Great pictures; just what the doctor ordered for a cold winter day!
I too have run afould of the "trouble hooks" except that mine went through my thumb and into the bone. Garlien and I tried for hours to extract it, and 6 beers and 8 Motrin later we finally gave up.
We cut it off at the skin and the rest of the hook is still in my hand.
...Just kidding.....I went to the nighttime doc place and they took it out. But my ending sounds way cooler than reality.
Threaded Mode