If the hook is just barely in the skin—say, dangling like a bad earring—your best bet is the string-yank trick. It sounds like a magic trick, but it’s real. Take a length of fishing line or shoelace, loop it around the bend of the hook, and press down on the shank (the straight part) to disengage the barb.
Now, here’s the fun part: yank fast and parallel to the skin. Not toward the sky, not toward your buddy’s face. Parallel. You want the hook to slide out like a greased weasel. If you hesitate, you won’t get it out; you’ll just look like you’re practicing interpretive dance with a fishhook. Do it quick, and it’s over. The hook pops out, and you feel like a wizard who just pulled a rabbit out of a hat—minus the rabbit, plus a tiny hole.
