Fishing – trapping – and vermin destroying – Fishing – Nets
Patent
1989-07-25
1991-07-23
Rowan, Kurt
Fishing, trapping, and vermin destroying
Fishing
Nets
43 91, 43 14, A01K 7100
Patent
active
050332210
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to mechanism for coupling a net to a cylindrical length, and particularly to mechanism for coupling at least one selvage of a fishnet to a line such as a corkline or a lead line.
BACKGROUND ART
Known gill nets have a top corkline consisting of a rope carrying spaced floats, a bottom lead line, usually a rope with internal weights, and a central net or web. The traditional method of "hanging" the net, i.e., coupling it at the top and bottom to the corkline and lead line, respectively, is by use of separate hanging cords which are threaded through the selvages of the net. The hanging cords are tied manually to the corkline and lead line at spaced locations.
The completed setup or shackel of gill net can be large. For example, for salmon fishing in the Bristol Bay area of Alaska the completed shackel can be 50 fathoms (76.2 meters) long and 5 to 10 fathoms (7.6 to 15.2 meters) deep. The web itself can be rolled or folded to compact condition, but the lead line and particularly the corkline are bulky.
The mesh size of the web desired depends on the size and species of the fish to be caught. Again using the example of salmon fishing in Bristol Bay, different webs may be desired for reds (sockeye), pinks (chum), silvers (Coho) and kings (Chinook). Changing webs on short notice, such as before the next tide change, may result in a greatly increased catch.
Government regulations and storage space may limit the number of complete shackels available on board, and fishing may be conducted in an area remote from shore storage or even from a tender where additional shackels might be kept. There also is substantial additional expense in acquiring, maintaining and storing additional shackels for the purpose of having webs of different mesh size conveniently available, as compared to hanging different webs from the same corkline and lead line.
For known hanging systems, it is a complicated and time-consuming process to uncouple a web from its corkline and lead line and rehang a new web. In addition, damage can occur to the corkline, web or lead line even when such process is performed by an experienced worker. Further, the time lost in changing webs can be extremely frustrating to a fisherman, particularly considering the shorter fishing seasons that can be imposed by the government.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
The system in accordance with the present invention utilizes separate anchor blocks or members attached substantially permanently and immovably to a cylindrical length or line, such as an otherwise conventional corkline or lead line, at uniformly spaced locations. The traditional hanging cords can be replaced by connectors which have loops or lines that are affixed to and extend between the anchor members and are threaded through the adjacent selvage of the net or web. In some forms, each anchor member has a connector with two closed loops of flexible material interwoven with the loops of the adjacent anchor members. In another form, one end of a single line is connected to one anchor member and, after the line is threaded through the adjacent net selvage, the other end is secured to the next anchor member. Such next anchor member also receives an end of another single line extending to the next anchor member, and so on.
The system is used for quickly and reliably coupling a fishnet or web to the corkline, lead line or other cylindrical length, using simple and inexpensive but durable components, and is usable by unskilled workers while still resulting in a uniform and reliable hanging of the web. The system also allows the web to be uncoupled from the corkline and lead line quickly and easily but does not result in damage to the reusable components of the fishnet set up or shackel when the web is uncoupled. The system is adaptable for fishing in heavy seas and for compact storage without tangling.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic, fragmentary, top perspective of a fishnet hanging system in accordance with the present inventi
REFERENCES:
patent: 822694 (1906-06-01), Shepherd
patent: 1333224 (1920-03-01), Sperry
patent: 3013356 (1961-12-01), Luketa
patent: 3165853 (1965-01-01), Ansell
patent: 3213560 (1965-10-01), Phillips
patent: 3955305 (1976-05-01), Roberts
patent: 4805334 (1989-02-01), Barclay
Beach Robert W.
Beach & Brown
Brown Ward
Rowan Kurt
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