Nets - How to Make, Mend and Preserve Them: Read Country Book

PREFACE

OF the making of books there is said to be no end. Nevertheless, no apology is needed for adding this one to their number. Time and again, over a period of many years, I have been asked to recommend a good book on net-making and net-mending. Invariably I have had to reply that, to the best of my knowledge, no such book exists in the English language—or, for that matter, in any other language. A few publications, long since out of print and unobtainable, deal with the subject in such a superficial way that, even if they were still available, they would be of little use. The brief references to net-making that are to be found in most of the current books on knots, ties and splices, and in at least one well-known treatise on needlework, extend to only a few paragraphs or a few pages at most, and not much can be learned from them. Some slightly fuller accounts have lately become available but those that I have seen appear to have been written by amateurs for amateurs and cannot be recommended to anyone seriously interested in the subject.

Much netting is now factory-made by very elaborate machinery; but manual braiding is still an essential accomplishment wherever nets are used, and no net can be properly mended in any other way than by hand. This book deals with manual methods only, and is offered to professionals and amateurs alike. It is so planned and presented that anyone who has never before handled or even seen a netting needle should be able in a few days to make a simple rectangular piece of flat netting. The learner is then led step by step to the more difficult parts of the subject and should have no difficulty in mastering them provided that he possesses and uses the three attributes that are as essential for success in this as in everything else—patience, perseverance, practice.

Professional net-makers will be already familiar with much of the contents of the book; but even they, I think, will find described within its pages methods that are new to them. I believe this to be so because some were quite unknown to me until I learned them from native fishermen in various British colonies. I cannot name all those fishermen individually. Indeed it would be perhaps of little use for few of them can read or write. Nevertheless, though they may never know it, I must place on record my deep gratitude for all that they taught me, for their unfailing kindness always; and, as I got to know them better, for their true friendship as well.

It is with pleasure that I acknowledge also much helpful interest and advice from the Gourock Rope-work Co., Ltd. (Plymouth branch); the Great Grimsby Coal, Salt and Tanning Co., Ltd. (Newlyn branch); and Messrs. Joseph Gundry & Co., Ltd., Bridport. Hints and criticisms from individuals have been legion but I am particularly indebted to Skippers W. J. Creese and W. E. Nichols, of Plymouth, and to Skipper W. J. Tiller, of Brixham, for many invaluable suggestions. Most of all, perhaps, I owe to Skipper R. E. Brown, of Hull, who was my colleague on fisheries development duties during difficult times in British West Africa. His vast knowledge of all appertaining to the making, mending and handling of fishing nets was always freely and liberally at my disposal and I learned much from him. Finally, I must express my particular indebtedness to Miss Jean Millen Adam, of Glasgow, who, with great skill and care, transferred my original drawings to bristol board and put them into proper shape for reproduction. Without her aid I doubt if this book would ever have reached completion.

G.A.S. Plymouth, June, 1949.

NETS

HOW TO MAKE, MEND

AND PRESERVE THEM

INTRODUCTION

A PIECE of netting is easy to recognise and hard to define. According to the Encyclopaedia Britannica¹ a net consists of a fabric of thread, twine, or cord, the intersections of which are firmly knotted so as to form meshes or interspaces of fixed dimensions,—the meshes being usually lozenges of uniform size.

FIG. 1.

A normal mesh has four sides or bars of equal length (Fig. 1), and it is the length of the bar that determines the size of the mesh. To state the length of a bar is therefore the best way of describing the size of a mesh. Unfortunately, amongst the makers and users of nets, this method is not everywhere adopted. For example, a piece of netting having one-inch bars may be described in any of the following ways:—¹

1. One-inch bar—i.e., the length of each side of any mesh is one inch (Fig. 1).

2. Two-inch mesh—i.e., the distance between the top and bottom knots of any mesh is two inches when the knots are drawn fully apart, so that the mesh opening is closed and the side knots are in contact. In other words, the length of a fully stretched mesh is two inches (Fig. 2).

3. Thirty-six rounds² to the yard (or twelve rounds to one foot) of fully stretched net. (see also pp. 28–30).

FIG. 2.

4. The size of gauge used to make the net may be given.

Method 2 is the cause of much confusion because mesh is often taken to mean bar. It is therefore strongly recommended that this method be totally discarded and that methods 1 and 3 be universally adopted. Method 1 is the more convenient when applied to meshes of large size, and method 3 should be used for small-meshed nets. Method 4, though unambiguous, is not recommended because it is not readily adaptable to general use.

FIG. 3.

The usual term applied to the making of nets by hand is braiding. Almost any kind of rope, twine, cord, string, and even some kinds of hair can be made up into netting.¹ Very few tools are required, and these are of the simplest. They consist of needles and mesh-sticks or gauges. These can easily be made at home from pieces of wood with the aid of a pocket-knife, or bought for a few pence at a marine store in any fishing port.

FIG. 4.

The material from which a net is to be made must be wound round a needle of suitable size of which there are two kinds, illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4. The type illustrated in Fig. 3 is the one most generally used for all but very fine work. Near the pointed end there is an opening or eye with a tongue projecting forwards into it. The other end has two prongs. The needle illustrated in Fig. 4 has no eye and tongue; it is provided at both ends with relatively long curved prongs with their tips nearly meeting.

FIG. 5.

FIG. 6.

FIG. 7.

The size of the meshes is regulated by forming them over a mesh-stick or gauge (Figs. 5, 6, and 7). A different gauge is required for each size of mesh so it is a good plan to have a representative series ready to choose from for any particular job. If