Forty-two-inch pike exacts its revenge

Scott Griffin and the pike are both smiling

Vegas ER staff patched him up AFTER viewing fish pics

Oh, man. That's got to hurt!

It ended like an Ernest Hemingway story. Scott Griffin made what was going to be his last cast of the trip when his lure was engulfed by the largest fish of the week -- a 42-inch northern pike.
There was the see-saw battle between Scott and the behemoth with the drag singing and the fisherman reeling in line. Finally, there was the landing, the photo op and the release except it wasn't exactly that easy. It never is in a Hemingway story.
The landing is where the saga took an entirely different twist.
While unhooking the pike it flopped and drove one of the free hooks deep into Scott's finger. Both fish and fisherman were then attached to the same lure. In trying to get Scott loose, the hook was cut off the treble. It then promptly disappeared into his finger tip.
Back at camp we remove lots of fish hooks from anglers every summer; however, the hook needs to be on the exterior of the skin. Since Scott was leaving for home the next day, he opted to get the necessary surgery back state-side.
I'll let his e-mail take it from here:

"I though I'd share with you the hospital ER visit I had to make once I returned to Las Vegas.  As soon as we were picked up from the airport, my girlfriend dropped my brother at the house and then she took me to the ER.  Fortunately, the ER was not busy at all, and I was seen within a few minutes.  The ER staff was amazed at what happened, but more excited at the fish that did this to me....I showed the pics.

The first procedure was a digit block (numbed my finger). A Lidocaine and Marcaine shot was administered to totally numb my finger.  Then came the fluoroscope which Methylin Blue was administered to located the hook. Next I was taken back to the ER room where the doc sliced open the finger and extracted the hook.  Two stiches were needed to close up the wound and then I was given a Tetanus shot, Keflex, and hydrocodone.  Attached are the pics from the procedure...along with the 42" Pike that had his revenge.  Hopefully it's big enough to grace the wall of the lodge...lol"

Aye, Scott. Your pictures made the wall. I also left copies down at the lakeshore for you-know-who!