Terminology

Wood screw with a loop at the end to attach something or pass a rope through

Eyelets are small stainless steel rings inserted into a flexible material — such as a net, a tarp or a canvas — to reinforce a hole and allow hanging, threading ropes or fastening to structures.

Carabiners are quick-release metal hooks fitted with a spring-loaded latch, used to easily attach, fasten or secure nets, ropes or cables.

The quick link is a metal connector closed by a screw, used to create a solid, permanent link between two elements, such as nets, chains or cables. Unlike a carabiner, it is not spring-loaded; it is locked by manually screwing on the locking ring.

Vinyl strip is a strong, flexible band usually welded or sewn around the perimeter of a net to reinforce the edges. It improves strength, facilitates installation (e.g. by inserting eyelets) and extends the net's lifespan. At Filmar, we use high-quality, UV-, moisture- and wear-resistant vinyl strips to guarantee clean, long-lasting finishes on all our professional nets.

Material made by weaving yarns or textile fibers made of cotton, hemp, linen or synthetics such as nylon, polyamide or viscose.

Steel or aluminum bar generally used to support a net vertically.

Heavy object added to the bottom of a net to help it sink and hang vertically in the water. Often used together with floats.

Wooden or aluminum pole generally attached to a landing net to hold it at arm's length

Vertical leader attached to the mouth of the net, forming a wall in front of it that encourages organisms to follow it toward the mouth of the net.

Tool in which organisms are confined during sampling, which can then be removed to collect the samples

Object (usually hollow) capable of floating on the surface of the water. Usually installed on the headrope of a net to enable it to float on the surface of the water.

Small textile cord used to attach the net to the perimeter ropes or to any other object the net must be fastened to.

20-25kg weight with a "V"-shaped wing serving to substantially encourage the descent of a net. Generally used in conjunction with large nets in oceanographic research.

Tool installed at the opening of a plankton net to measure the speed of the water flow passing through the net. Mechanical and digital models exist

Square frame made of stainless steel or aluminum, generally used as the opening of certain fyke-type nets; it can also hold the net in a given shape.

Hoop made of stainless steel or aluminum, generally used to manufacture cylindrical bodies in fyke nets or to serve as a fish funnel opening

Vertical leader attached to the mouth of the net that guides organisms toward the mouth with a funnel effect.

Semi-crystalline thermoplastic polymer with exceptional fatigue strength

Made in Canada from high-tenacity multifilament polypropylene, this is the ultimate all-purpose utility rope. While one of the biggest concerns with polypropylene rope is that it degrades in the sun, this rope is made with UV-stabilized yarn for extra longevity.

Rope with a lead core, which adds weight and acts as a weight along the bottom of the net so that it sinks evenly along its whole length.

Rope with a cork core, which increases its buoyancy. Installed along the top of the net so that the top edge floats at the surface of the water.

Ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene fiber, very strong for its weight and low-stretch. It floats and resists abrasion and UV rays well. It is used for ropes and nets that need to be lightweight while supporting heavy loads.

Netting and fishing industry term for all the sides of a net that are reinforced with a rope. The side ropes run along the vertical sides; the headrope and footrope run along the top and bottom of the net.

Hanging of the net during which the meshes are attached to the bolt-rope at a certain percentage of their maximum size (50%, 60%, 70%, 80%), thereby reducing the size of the mounted mesh, allowing for example a fish to pass its head through, but getting caught at the desired body diameter

The process of taking a piece of plain netting and adding bolt ropes along its sides, so that the net keeps its shape, and to add buoyancy or weight on one of the bolt ropes.

Bare netting with no rope or twine. It is not very pleasant to work with, but it suits specific uses that call for quick, low-cost work. Difficult to install, since the net tends to pull in toward its center.

Rope installed around the perimeter of a net and laced to it with fine twine, allowing the net to take the required shape.

Treatment applied to the strand used in the manufacture of the net to protect it from UV rays, thus extending its useful life.

Net made with a strand-in-strand weave of the opposite strand to create a mesh (Raschel). The final result is a softer-touch net with a finer finish.

Net made of several strands twisted together, usually hung at a percentage so that fish can push their heads through and get caught by the body. As soon as the fish backs up, it is caught by the gills. Multifilament is stronger than monofilament.

Net made of a single strand, usually hung at a percentage so that fish can push their heads through and get caught by the body. As soon as the fish backs up, it is caught by the gills.

Treatment applied to the strand used to make the net, making it difficult to ignite.

It is the maximum force that can be exerted on a strand before it breaks.

Diameter of the twine used to make the net. The larger the diameter, the stronger the net.

Textile industry unit of measure: the weight in grams of a 9,000 m length of yarn.

Machine-made knotless netting with hexagonal meshes, very strong, with small meshes ranging from 1/32 in to 1/4 in.

Color of the strand used to make the net; it is also the color of the net.

Yarn used in the initial design of the net. The net is the result of different strands woven together, with or without knots.

Net made by tying knots in the strands to form the meshes. The result is a net that is rougher to the touch.

Maximum distance between two opposite corners of the same mesh when stretched to their maximum. Represents twice the length of the square mesh. This is simply the largest dimension the mesh can take when the perpendicular length is reduced to its minimum

Distance between two corners of the same mesh. A 1 in x 1 in object cannot pass through a 1 in x 1 in mesh. However, an object 1 in in diameter can pass through that same mesh.

High-density polyethylene (HDPE) is made from naturally UV-resistant materials that do not absorb water or rot, but have a lower tensile strength than nylon. HDPE net retains its color for the entire life of the net. Since it doesn't absorb water, there's less sagging, so fewer adjustments are needed to the net. We suggest this net for high-temperature areas and snowy climates. High-density polyethylene loses only 10% of its strength over its lifetime, making it ideal for outdoor use.

Nylon mesh has an initially higher breaking strength than HDPE.

European-made fabric, manufactured to extremely strict standards that give it unmatched precision. Ideal for scientific research requiring replicable conditions across different environments.

Light, malleable metal, derived mainly from bauxite. A waterproof layer of alumina a few nanometers thick protects it from corrosion, making it ideal for aquatic use.

Steel made from an alloy of iron and carbon, with less than 1.2% carbon and at least 10.5% chromium, which is not very susceptible to corrosion and does not rust.

Steel coated with a layer of zinc by hot-dip galvanizing, which protects the steel against corrosion. This is known as an anti-corrosion treatment.