Photos below show the aftermath of “billing” a sailfish without wearing gloves. So the answer is rough.
Reminder to self (again!) the bill of a sailfish is abrasive. Very abrasive. Wear a glove when handling one for release.
In my urgency to quickly unhook, revive and release the sailfish, I sometime forget to put on a pair of gloves. The consequences of that is laceration, skin damage and at times minor cuts. Coupled with wet hand/skin and a protective slime on the sailfish that causes skin irritation, doesn’t help.
