Heron netting 101

[j.w]

I ordered nets from a company in Memphis and the order came yesterday. Addy provided me w/ all the information on what kind to order and what all I needed to do this job. I ordered 4" square mesh mutifilament gill netting #277. I had it coated in a tar like u.v protective coating by the company. They lay it out there after they add the coating and let it dry before they send it. It still is a bit sticky when it arrives and you have to pull the netting apart(it comes in the box in a real long thin line of netting)(looks like a long black thick bunch of string) bit by bit and it takes a long time to do but not that hard once you get going. I staked one side of the netting on the grass next to the driveway and the rest I just used rocks placed on the edges as I unraveled it all.
I will next have to buy some 30lb fish line to sew the 2 pieces of netting together as not wide enough for over my pond w/ just one net. Size of my pond across is about 10' wide and 17' long but I want a few feet to hang over the sides. I will be attaching the netting to t-posts about 5ft tall once pounded in the ground. Clips will be attached to the top of each post so I can squish the net up and place it in the clips to hold it higher up when I need to maintain the pond and get under the netting. A rope (braided poly uv resistant 3/8" rated 244 lbs comes in a roll of about 75' to 100') needs to be strung around the edge of the net about a couple feet hanging down from the posts to make the net more manageable and hang tighter. The rest of the net will just hang loose past the roped part.
This is what I have done so far...............and of course it started raining while I was right in the middle of doing all this but actually the rain kept the tarry stuff from sticking to my fingers. When I started it was not raining and the black stuff was stuck all over my fingers. See that lone black skinny rope looking thing laying on the cement,well that is how it comes packed in the box.

 

[addy1]

Way to go jw! I pinned mine out in the back yard. Made it nice and square and started weaving it together.
I love how it covers the pond without being horribly intrusive to the eyes. Kept the heron away this summer, even with them flying over every night.

Easy to lift off if need be, easy to work under since it up high enough over the pond.

 

[Mmathis]

Interesting. Looks like a lot of extra work, but I'm sure is worth it.

 

[addy1]

I love the fact it does not trap small birds, frogs, hummingbirds. The net is wide enough to let them escape. My first net, I found small dead birds in the pond, they got stuck and died.

 

[j.w]

Yep it's some work but nothing grueling. I will feel much better being gone after I get this net all finished and put into place. What we won't do to protect our fish kids

 

[JohnHuff]

Good luck, j.w.! (That net is pretty big, when I saw the first few pics, I thought you were going deep sea fishing!)

 

[HARO]

That's the type of net I've been looking for to cover MY pond. Next summer we're going back to Nova Scotia for two weeks, should be able to find some around the little fishing villages, I hope!
John

 

[j.w]

They send you enough net to cover a football stadium and it is quite the bargain w/ u.v coating ta boot!

 

[haver79]

I would sure worry less about something getting to the fish if I had one of those!

 

[Tula]

I'm looking forward to seeing pictures of it when you have it in place. I'm trying to visualize the height. Thanks for sharing this info with us. Kim

 

[j.w]

You are welcome and addy has the same netting on her pond right now and she can show you photo's of hers in action. Mine will be a little while as I still have to sew the other piece onto the one side and then run the rope around it and I may need help from my hubby to put it up on the posts. Have to get it done before any snow falls tho cuz the temporary net I have on there now is a shade cloth screen from my green house roof and snow will push that right down into the water.

 

[addy1]

Here is a shot of it, around 3 feet over the water. You can't really see it, but the edge near the bog drops down 2 feet to the bog wall, the herons love to walk in the bog and fish from the edge. The rope makes it so you can pull the net tight, move it, adjust up and down etc. The squares are 4 inches, the doves love to drink at the ponds edge, they easily get in and out of the netting. But herons, owls, hawks are kept out. I am leaving mine up over winter, it might sink some due to snow, but we are going to be gone for awhile, a heron has come fishing in january here.

 

[bettasngoldfish]

eekkk! addy I just love the second photo of all your goldies :heartpump: Just awesome

 

[Mmathis]

JW, you say you will run a rope through the edges in order to pull it tight. I'm a "visual" person, so I don't mean to sound sarcastic, but what I envision is a HUGE HAIRNET over the pond. Is that something like the effect -- covers the top, but adjustable around the edges?

 

[j.w]

I think you are meaning the question to addy TM as I have not strung my rope through yet so don't really know how it will look yet. Those are addy's photo's above as she is showing how it works for her. Maybe addy can answer that for you. The rope gets strung around the top but there is still net hanging down from the rope to the ground. Maybe addy can take a photo of how that looks from the side showing the net hanging down from the rope to the ground. I don't believe the net is adjustable w/ the hanging part on the ground, it just hangs loosely there. Correct me if I am wrong addy.