What’s in Your Fishing First Aid Kit?

Guest Post by Justin Walker

Bass in Michigan. Salmon in Alaska. Rainbow trout in Canada. Cod in the United Kingdom. Carp in Thailand.

Across the globe, fishing is a popular outdoor activity. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations estimates the global number of recreational anglers ranges from a minimum of 220 million to a maximum of 700 million. In the United States, the International Game Fish Association estimates 8.5 million recreational anglers took 194 million fishing trips in 2018.

What’s the appeal? Fishing is a great way to connect to nature and a safe way to get outdoors during a pandemic.

Whether you are new to the sport or a long-time angler, medical and fishing experts have recommendations for the essential you need in your fishing first aid kits.

Patrick Pendergast at The Fly Shop, a leading outfitter, travel agent and retail store said he carries the Northwest River Supply Paddler Medical Kit with him while fishing. “It comes in a waterproof dry bag and has most of the essentials you would need,” he said.

Amy Ray, president of The Sisterhood of the Outdoors, recommends bringing something wire snappers on fishing trips in case you have to push a barb through your finger. “Where we go, you can’t walk out,” she said. “Although we’re most often dealing with cuts and scrapes — a slip of a knife is the most common injury — it’s important to have the basics with you at all times.”

Fishing isn’t as high risk as some sports. “The most frequent injuries are hook related, or falls,” said Jeffrey Weinstein, medical operations supervisor at Global Rescue. He explained that people may be on prolonged fishing expeditions, at sea or in remote areas. “Minor injuries can become big issues if left uncared for while trying to get out of a remote area,” he said.

So what are the essentials for a fishing first aid kit? Here are the top four categories from experts in the field: 

• Basic Wound Cleaning and Care: alcohol wipes, Steri strips, saline rinse, gauze, tape and adhesive bandages, and an ace bandage wrap. 
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): for protection from COVID-19 include non-latex gloves, an appropriate mask, hand sanitizer, and eye protection.  
• Splinting and Hemorrhage Control Equipment: tourniquets, rolled gauze, triangular cravats, a SAM splint, and finger splints. 
• Over-The-Counter Medications: nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs like Ibuprofen), Antiplatelets (aspirin, for possible heart attacks), anti-diarrhea medications, laxatives, rehydration salts, topical creams/steroids/triple-antibiotic, toothache ointment (Orajel), antihistamines, aloe for burns, motion sickness medication, an epi-pen (for anaphylactic emergencies), antiemetics (for nausea – and may require a prescription)

Weinstein recommends vacuum sealing different modules within your fishing first aid kit to protect it from water exposure. “I would vacuum seal a medications module, a bandaging module, and so on. Then I would vacuum seal all the bags. This way if you open one module for something everything else is still protected. I would also carry extra zip-lock bags to seal an opened module,” he said.

Whether you’re fishing close to home or abroad in a remote location, smart anglers will carry a complete fishing first aid kit before their first cast. 

 Justin Walker is Global Rescue’s Fishing Manager and has fished all over the world.