FISHING THE PACIFIC 



Flying gaflF. The flying, or detachable, gaff hook falls out 

 of its handle when driven into a fish, and is attached to from 

 ten to twenty-five feet of line. The reason for using this type 

 of gaff is that it prevents serious injury to a boatman while he 

 is handling a wild or lively fish alongside the boat. 



Bale hook. A large gaff that is held in the hand, or else with 

 two or three feet of rope attached to it, usually used to pull a 

 fish's tail out of water. 



Persuader. A round blunt instrument, usually made of hick- 

 ory, for subduing billfish, sharks, barracuda or other bad actors, 

 when they misbehave alongside the boat after the boatman has 

 the leader or when they become unruly in the cockpit. Rolling 

 pins and sawed-off baseball bats also are commonly used. 



Rod belt. This is fastened around the fisherman's waist to 

 hold the butt of his rod. 



Cimbal. The socket placed in the fighting chair to hold the 

 rod butt. 



Fighting chair. On most of the boats that have more than 

 one fishing chair there is usually one of special design, placed in 

 the center of the stern, called the fighting chair. The majority of 

 them have foot rests. 



Fighting flag. This is a red flag that is hoisted to show other 

 boats that an angler is fighting a fish, and to warn them to keep 

 their distance. 



Prize flags. Other types of flags, generally flown after a 

 major game fish such as marlin, broadbill, tuna or sailfish has 

 been boated. 



Outriggers. Long poles made of bamboo or spruce, extend- 

 ing out from twenty-five to sixty feet on each side of the boat. 

 The angler's fine runs from his rod tip to a clothespin fastened 

 to the outrigger clothespin line, at the end of the outrigger. From 



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