Isles of Scilly Fish and Fisheries - Cornwall Wildlife Trust

according to the animals targeted. Light ropes from the head rope to the footrope
determine how loose or tight the mesh hangs. These nets either work by catching
the fish by the operculum or gill cover, or being loose so that they become entangled.
A line of nets will usually be set with a rope up to a marker buoy at the surface at the
end of a section of nets.
5.3.1) Pollack nets.
These are general nets set fairly upright with a light footrope on or close to the sea bed,
around rocks and wrecks. They capture fish by their opercula. The mesh makes them
size selective, catching most round fish of an appropriate size, especially Pollack
(Pollachius pollachius). Similar nets are used to catch Red Mullet (Mullus surmuletus)
5.3.2.) Ray or tangle nets.
These nets are similar to pollack nets but hung more loosely and with a heavier
footrope to hold them on the bottom. They mainly catch rays, Anglerfish (Lophius
piscatorius), and Turbot (Psetta maxima); they will also take a variety of other bottom
fish as well as crabs and crawfish.
5.3.3) Trammel nets.
These consist of three layers of netting, a large mesh one on each side and a smaller
mesh one between. A fish passing through the outer net is held by the middle net and
passes through the further large mesh net and is held in a pouch of netting. They may
be used for catching fish to use as bait in the pots or in a similar way to tangle nets.
5.3.4) Mullet nets.
Grey mullet may be caught in pollack nets, but they may also be specifically targeted.
This can be done in bays using a small boat or skiff. A net 2 fathom (3.6 m) deep and
20 fathoms long (36 m) is paid out over about 20 minutes, it is then left about 5
minutes, before being hauled in over the next 40 minutes; so the total soak time is
around one hour.
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