Gillnets and entangling nets are strings of single, double or triple netting walls, vertical, near by the surface, in midwater on on the bottom, in which fish will gill, entangle or enmesh. Gillnets and entangling nets have floats on the upper line (headrope) and, in general, weights on the ground-line (footrope).
Gillnets or entangling nets consist in single or, less commonly, double (both are known as “gillnets”, strictly speaking) or triple netting (known as “trammel net”) mounted together on the same frame ropes. Several types of nets may be combined in one gear (for example, combined gillnets-trammel nets). These nets can be used either alone or, as is more usual, in large numbers placed in line (‘fleets’ of nets).
The gear can set, anchored to the bottom or left drifting, free or connected with the vessel.
