Ahand net, also called ascoop net, is a handheldfishing net ormeshedbasket used to capture and retrieve objects from water, somewhat in the manner of asieve. It is distinguished from other fishing nets in that the net or mesh is supported by a rigid circular or polygonal frame, which may or may not be mounted to the end of ahandle.
A hand net with a long handle is often called adip net. When it is used by anangler to help "fetch out" or "land" a hooked fish, it is called alanding net.[1]
Hand nets have been used since antiquity for catching fish near the surface of the water, especially feisty, powerful ones such asmuskellunge ornorthern pike. Because hand-netting is not physically destructive to the fish, hand nets are often used fortag and release, or to retrieveaquarium fish. There are popular contemporary dip netsockeye salmonfisheries inChitina,Kenai River andKasilof River, typically lasting two to three weeks, and is regarded as asubsistencefishery forAlaskan residents only. Dip nets can also be used to scoopcrabs in shallow water. The basket is made of wire or nylon mesh, rather than cloth mesh, since crabs fight, bite, twist and turn when they are caught.[2]
Hand nets have been widely used bytraditional fishermen. Small fish are caught both in the shallow water oflagoons and in the open sea. They are made in different sizes ranging from small nets held in one hand to large scoop nets worked by several men.[3][4] Historically, theKaruk people of the upperKlamath River harvested fish with dip nets.[5]
InEngland, hand netting is the only legal way of catchingeels and has been practised for thousands of years on theRiver Parrett andRiver Severn.[6]
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