MAKE YOUR OWN NETS!

Image Gallery Two netting shuttles(one wound with twine) and two sizes of gauge block are shown.

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In many parts of the world, fisherfolk have been making their own nets for generations! It's an enjoyable and productive pastime ... and—with some knowledge, a supply of string, and a couple of handmade tools—you can start tying your own meshwork right in your living room or back yard. I learned the art from old-timers, who taught me to "knit" a net ... that is, to build a series of "meshes" to create an overall pattern. I also learned that netmaking can be a great family activity ... especially when everyone keeps in mind the delicious fresh fish that will soon be landed in those interlocking strands and brought to the dinner table.

STRING ALONG

Nets don't have to be used for fishing, of course, but whether you make one to catch walleye or to serve as a decorative wall hanging, you'll have to knit it from some type of string. Kite line, baling twine, upholstery sewing thread, package cord, and even crochet yarn are all good candidates for webbing, although the intended use of the finished net will eliminate some choices and recommend others. (For good-quality, lightweight, strong, kink- and rot-resistant cord, however, Dacron or polypropylene are likely the best bets.)

You'll also have to decide the actual size of whatever twine you pick: just remember, when doing so, that while thinner cords tend to cost less ... they also have less durability and strength. If you plan to land lunker bass, for example, you wouldn't make your net out of crochet yarn! (On the other hand, if that's the only sort of cordage you have available at the moment, why not use it to practice the skill for a while?)

Besides string, you'll need a gauge block or stick, and a netting needle or shuttle (shown ABOVE). You can purchase these tools from most craft outlets, or you can make them from hardwood scrap (see the accompanying sidebar to learn how).

LET'S TAKE A DIP

The types of fishing equipment you can make using the block, shuttle, and string include such relatively large-scale harvesting devices as gill nets, hoop nets, and trammel nets ... and the same technique can produce good cargo nets, throw nets, hammocks, and even wall decorations. In order to master the basic method, however, it's best to start with a relatively simple (and very useful) project: producing a webbing tube that can be transformed into a dip—or landing—net. Naturally, this device also needs a frame ... so, in addition to your string and tools, you'll want either a commercially made landing-net frame (an old one that needs new netting would be fine), an adaptable existing frame (such as a discarded badminton or tennis racket), or a homemade "hoop" (perhaps fashioned from wire, or from springy or steamed wood).

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