| Before you can begin making your
Creel you will have to locate all of the component parts, most of these
are available at little or no cost if you know where to look. I try to
use other peoples waste materials, this saves on cost and is good for
the environment. |
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Tools Required
You only need some very basic tools:
A small electric drill is the only power tool required, as you can see
in the photo most people will have all the tools they need apart from a
"Net Makers Needle" |
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The type of creel that I am going to make is a
small "Parlour Creel" it will have one entrance spout and one parlour
spout, this is the name given to a funnel like entrance formed from
netting. The base is always a good place to start when making a Creel.
I always use hardwood for the base, softwood is OK if that's all you can
get, however you will need to replace the base after two or three
seasons.
The dimensions for the base are 18" X 24" each lathe is 3" wide and 3/4"
thick. As you will note from the photo you require 5 long and 3 short
lathe's for this type of Creel.
Nailing the wood together using 2" galvanised wire nails for best
results. Or use 40mm ring nails as I have done.
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| Once the
base has been made mark the holes for the "Bows" bore the holes using a
25mm flat wood bit, or whatever the diameter of the material you
are using for your bows, once fitted secure to the base with nails. Gas
and water pipe are readily available and make an excellent material to
work with, anything that can be bent and retain its form is OK for the
bows and side sticks, traditional materials were Briers, Hazel and Cane.
The bow length is 36 inches. |
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Parlour Spout.
I always use machine made net, 4mm twine mesh size 75mm and I buy it in
bales of 18X1000 meshes. For the parlour spout you will require a piece
of net 4.5 meshes deep by 19 meshes long, this is laced around the
centre bow, 6 meshes along the base. |
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| Once the spout is laced in,
staple the twine along the base using strips of plastic and small "Clout
Nails" |
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| Gather the meshes at the loose
end of the parlour spout to form a funnel, then tie them to the end bow.
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| The netting for the creel is
made from one sheet of net 14 meshes by 18 meshes stretched over the
bows and gathered at the base. |
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| Once all the net has been
gathered the creels covering is almost complete. |
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| The top stick is now fitted,
drill a small hole in a straight 2 foot length of pipe. drill the bow
and secure with a 70mm nail, repeat on all three bows. |
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| Staple the lacing to the base
using plastic strips and small nails. Once this has been completed lace
the top netting ends together. |
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| Make the door by cutting at five
mesh height for the full length of the creel. |
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| Fit the side stick as you did
the top stick, |
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| Fit the door stick
to the door and secure the ends. |
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| Turn the creel round and cut out
the net to form the entrance spout, |
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| Lace in a length of net 14
meshes long by 3 meshes deep, once this has been done gather the at the
open end to form a funnel type entrance, pull through the creel and
secure to the side stick at the door side. |
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| Fit the last side stick as
you did the top stick.. |
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| Lash the sticks and bows
together, this is vitally important as it gives the creel greater
strength. |
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| Finally fit the bait bag,
ballast and strop to the creel which is now complete. The whole process
from start to finish takes about 2 hours. |
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| This creel is an ideal size for
any small fishing boat, it can be used in strings of up to 30 creels or
as a single creel. You can also use a creel this size for fishing off any
rocky shore. It will catch Crabs, Lobsters and Fish. |
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