GAFF. 17 



For the convenience of carriage, and to avoid 



O ' 



breaking or bending, you should have what are 

 termed, " return handles ;" that is, handles 

 screwed on with a large headed screw, which, 

 when the reel is out of actual use, you can, with 

 your fingers, readily take off, and reversing it, 

 put the ivory handle over the plate and screw it 

 down in that position. If, from economy, you 

 prefer one for salmon with a plain axis, a reel of 

 three inches and a quarter diameter across the 

 plates, and one inch and three-eighths between 

 them, will very well carry a sixty yard line, 

 the substance I mention ; and another half 

 inch in diameter will afford ample room for 

 twenty yards more. 



GAFF. --Your gaff hook should be without a 

 barb, and of tough-tempered, well-pointed steel, 

 but not too large ; try its temper before buying 

 it. Some have on the back a kind of sharp 

 curved blade or scythe lying flat with a lateral 

 hinge, used for cutting branches whereto your 

 line or hook may have taken a liking. The whole 

 should be attached by a strong screw into a brass 

 socket, on the head of a stick, about two feet 

 six inches long. This you may sling over your 

 shoulder upon a leather strap and swivel hook, 

 and can fish with it in that position without 

 inconvenience. In lieu of this stick, however, 

 many have a brass telescope handle, not unlike 



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