The length and depth of a piece of netting after hanging it to a hanging line are determined by the number and size of its mesh. It is, therefore, reasonable to appreciate the value of a correct mesh measurement, the proper understanding of which is essential to the effectiveness of any fishing gear design.
Mesh, to a fisherman, is defined as one of the similar spaces or openings enclosed by weaving the thread into a net. Its size is determined by the length of the thread which encloses that space. This enclosure is made up of four equal legs or bars, each with a knot between them.
Mesh is conventionally measured in a stretched condition from the first to the end knot at their center points known as center measurement and/or inside, of the knots called inside measurement. This is called stretched measure.
The inside measurement is appropriate only in fish conservation work where the inside dimension is considered in relation to the size of the fish for escape purposes, while the center measurement measures only the straight distance between the terminal knots and not the true mesh size.
The inside measurement is appropriate only in fish conservation work where the inside dimension is considered in relation to the size of the fish for escape purposes, while the center measurement measures only the straight distance between the terminal knots and not the true mesh size.