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Information and How To Gaffing Fish.
How to Gaf a Fish But where am I wandering to?, I started at gaffing salmon, and I find myself now describing the catching and eating o/ half a dozen troutlings, whose united ounces would not have outweighed a Devonshire peel. . . . Let me for the sake of consistency finish where I began, and end this part of my notes on Tackle with a few practical hints on the subject of Gaffs and How to Gaff a Fish. To the novice, at any rate, they may not be altogether useless. And first as to Gaffs : All sorts of mechanical deformities are manufactured, and sold in the tackle shops, as ' gaffs,' of which a good example is seen in the turned-out point of a facsimile of a gaff bought of a well-known London tackle-maker shows the correct shape, arrived at by the application of the same simple principles of mechanics already discussed in regard to ordinary fish hooks. How to Gaff a Fish The skilful use of the gaff, besides demanding special quali ties, can only be acquired in perfection by actual practice, and circumstances 'beyond one's control' are constantly occurring which of necessity make their own laws, and the best-considered system inapplicable. The following are, however, a few axioms that can be safely formulated as general guides. - Never extend your gaff until ready to strike, and make no half-attempts. These 'feints' scare the fish and often cut the line. The gaff-handle should be unvarnished.
- Under ordinary circumstances do not attempt to gaff a fish that is more than a foot below the surface, nor until he is pretty fairly spent. The best position is when he is ' broad side on,' but often, of course, you must gaff whenever you can.
- The ' proper ' place to gaff is between the head and the dorsal fin.
- The critical moment having arrived, rapidly, but at the same time steadily, extend your gaff over and beyond the back of the fish, bringing it down gently but swiftly. Then a short sharp jerk from the wrist and elbow will drive in the gaff with out prematurely frightening the fish or endangering the tackle.
After landing the fish, whether by net or gaff, the next point is to carry him.
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