Gill nets.

tknife

tknife

Joined
Mar 18, 1999
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My previous post asking about a frog/fish gig sort of got me thinking about a gill net too. Most of my hiking and day trips are in high desert type terrain, not much if any water sources, and no fish.
But when I head up into the Sierras, the streams are full of golden trout. Not that I'd use one when not in an emergency situation, a gill net seems like an easier way of netting more fish than traditional fishing. ANyone carry one? Have you ever used it? I'm looking at this one, but I've seen others that were cheaper http://www.bestglide.com/deluxe_gill_net.html
 
Tknife i also like to go to the high sierra. I think the streams are too small for the the Gil net. What would work even better is if you set up a line with 5-6 hooks across the stream. I bet you could have enough to eat the next day. The only problem with it is that you dont have enough fish to last you for more then a day or two. You would have to keep moving to find more fish.

Sasha
 
Hey sasha, what parts do you go to? My favorite is the Golden Trout Wilderness area, I'm heading up there next month, can't wait! (And I'll have some new knives to play with :D)
 
What the hell are you thinking using Rotenone???? :mad: It's illegal to use and can kill fish for an extended distance downstream from its application. Also, gill nets are illegal almost everywhere in the U.S.:thumbdn: Enjoy our wilderness areas but for pete's sake don't rape them! You boys need to check with your Fish and Game Departments. Geez!
 
Earl, relax there buddy. As stated in my original post, I'd only use one in an emergency. Lets not turn this into a tree huggers vs guys who go out and practice wilderness skills thread.
 
I carry a mosquito headnet in my PSK. While not functioning like a gill net it can be rigged at the end of a funnel or sorts to catch fish and smaller critters in a creek or stream. Can also be used to catch bait for larger things.

My only reservation with a gill net is that I can't really think of another use for it and I prefer if my equipment (with the exception of firestarting) have dual purposes. Never looked into them much though since they're hard to find around here.

Charles
 
HI Tknife. I go about the same area. the horseshoe meadow, Then hike up up up to cottonwood pass. If i start late in the day i would camp over night at the chicken lake (love that lake). This year i want to hit the rocky basin lakes. A very hard one day hike or a nice day and a half hike. I cross lots of small streams with golden trout i would say if you find the right spot you can get about 3-4 trout 1 1\2 to 2lb each. O.k you might think its funny but i just spaced out for about 5 min just thinking of the last trip. I hope this year i would go for 7-10 days. I got my self a dehadrator so i could make my own food the way i like it.

sasha
 
I use gill nets legitimately under scientific collectors permits for research.
Gill nets won't likely work that well in streams unless you cut off the channel and scare the fish into the net. Stream fish don't move that much unless they are spawning. When surveying, we use back pack electrofishing units for stream fish (not suggesting you get one of these either :( )
In lakes, the gill nets really need to be set at the right thermal environment to catch fish and this will vary depending on the year. Plus the gill net contains a lead line that weighs it down.

If you really want to have fun - try buying a cast net. These are legal for bait fish and also used for shrimp in estuaries. A smaller sized net (4') might be light enough to lug around. You could remove some of the lead weights to lesson carry weight and makeshift them later on with rocks ect. Here are some pics of us using a 6' cast net in perch aquaculture ponds as the most effect way of live sampling them.

DSC_0030.jpg

DSC_0051.jpg


Here are two fish from the same pond. They are siblings from the same brood stock! The smaller guy missed his switch point and stayed on zooplankton for its diet. The big brother decided to feed the pellets we were raining down on them. I was amazed at how two fish from the same environment with the same genes could perform so differently!

