when you’re far from shore.
Allergy relief – Due to the fact that many people don’t know they’re allergic to insects like wasps or fire ants until it’s too late, Benadryl or even an EPI pen are great to have, especially in regions where insect bites and stings are common.
The great thing about all the items listed above is that they easily fit inside in a small storage box or Tupperware container. Furthermore, they’re easy to get ahold of; If you’re nice, the next time you visit the doctor’s office you can talk the nurse out of most of these items. Otherwise, you can pick up kits that contain most of, if not all, the items at your local outdoor retailer.
Feel free to add more items as you see fit, but the ones outlined today make up the core of what your fishing first aid kit should contain. As I’ve said before, accidents happen. Do you want to be prepared for that or do you want to be stuck without a solution?
