How to Make Your Own Fishing Net

How to Make Your Own Fishing Net

How to Make Your Own Fishing Net
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While some prefer to purchase a fishing net, some people enjoy the relaxation that comes from making their own.

If you are like me then knowing how to make your own fishing net is something you find to be a neat skill to have.

If a do it yourself net is what you’re after, there are several things you should keep in mind.

In this article, we are going to look at a few things to consider, the materials you will need, and the steps to making a net that you can use for your next fishing trip. Here is what you need to know.

Things to Consider

Before you get started making your fishing net, you need first to consider the size of the net you want to make. If you want a larger fishing net, you will need to repeat the steps until you have reached the size you want. If you want a smaller net, it might not take you quite as long to make it. However, before you buy your supplies and get started, you need to know your ideal net size.

You need to also consider the desired quality of your fishing net. Do you want a high-quality net or just a simple fishing net? Your preferences will determine the type of string and handle you should purchase to make your net out of. The last thing to consider before you get started is your intention for the net. How will you use your fishing net? If you are planning to use it for heavy duty fishing, you might want to invest in a high quality string. If you are just using it for a few fishing days out of the year, cheaper string should work just fine.

The Supplies

Now that you have somewhat of an idea about your ideal fishing net, you can start shopping for your supplies. To begin, you are going to need a set of needles. Your local sporting goods store should have several needle options. You will also need a good pair of scissors or a knife to cut the string or line that you will be using. Once you have these, you can then get your string or line. The amount you purchase will depend on the size of the net you want to make. Along with your line, you will need a few net gauges to help you decide how wide to make the holes in the net. To finish off the net making materials, you need a good set of net handles so you can easily use your net while you are out fishing.

How to Make Your Own Fishing Net

Now that you have your materials, it is time to get started making your net.

The first step will be the start of your net. Start by holding your thread snugly and making a loop. Tightly grip the intersection of the loop. By using your free hand, grab the tag end of the string, and thread it through the loop and around it once again. This makes your first knot of the net when you pull the knot closed.

The second step involves grabbing your net gauge. You will need to decide how wide you want the holes in the net. The fish size that you fish for the most will determine which gauge you need to use. For example, typical 20-pound fish will need a net with a 1-inch gauge. You can create this gauge by using your fingers, index and middle fingers. You should use both of them as your guide for creating your knots.

The third step is the construction of the first row. You will need to make this row as long as you want your net. If you happen to run out of thread during the process at any time, use a sheet bend knot to the last loop to connect more thread. You will need to pass that tag end back over the top and join those knotted ends with the new piece of thread. You will construct your net row by row.

Step four involves finishing off your net. You should gather the net up in your hands, letting it drape to the ground. A standard fishing net is only between 12 and 18-inches in depth. To finish off the net, you will fold a 1-inch flap of this netting over the handle of your choice. Use the needle to sew the net onto the handle by passing the thread under and over the handle until it is secure. Then, just knot off the net to finish.

Drew Bishop is a contributing writer and media specialist for Delta Net and Twine. He regularly produces content for a variety of fishing and outdoor blogs.

Should a Prepper Carry a Neck Knife?

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Should a Prepper Carry a Neck Knife?  That is a good question.  In the guest post below the author will discuss some pros and cons.  For myself, as the owner of this site I wanted to add my thoughts as I carried a neck knife everyday for 15 years – even in places that did not allow concealed weapons (its a tool right)… For utility and easy carry a neck knife is hard to beat.  If you have a good design.  I have tried bad designs of heavier knives and friction fit sheaths and ended up loosing my knife.  For self defense there are better options.  It can be hard to draw (without practice) and if you are on the ground being pounded the knife is in a perfect spot to be used against you.  You can also be choked with the lanyard.  The featured image shows a young lady wearing a neck knife on a breakaway lanyard made by Knives and Lanyards.com.  You should check them out

If you know what you want and work around the cons, then a neck knife is a great tool – now on to the article:

Preppers and survivalists are always discussing survival knives and that they might actually be the most important gear you carry. Not many discuss the importance of where you wear your survival knife though. Throughout history man has worn a knife from a chain around their necks.

This includes Native Americans and Vikings. In modern times Mors Kochanski who is recognized as the granddaddy of bushcraft and who actually wrote the book on bushcraft uses a neck knife and even more recently Cody Lundin from Dual Survival fame also wears a neck knife as their primary knife.

In this article I’ll go over what are the pros and cons of a neck knife.

