THE net of ALL nets

There has been one design for all nets for hundreds of years. Thats not saying that it is the exact same material, because it is far from the same. The design however has never wavered and the truly fascinating thing is neither has its effectiveness! The exact net that I have been studying is shown in the picture to the left. That is the Willow Root Fish Net that I discovered in the Alaska Museum. Its design is simple to explain as well as to understand. At the top of the net there is a long line that is strung with pieces of wood that are used as flotation for the net while it is in the water. Below that is the all important net which is how the fish are actually caught. It is made up of Willow Roots which are tightly woven together in diamond shapes which make it very easy to catch the salmon. At the bottom of the net is what holds the whole net down is a line much like the top of the net but at the bottom it is strung along with animal bones, specifically Caribou bones which helped weigh down the net and keep the bottom if is submerged. All of these aspects of the net work together inline to catch as much wild Alaska salmon as possible!