Although not strictly for use in rockpools, the push net is a great weapon to have in the arsenal as it allows you to target species that can often be very difficult to find in rockpools. Larger shrimps and prawns often do not come in as far as the rock pools and instead frequent the sand beds just off shore. Here you will also find juvenile flatties, pipefish, various crabs and, if your luck is out, the poisonous Weaver fish.
The push net works, as you probably expect, by being pushed through the sand. So you walk out to a depth of one or two feet, and then walk in a horizontal line for 50 metres or so. The push net has a long handle, an ample sized net and a piece of timber running across the base that sits at an angle to cut through the sand without digging downwards.
So essentially it lifts the top few inches of sand and all of the contents go into the net as you push it along. The sand and any small stones or creatures are filtered through and you are left with anything else that does not fit through the holes in the net.
If you don’t have much luck in the first run, you can always then go to slightly deeper water on the next pass and keep going. A pair of waders is helpful if you want to go out to thigh height, although on choppy days even waders might not keep you dry. You don’t have to go out too deep to have success though, it just depends on the beach and the creatures that inhabit it.
Some beaches have a steep drop off and you don’t need to walk out too far to reach depths of a couple of feet, but others have a much shallower incline and you may need to walk out 100 yards or more to reach the depth you want. This can be a pain when you are having to go back to the shore to empty the net after each run!
You also need to be careful when handling whatever you catch, as jellyfish and weevers can give nasty stings.
Many people make their own push net and there are a number of video tutorials out there if that’s the road you want to go down. It will save you money as they aren’t cheap, and another benefit is that you can make it to whatever size you require. However, if you’re like me then you know you’d almost certainly make a piece of crap that would snap on the first run. So I bought one on ebay for fifty quid. The postage was a further £15 though so like I say, they aren’t cheap.
