Basic Fishing Net Supplies
Fishing net supplies can often be obtained from any local hardware store. Sporting goods stores are another great option for finding fishing net supplies. Most types of fishing nets are very simple in construction and require very few elements to be effective.
Casting nets are made up of a thin nylon rope that has been tied to create a net. Casting nets are small round nets, often about four meters in diameter. The outer edges of the net features small weights that help to sink the net in the water. The net is thrown by hand and sinks fast into the water trapping fish and other creatures as it falls. When the net is pulled back in it gathers all the fish beneath it into the net.
Hand nets are a round net affixed to a hoop with a long handle on one end. These work to sweep up fish near the waters surface. This type of net is also used as a landing net. Hand nets are the only legal way to catch eel in England and have been practiced for thousands of years.
Chinese nets are primarily used at Kochi in India. They are a type of shore operated lift net. These nets are held horizontally by a fixed structure and are lowered into the water periodically. Large mechanical contrivances hold out nets with diameters of twenty meters or larger. The nets are dipped into the water and then raised again, but do not otherwise move.
Gillnets are horizontal nets featuring weights at the bottom and a floating mechanism at the top. The size of the holes in the net are carefully calculated, so that they only catch a particular size of fish. Gillnets work by tricking the fish to swim through the holes in the mesh. Once they have pushed their heads through the holes they become ensnared because their gills prevent them from moving backwards.
A Stake net is a net primarily used to capture salmon. It is a sheet of network that is stretched onto stakes that are fixed into the ground. These nets are generally placed in rivers and use the current to help ensnare fish.
Trammels are fishing nets that are set vertically in the water. They contain three layers of netting. The inner layer of the net is finer than the outer two layers.
A seine is a large fishing net. They can be arranged in a variety of ways. Beach seining is a popular and common fishing technique. The net is operated from the shore. Purse seine fishing hangs the net vertically in the water with weights along the bottom edge and features floats on the top of the net.
A trawl is a large conical shaped net. It is designed to be towed in the sea or dragged along the floor of the ocean. A trawl is pulled through the water by boats called trawlers.
Fishing nets do not require very many supplies. Nets styles range from simple to complex. Depending on what type of net you intend to build, you may need different supplies. Fishing net supplies can often be found at hardware stores or sporting good stores.