Net Repair

Fishing nets can be a blessing or a nightmare in disguise. They are among the most effective tools in a fisherman’s arsenal. They can catch hundreds of pounds of fish in one setting in fact. Fishing nets often catch more than fish, however. They catch practically anything that passes their way! The result is a net that is much in need of repair.

Nets do indeed catch more than fish. They commonly catch leaves and brush and sometimes even large trees are propelled into nets by the swift currents of rivers.

More than one fisherman has even inadvertently caught alligators and other large animals in their nets. Even smaller animals can do tremendous damage to a fishing net. In freshwater sets gar are commonly caught and in brackish or marine waters salt water catfish, stingrays, and even sharks become entangled in nets. Most of these unintentional catches are quite unhappy about their fate.

As they thrash about they tangle and tear the net’s mesh and sometimes even rip it from the float line and lead line.

In order to remove the debris and both the wanted and unwanted catch from their nets fishermen often have to cut large sections of the net’s mesh. This damages the net even more. Even heavily damaged nets, however, can be repaired to the point that they are once again usable. All it takes is patience, a net needle, and some replacement monofilament or multifilament twine. Sometimes sections of the float line and lead line will have to be replaced as well but more often than not they only require reattachment to the mesh.

The first step in repairing a net is cleaning most of the debris from it and stretching it out so that the damaged areas can be easily accessed. This can most easily accomplished by tying a rope between two trees or other stationary objects. Tie the rope at about chest level parallel to the ground and stretch it tightly so that it can support the weight of the net. Drape the float line of the net over the length of the rope, stretching the net out so that it doesn’t fold on itself. Remove the rest of the debris from the net then check to see that all of the float line and the lead line are still attached to the mesh.

Load the net needle with heavy multifiliment twine (preferably twine matching that used by the net’s manufacturers) that will be used to hold the mesh to the float line and lead line. Locate the places where either the float line or the lead line has been ripped away from the mesh. If you are right handed it is easiest to work from the left to the right in repairing the net. Left-handed individuals might want to work in the other direction.

Start just beyond where the rip has occurred and tie a clove hitch around either the lead line or the float line making sure that you catch up the top strand of the net’s mesh. Tie a second clove hitch immediately next to the first. Move away from that initial tie point four to six inches and make another single clove hitch in the same manner. Do not cut your twine off between these clove hitches, just pull it tautly between them as was the case for the original stitches in the net. Continue with one clove hitch after another until the rip is repaired. Tie an extra clove hitch right beside the last to finish off that portion of the repair. Do the same for similar rips throughout the rest of the net.

As you work on the net you will likely need to feed the repaired portion off the rope and into a net basket so that the rest of the net can be hung on the rope a section at a time. Work methodically and patiently and soon all of the rips between the mesh and the float line and lead line will be repaired. The next step is repairing the mesh itself. Load your net needle with twine that matches the mesh of the net.

Figure out where your tear starts and begin its repair at the top left of that tear (top right if you are left-handed). Once again using a clove hitch or another suitable knot, tie into the bottom middle of the intact mesh that is just above and to the left of the hole. Cut a cardboard spacer the size of the net’s mesh. You will use the spacer to gauge the amount of twine to leave between each stitch. Insert the spacer between the first and second stitch.

The second stitch will be made in the next intact mesh that falls to the right of the first. Continue across the hole making the first row of your repair. When you reach the end, tie off and cut the twine close to the tie off knot. Start stitching the next row. This row will be secured at each end as is described above and then stitched into each of the new meshes that you started in the first row of repairs. Continue in this manner with each successive row. Remember that the last row of your repair will need to be secured not only to the new stitches but also to the old stitches in the row immediately below the repair.
Even severely damaged fishing nets can be repaired using the technique outlined above. All it takes is patience and a few cents worth of material. Simply move down the net repairing one hole at a time and before you know it your net will be almost as good as new!

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