James RickardGaffs in Pennsylvania?????
December 14th 2008 03:04
I was doing some Holiday shopping last night and stopped in a local sporting goods store. Although it's December, I decided to check out the fishing gear just to see if there was anything new.
I couldn't tell if what I saw was new or if they were just pulling the old retail trick of rearranging old merchandise. None the less, something did catch my eye. There among the tackle boxes and fly gear was a gaff.
I couldn't tell if what I saw was new or if they were just pulling the old retail trick of rearranging old merchandise. None the less, something did catch my eye. There among the tackle boxes and fly gear was a gaff.
Here are a couple of colorful offerings from Bass Pro Shops.
Maybe you don't know what a gaff is because they're not used for freshwater fishing. A gaff is basically a pole with a hook at the end. Saltwater anglers use them to latch on to big fish like marlin or sharks to pull them into the boat. If someone knows what they are doing, a fish can be gaffed with little harm. However, gaffing usually means a wound that never heals and should only be done to fish you intend to keep.
Although there are short models available, gaffs are often found in lengths from about three feet to over twelve feet. The idea being that a gaff should be long enough to enable you to reach out from a boat and into the water. The accompanying photo illustrates some of the more colorful models. Gaffs are often plain aluminum rods with a hook at the end.
I'm not crazy about the idea of using gaffs but it's like gutting a deer after a kill. It's part of the sport and it has to be done.
At the risk of sounding preachy, I'll just say if have no problem if it's done correctly!
"Correctly" is the key phrase here. Today's landing nets are larger than they used to be. On the other hand, I wouldn't try to net a 500 pound shark!
All I know is that there are no sharks, marlin, or even tarpon in Pennsylvania. So , why were they selling that gaff?
Here's a good article about gaffing from Bass Pro Shops.
Although there are short models available, gaffs are often found in lengths from about three feet to over twelve feet. The idea being that a gaff should be long enough to enable you to reach out from a boat and into the water. The accompanying photo illustrates some of the more colorful models. Gaffs are often plain aluminum rods with a hook at the end.
I'm not crazy about the idea of using gaffs but it's like gutting a deer after a kill. It's part of the sport and it has to be done.
At the risk of sounding preachy, I'll just say if have no problem if it's done correctly!
"Correctly" is the key phrase here. Today's landing nets are larger than they used to be. On the other hand, I wouldn't try to net a 500 pound shark!
All I know is that there are no sharks, marlin, or even tarpon in Pennsylvania. So , why were they selling that gaff?
Here's a good article about gaffing from Bass Pro Shops.
Until next time--watch yourself and watch your line!
image from basspro.com
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