Catching Fish in a Hoop Net!

Raising a hoop net at the Mallard Bay Hunting Club in Gueydan, Louisana. April 2005 with my friends Dennis Simon and Louis Turner. What is a hoop net? This device is laid with its mouth open IN the direction of the bayou's current, because fish must swim UPstream to maintain oxygenation in their gills. However, as they pass inside the hoop net, each funnel gets smaller and smaller, until they reach the last compartment of the net (the net is about 16 feet long with 3 large compartments to hold fish). The last compartment has a flimsy funnel that lets the fish inside but they cant pass back through it. And the end of the net has an area that we tie to open and close, so that we can let the fish out inside of our boat. The hoop net is a unique fish catching device invented thousands of years ago by Native Americans along the Mississippi River. The tradition was passed along to the French settlers who travelled and traded here in this part of the country beginning in the mid 1700's. Cajuns, such as my family, still bear the tradition of hoop net fishing in the freshwater bayous of Louisiana, where each net can hold up to 400 pounds of catfish, garfish, buffalo fish, and carp! Sometimes, we even catch large turtles and alligators. Here you can see all of the fish splashing water around, as they are caught inside the tail of the net! Seen behind me is my dad, H.G. Vautrot, and there is also our long-time friend Louis Turner (wearing the blue shirt). He lives in Houston, Texas, but is always happy to drive down over to Louisiana to catch fish with us, and enjoy a good, tastey Cajun meal of fresh, fried catfish!