GAFFING. 101 



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 fig. i a facsimile of a gaff 

 bought of a well-known London tackle-maker. Fig. 2 shows 

 the correct shape, arrived at by the application of the same 

 simple principles of mechanics already discussed in regard to 

 ordinary fish hooks. [See also remarks and illustration, p. 91.] 



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. 



1. 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. 



2. 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. 



3. The ' proper ' place to gaff is between the head and the 

 dorsal fin. 



4. 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. 



If the catch be a good one, especially of salmon, it is practi- 

 cally out of the question for the fisherman to carry them him- 

 self from place to place and fish at the same time. ' Necessitas 

 non habet legs,' as a friend of mine once dog- latinised it, and 

 these conditions are, of course, also a law unto themselves. 



In trout fishing, or where the spoils are not likely to be 

 weighty, the bank fly- fisher, and also the worm-fisher, will pro- 



