Use of Hoop Nets in the Mississippi River Basin

Abstract

The use of hoop nets is an old method of taking fish in the Mississippi River system, dating back to the 1860s. Since its introduction, the hoop net has been the single most important fishing tool in these inland waters. Hoop nets are successful for two reasons: 1) they are very efficient at catching fish, and 2) they are ideally suited to the needs of the individual fisherman along rivers. Hoop nets also can be used in many different environmental situations and in all seasons. In studying hoop nets, one is examining a folk occupation that dates back well into the last century, and one that exhibits few changes in the last 100 years. The most important change in hoop nets has been the introduction of nylon twine. The use of nylon greatly simplified the lives of fishermen and allowed them to use greater numbers of nets, since nylon nets require little care or maintenance and they last a long time. As long as there is a demand for river fish, hoop nets will be used in America's inland waters, and folk fishing as a way of life will survive.