Fishing Victoria Forum

I'm preparing to get into fishing-related hiking as it starts to warm up on the other side of winter, and am preparing a big rucksack to allow me to access a few spots that require a bit of a hike to get in. It seems wise to plan for first aid when walking a good distance from a car, which is itself a good distance from help.

Following the advice of my brother, who is a paramedic, I am splitting my first aid kit into two parts:

1) a small IFAK pouch for trauma for the outside of the bag, with a tourniquet, clotting gauze, Israeli bandage, snake bite bandage, gloves, CPR face shield, trauma shears, sharpie and notepad;

and

2) a clear pouch inside the backpack for medication (painkillers, anti-histamines, aspirin), bandaids and dressings, rigid sports tape and soft surgical tape, antiseptic, saline wash, splinter tweezers, scissors.

In the big backpack pouch will be a collapsible or inflatable splint.

So that will handle most of the scenarios that someone with a basic / intermediate first aid qualification could actually do something about, and be helpful to said paramedic when he's there too.

What fishing specific scenarios might require some other special tools or equipment?

For example, if hooked somewhere unintended by a treble or other hook, maybe wire cutters are a good addition to the kit. I have clotting gauze in case a knife slips while filleting or cutting bait. I have painkillers and ice packs in the cold bag for slips and falls, antiseptic and dressings for grazes and small cuts or punctures.

What else has befallen you while fishing, or might conceivably happen and be planned for?

When I was Bowhunting and now for the boat I carry at least 4 elastic bandages .

Side cutters for cutting hooks , artery forceps for removing hooks and steri strips for closing cuts that need suturing

Personally I think first aid kits carry too much of the stuff that just goes crappy over time. Eg 50 cheap rubbish bandaids with zero adhesion.

I've added to mine over the journey and life lessons. I try to keep the weight down so it's not ludicrous.

Here's what I keep in the first aid kit I throw in the boat, I have a similar one in the car and a small unit that I throw in the hunting day trip bag that I think the only other thing I have in is an emergency blanket and a couple bic lighters plus a small zip lock with a couple foil wrapped firelighters.

Israeli bandage is in there simply because it's about a $15 investment in something that could genuinely save your life.
Snake bite kit. (Compression bandage)
Basic other medical stuff. Scissors, steri strips, Medical tape, antiseptic cream.
1 bandage with built in gauze (mad for stemming decent cuts and knicks in a hurry
Mixed box of assorted waterproof bandaids.
Plus these days I keep a zip lock bag of mixed blister pack of the basic meds and stuff plus some thorzt electrolyte sachets. Paracetamol, ibuprofen, gastro stop, telfast, if I could get Endone I would have that in there too.

A couple years ago I was fishing welshpool when I had my first proper injury. I was casting a heavy stickbait over the console of the boat around the 2 others in the boat when it guide wrapped or something and it just pulled me in an awkward angle and my shoulders/neck just let go in a nasty way. I knew I was in trouble but fished out another couple hours and then drove back in. By the time the boat was on the trailer I was rat ****. We ended up at a nearby petrol station buying over priced panadol. Jeez it was a rough trip home. Felt every jolt of that stupid road haha. For the $1 worth of blister packs it's not worth being caught out. I'm waiting for an excuse to convince a doc for codeine or similar to throw some of that in each of the first aid kits.

It sounds like a lot but it really isn't. Fits in a small container. Covers off 90% of whatever you'd need.

Boat has a seperate waterproof tool kit with a dedicated set of heavy side cutters and bypass cutters for any make shift hook/leader surgery where required. Had to rip a fish trap 95 mm buried to the hilt in my hand in nz. Surprised that one didn't blow up with infection.

Maybe PLB.

Sebb wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 19, 2023 7:01 am

Maybe PLB.

Needs to have GPS

Small elastised "Clips" to hold ends of Elactic Bandage in place or a couple of Safety Pins to do same. Iodine patched / Small vile of eye wash.

Agree with sandel - side cutters. Make sure you try them as hooks can be tough blighters. With a hook through your hand you need a quick cut to free it,

The only fishing injury ive ever had is a cut finger from when i casted once , the braid slipped and sliced me open, i now cast with a glove on if i think there is a chance of that happening again. I do hike to spots to fish also, but never carry any of the gear you have mentioned.(call it Ill prepared or an accident waiting to happen lol) One spot i hike to is when it's pitch black dark in the morning, its about a 35min hike. One time on the way back from a session there were 2 massive kangaroos on the hiking trail, thankfully i had my 4.5m gaff to scare em off and protect myself incase otherwise i would have been there a long time and who knows what could have happened if they tried to take me on!. Now that i think of that spot, it would be a good idea to take some rope,(rope can always be useful for many situations) and a life jacket as the spot i hike to is basically rock fishing.

My yak first aid is pretty generic and has cable ties and a few metres of 3mm rope, plus a beanie.

And - not for flesh injuries per se, but I always wear sunnies (and bring a spare pair) and bring a spray bottle of filtered water - to keep salt and sweat out of my eyes or to spray my head to refresh / cool down. Plus it's drinkable water too - on top of my standard 1L that's always with me.