gaff

fishing device

Also known as: landing hook

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The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

June 29, 2026

Quick Summary

A gaff is a fishing device that typically consists of a handled hook or a spearhead used for holding, lifting, or securing fish. It can also refer to a metal spur for a gamecock or a butcher's hook. The verb form, "to gaff," means to strike or secure with such a tool. While the term can also refer to a spar for a sail or a social blunder (gaffe), its primary meaning in a fishing context is a tool for handling fish.12

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fishing
Early history
…of a landing hook, or gaff, for lifting large hooked fish from the water was noted by Thomas Barker in 1667. Improved methods of fishhook making were devised in the 1650s by Charles Kirby, who later invented the Kirby bend, a distinctive shape of hook with an offset point that…
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…of a landing hook, or gaff, for lifting large hooked fish from the water was noted by Thomas Barker in 1667. Improved methods of fishhook making were devised in the 1650s by Charles Kirby, who later invented the Kirby bend, a distinctive shape of hook with an offset point that…
Read More