Last updated on August 28th, 2022
Fishing has become one of the top ways of acquiring food or a living. There are many ways of fishing, including using a casting net. Cast nets are items that have been in operation for a very long time. In recent times, there is a lot of advancement done to the nets, making them more effective and easy to use.
Buying an already made cast net might be more expensive than making your own. I will, therefore, give you a detailed step-by-step procedure on how to make a casting net. By using a cast net, you will be sure to fish more fishes unlike using lines and hooks or using spears. Also using this knowledge, you can decide to make cast nets for sale and earn a living.
What is a Casting Net?
A cast net is a rounded net that is used to do fishing. It has small weights allocated at the edges in an even manner. You need to use your hands and throw it so it can spread before dipping into the waters. It catches fish once it is hauled back.
It is effective for catching small fishes and works better in waters with a depth equal to the nets’ radius. Casting nets also requires clear waters since obstructers like reeds may tangle or rip the nets. Casting nets are either thrown by wading, from a vessel or the shore.
Cast nets are available in two styles; the English and the Spanish styles. Traditionally, cast nets were constructed using the hand-knitting art method. This method requires a lot of skills as well as time. In recent days, most people are using machine-knitted nets to make cast nets. This method is fast and simpler compared to the hand-knitting one.
Different materials are used to make the netting, including cotton, silk, nylon, or linen. Cotton-made nets tend to last longer although they need extra care than other materials. Choose the mesh length, size, and twine size depending on the species you intend to fish.
In this article, you will learn how to make a Spanish cast net from netting made by a machine.
There are two designs for making a Spanish-style cast net disc. One is the skirt method, and the other one is the gore method. The skirt method is easier to make compared to the gore method and so let us learn how to make the skirt design.
Materials Needed to Make a Skirt Net
- Net needle- medium-sized
- Sharp scissors or a knife
- One piece of netting, 2 inches stretched meshes measuring 49.5 long by 4 inches width and no. 20/9 twine for the first skirt.
- One piece of netting, 2 inches stretched meshes measuring 99.5 long by 10 inches deep and 20/9 twine for the second skirt.
- One piece of netting, 2 inches stretched mesh measuring 199.5 long by 10 inches deep and 20/9 twine for the third skirt.
- One piece of netting, 2 inches stretched mesh measuring 299.5 long by 10 inches deep for the third skirt.
You will start by filling the needle. Take some turns around the sharp end using the end of the twine. Twist the sewing twine down on the side then around the fork. Move to the opposite side, then around the fork, and back to the starting side. The needle should not be too full as this will prevent it from passing through the meshes.
Sew together the ends of all netting sections to make a skirt. Join the four skirts together and sew to form a disk-like shape. Gather the extra meshes using seams bypassing the twine at every point where two meshes join then knot at regular intervals. This is done because the skirts add to the circumference from the middle outward.
How to Make a Spanish Style Cast Net
Once you complete the skirt making, it is time to construct the Spanish style.
Materials required
- 20 ft of ¼ inch diameter rope- used to make the hand-line
- 150, one-ounce leads
- 3 ft of No. 6 laid twine
- 60 ft of No. 18 thread- to make tucks
- One piece of 299.5 by 16 inches meshes
- 34 ft of 5/32 inch diameter rope- to make the lead-line
Procedure
Take the ¼ inch rope and pass one end through every mesh at the middle edge of the netting disc. Make an eye splice at the edge then leave a 1-inch diameter to shelter the castanet’s body to the hand-line. Make another eye splice at the end of the next edge and leave a 1-inch diameter to construct a loop where the fisher will put his wrist.
Sew together the netting bag’s ends with No. 6 twine. You must ensure that no twists are in the netting before joining the ends. You now have a tubular-shaped piece with an equal mesh number around the netting. Sew the bag together with the body of the netting using a 20/9 sewing twine. Once you complete sewing the bag, attach it to the lead-line.
Lastly, place the tucks inside the net. To do this, hang up the net to position the lead-line at a suitable working height. Fold the edges of the net upon the outer side as you put the tucks to guarantee ease of use. Turn the cast net inside out then fill the needle using no. 18 twine. Your Spanish casting net is now complete.
Final Words
Cast nets are becoming more popular with the fishermen raising their demand. Making the nets has also been simplified due to the availability of machines to sew the nets. You can now follow the above steps and learn how to make a casting net by yourself.
With time and more practice, you will be able to make more and more nets using very little time. If you are a fisherman, you can make your cast net and also learn how to amend it. This will lower your costs of purchasing a net. Finally, ensure you clean your casting net and dry it thoroughly for longer use.
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