New Driftnet At Estill Fork Last Friday

We went out last Friday for the last driftnet collection in our 12 month series of collections as part of Brittany's graduate project. The water was higher, murkier, faster and colder than might be expected after two days of rain. The temperature was 17 deg. C. We mostly used the original driftnet, but we also set up a new net that Ruth made to test it out. This net has two differences: the side sleeves to hold support stakes swing out in front of the net instead of to the side, and the back panel of the net itself has a vertical rather than horizontal orientation. Both of these differences seem to be successful modifications. In the photo below the new net is set in our regular collection site, with the water flow just topping the net (so it's just over a foot deep, deeper than in May). Ruth has a pattern for this net so we can make more with notice, and I have more PVC pipe for the frame. We'll see where we go with this.