Gaff or Harpoon from a kayak and it legality.

Butlerfishing, in that DFW Q&A, I think the "flying gaff" they're refering to is a weighted treble or weighted hook that is tied to a rope, and often used to hoist large fish up onto a pier (or I supposed onto a boat). Not a straight spear-like thing with detachable tip. Many people refer to those as kage sticks...which may or may not be legal (because it's straight instead of curved like a gaff).
But either way, you're better off with a regular gaff or huge net. Just my opinion though.

I think you are almost right cencoast but my understanding is a flying gaff is just like a normal gaff except the head is detachable from the shaft but attached by rope. This allow you to gaff your fish and let it run and tire itself a little while still controlling it with your rope to either a buoy or the shaft.

I could be totally wrong since I've never used one but this is my understanding.

-Eliot

Butlerfishing, in that DFW Q&A, I think the "flying gaff" they're refering to is a weighted treble or weighted hook that is tied to a rope, and often used to hoist large fish up onto a pier (or I supposed onto a boat). Not a straight spear-like thing with detachable tip. Many people refer to those as kage sticks...which may or may not be legal (because it's straight instead of curved like a gaff).
But either way, you're better off with a regular gaff or huge net. Just my opinion though.

I think you are almost right cencoast but my understanding is a flying gaff is just like a normal gaff except the head is detachable from the shaft but attached by rope. This allow you to gaff your fish and let it run and tire itself a little while still controlling it with your rope to either a buoy or the shaft.

I could be totally wrong since I've never used one but this is my understanding.

-Eliot

Yup.  That!

-Allen

"But either way, you're better off with a regular gaff or huge net. Just my opinion though."

Except maybe with the bigger Pacific Halibut where you get a better shot with the harpoon.  I'm looking forward to testing the theory again soon.

Bushy

Agreed, I'm just saying that Carrie W may have been refering to a weighted throw gaff when she said 'flying gaff' as opposed to a real flying gaff. Because that's what people in socal have called em for the previous 20+ yrs. Whereas the concept of actually using a real flying gaff (normal looking gaff w/detachable head) is somewhat new in CA. 

Those wireman gaffs with the spring-loaded clip look like a great solution...tied to a buoy as mentioned. When I fish the Cove, I often tie about 8ft of paracord to the base of my Kunz gaff and wrap it around the handle...just in case.
It would be funny to flying gaff a big lingcod, then send it back down on a rope so it could hitchhike/chomp another fish, then pull the rope in and harvest both fish! Similar to the river otters in Amazon that are trained to catch fish for their owners.

I have thought of training a lingcod to fish for me for many years now.  Glad I'm not the only one.

Wiremans gaff works best for me.  Net for calibuts since they are smaller.  With both, just keep their head underwater before gaffing or netting.  I netted my 1st Pacific halibut which was 49.5".  It wasn't ideal, but it's what I had and it jumped out a couple of times.  I was also using harmless hooks.  I have laid live  32" Pacific halibut in my lap on my Check-in stick to get a picture then released a few times.  I have yet to really need the bout on the siren and gaff because all but once or twice, they don't thrash much if you cut the gills and stick your hand in the gill area and pull their guts out.  I typically hook the pacific halibut good on the wiremans gaff and can control it easily with the rope.  I have been told if you gaff or stab halibut on the lateral line by the guts will paralyze them.

I have not yet used my "Folsom Prison Gaff", but have always been fine netting CA halibut. I wanted the gaff though just in case...

materials:
Part of a tomato cage (cut to length and sharpened to a point, old hatchet handle, glue, tape, and wire to secure the gaff hook to the handle...I drilled the hatchet handle about 6" and rammed the hook base all the way in, pretty secure honestly. 

24 to 28 inch gaff for  California Halibut (net if small) probably use harpoon with detachable head and  buoy  for Pacific's!