Pros of neck knives

  • Because it’s so small and light, it can easily be used as a back up blade if your primary blade breaks or gets lost. Your blade might be your most important piece of equipment you carry so always having a decent back up blade is handy
  • Sitting on the ground or on a log with a knife on your belt can be annoying
  • If it’s worn on the inside of your shirt, you’ve got a hidden knife that others won’t know about unless they give you a hug. Even though there are better weapons when shtf the neck knife could be used as a weapon of last resort
  • If needed, most neck knives can be switched to be carried on your belt
  • It allows you to not have to wear a belt which means you have more flexibility in the pants or shorts you choose to wear
  • If you’re walking through a creek or small stream and it goes to about waist height, if you’re wearing a neck knife it won’t get wet
  • They’re inexpensive so preppers with a tight budget can afford them as a good backup knife

Cons of neck knives

  • If it’s worn on the outside of your shirt, it can get in the road every time you bend over which is annoying
  • It it’s worn on the inside of your shirt, it’s hard to get to quickly
  • If the chain is made out of beads it can pull at your chest hairs and I’m not a fan of having my chest hair pulled out
  • It’s not practical to have a big knife dangling around your neck because it will just get in the way. So if the knife is small it doesn’t lend itself to heavy duty tasks like chopping or batoning but if you’re primary chopping tool is an axe or machete you can get away with carrying a small bladed knife as your blade to do the finer tasks like processing game or whittling wood
  • When you re-sheath, you’ll need both hands
  • If the chain is not a break away type of chain it can be a choking hazard if worn on the outside of your shirt
  • If it is a break away chain, the chain could snap at an inconvenient time meaning you’d end up carrying the neck knife on your belt or in your pocket.

Neck knife wrap up

I’ve always loved redundancy so I always carry a back up blade when I’m in the woods. Neck knives are an inexpensive way to have a decent back up blade on your person at all times. To find out more about neck knives for survivalists check out the ultimate neck knife guide by Top Survival Weapons.

How to Choose Binoculars

how to choose binoculars
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Here is an info-graphic on how to choose binoculars from Binoculars Today.  I hope this is useful to you.  I don’t normally post infographics, but this one seems to have some useful information for you.

It talks about what the numbers like 109×50 mean.  It also gives some information on lens coatings and prism types.

This info gives some good basic information, but if you want to know more you can visit their website, or look at the book I linked to at the top left of this article.

When I was an older boy scout we organized a large capture the flag event and spent months preparing to win the contest.  It was during that time that I learned that a good pair of binoculars gathered light and made it easier to see at night.  It wasn’t night vision by any means.  When the moon is out providing some ambient light binoculars can help.

I hope this picture will help you better know how to choose binoculars.  Good binoculars can make the difference in many outdoor and prepper activities.  You should have a decent set in every prepper kit you own.

How to Choose Binoculars

How to Choose Binoculars

Infographics by http://binocularstoday.com/

Lucifer’s Hammer

Book Review: Lucifer's Hammer
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Lucifer’s Hammer is a classic in prepper fiction – The plot of the book contains several interesting twists that are useful to begin a prepper conversation. For instance – if you have a BOL (Bug Out Location – aka cabin in the woods) what would you do if you arrived during a disaster to find it was occupied?

In this book the catastrophe was a comet striking the earth. While unlikely, it is plausible. There really isn’t anything in this book that is outside the realm of possibility – which is rare in science fiction…

Good read, I enjoyed it. It might be a good book to pass on to those you care about that don’t care about prepping – it may just let them realize how much you care for them and are looking out for their well being.

I am dealing with one of the issues in Lucifer’s hammer now.  I have a guy that is living on my Bug Out location with the agreement that he works on the land as a payment for rent, and I supply the livestock and seed and he tends to them and produces his own food so that in the event of a disaster we are already up and running, but he has decided he doesn’t have time to do the work – which is almost as bad as taking it away when it is needed.

Light Infantry Tactics: For Small Teams

Book Review: Light Infantry Tactics: For Small Teams
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Finally! Step-by-step tactics for teams of three to 30 members. Tired of collecting a library of military manuals just to teach light infantry patrolling tactics? Military manuals are notoriously confusing and boring! Light Infantry Tactics: For Small Teams gives you good advice in easily understood language.

If you have never served, or like me, it has been a while, Light Infantry Tactics is a good way to get basic knowledge.

While it does not include information on MOUT (Urban Warfare), it has a lot of good info on patrolling, hand signals, and other basic skills.

I would not say that this book would come even fractionally close to replacing actual military skills the idea that someone who has not served can gain some technical knowledge by a book is a long standing principle.  The Swiss military wrote the book Total Resistance so that bankers, clock makers, and school teachers could fight an occupying force and survive long enough to defend their homeland.

I keep this book, and others like it, in my library so that I can periodically refresh my memory on the skills I learned in the Marines.

This is a good book for that.