DSC_0054.jpg



P.S. - I recommend against the rotenone. Its hard on all the life in the stream and depending on the degree of concentration of the mixture you run a high risk of poisoning yourself in the process. Mostly acute human poisoning involves a lot of vomiting - but then that defeats the purpose doesn't it!
 
sasha said:
HI Tknife. I go about the same area. the horseshoe meadow, Then hike up up up to cottonwood pass. If i start late in the day i would camp over night at the chicken lake (love that lake). This year i want to hit the rocky basin lakes. A very hard one day hike or a nice day and a half hike. I cross lots of small streams with golden trout i would say if you find the right spot you can get about 3-4 trout 1 1\2 to 2lb each. O.k you might think its funny but i just spaced out for about 5 min just thinking of the last trip. I hope this year i would go for 7-10 days. I got my self a dehadrator so i could make my own food the way i like it.



sasha
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that's where I go too, Horshoe Meadows then the Cottonwood lakes trail. I'll be staying 4 days in June, then I'll hopefully be able to go for another 4-5 days in July or Aug. I wish I could live up there :D
 
that is a great area cottonwood lakes. Its a nice 4-5 hour hike from the car. Do you stay in one place or do you keep going deeper into the woods??Ever since my pup died i always went alone. I want to go there in Aug my self. For me its about my job that would contol my time to go and the length of time i can spend there. Im working on getting back in shape right now. I would also try and cut the weight down to less then 40lb.

Sasha
 
tknife said:
Lets not turn this into a tree huggers vs guys who go out and practice wilderness skills thread.
Click to expand...

OK, let's look at this practically. Rotenone will kill pretty much everything with gills for a distance relative to the amount of the stuff you pour in, and relative amount isn't a linear relationship. The fish you don't eat today can't be eaten tomorrow unless you walk the entire distance down the stream and take care preserve them some way. It's like lighting a forest fire to stay warm. Sure, it works. For now. In a few days you are going to be SOL.

I'd also have some reservations about eating anything killed with Rotenone. With a gill net, the fish at least stay fresh and there is no concerns about consuming something you didn't plan on.
 
Hey guys,

I know I've harped on this before, but why not learn to make nets - it's not that hard. And nets can be used for a lot more than catching fish. Drop nets for birds, small nets can be used to hold rocks as the counterweight for lifting pole snare set ups. Early people used nets as carrying bags - they stretch out to accomodate lots of different shapes and are the most material-efficient use of fibre for making things like bags, belts, straps, etc., an important fact when making cordage out of natural fibres. Some examples: (please excuse poor quality photos)

Netquiver2.jpg

Net arrow quiver

6ce35a44.jpg

Water bottle carrier

Snappingturtletrap2.jpg

Snapping Turtle trap -

Another thing about learning this particular skill, it can be done inside when it's cold out, with a frosty beer nearby. :thumbup:

Doc
 
Doc,
That is some fascinating stuff! That's a skill I'd love to learn, do you have links to any guides?
 
Posession of a device or chemical in an environment is evidence of intent to use the device or chemical. It is against USFW and most State laws to posess these. Rotenone is derived from a root ( http://www.chm.bris.ac.uk/motm/rotenone/piscicide.html ). I fail to see how it would poison a human. However, yes, it will kill most aquatics that breath under water. Wildlife agencies use it to do a fish kill on rivers and ponds where trash species have become a threat to sport fish. Often, the public is invited to participate by netting the fish with no limit.

Gill nets can work too (though illegal), but the traps work as well with the option of releasing fish you don't intend to eat.

Know your wildlife laws before you carry killing devices afield, even emergency items you don't intend to use.

Codger
 
Codger_64 said:
Know your wildlife laws before you carry killing devices afield, even emergency items you don't intend to use.

Codger
Click to expand...

Very good advice, while folks may talk about gill nets "only for emergencies", in my state it won't matter. They are 100% illegal and if the PSK you have one in, gets anywhere near a water source and gets discovered your in it deep.
 
Agreed. But I'd have to be either using it, or doing something bad enough to have a ranger or game warden search my pack for them to even know I had it. I've never had that happen.
 
Would it be easier to carry some fishing gear? The fish in my local streams will take anything that looks like a bug so I carry a few flies.
 
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