Quote:
Originally Posted by Harry Hill
How long is the handle on the gaff? What is the best size for kayaking?
|
Opinions will vary. It depends on the size of your boat and the distance to the water. I like exploring ideas and building things from scraps laying around my workbench.
For my Outback, I like 32" total length for a normal hook gaff, with a 2 1/2" (2/0) hook. It's compact enough to tuck out of the way on my kayak and it comfortably gives me all the reach I need. I tend to grab that one at the end of the handle with the wrist strap. 1" or 1.25" makes a stout pole size, depending on the size of your hands. Shovel handles work well for strength and the tailored shape fits the hand nicely. I would shave down the excess bulk at the hook end, unless you also want to use the back side of the hook end as a club. Personally, I don't like the idea of clubbing animals. I would rather put them to sleep gently by bleeding them.
Squidco has nice gaff hooks for about $6 and they are nice people. You can get 100' of 550# paracord from amazon prime for $9. That's enough cord for 2 to 4 gaffs, depending on how much ornamental wrapping you want to do. If you only want to wrap the hook, that much paracord will last until you get tired of making gaffs.
I've never made a straight gaff before. This one turned out 42". It balances nicely at the bare wood area between the paracord wraps. If it was any shorter it would feel point heavy from the stainless steel hardware. The zip tie is only to keep the cable from flopping around as the varnish hardens. The large swivel hooked to the zip tie will clip to a nylon cord or other lanyard/leash secured to the kayak.
When my previous gaffs bounced around in the pole holders of my kayak, it knocked off the varnish finish where they stand on end. That's why I added the butt caps to these two.