Figure 5. — A reed trap being taken aboard the Pelican. The 1- by 2-inch wood laths on top and bottom are useful for 



handling and stacking the traps. 



useful life and required less repair. They were 

 also relatively easy to stack and carry and could 

 be made by local labor. 



Reed traps . --Reed traps (figs. 3 and 5), popu- 

 lar in many parts of the Caribbean, are woven 

 in three sections from cane strips. Top and bot- 

 tom sections are identical, roughly 32 by 36 

 inches. Trap sides are formed by bending the 

 third section, measuring about 14 or 18 inches 

 wide and 1 32 inches long, to form a rounded rec- 

 tangle and then bending the adjacent edges in 

 and fastening a funnel between them. The funnel 

 is woven separately and is usually about 14 

 inches across on the outside and 6 inches at the 

 inner end. Top and bottom are attached to the 

 sides with baling wire. One end of the top is left 

 loose for inserting bait and removing the catch. 

 Wooden slats (fig. 5) are wired to top and bottom 

 to facilitate handling and stacking, and a con- 

 crete weight is fastened in the bottom so that the 

 trap will sink upright. The amount of concrete 

 used varies with the strength of the current at 

 the fishing site. 



The useful life of reed traps, when compared 

 to that of either wood or wire traps, is extremely 

 short. Repairs became necessary after 2 or 3 

 months' use, and after 4 months the reed traps 

 had to be discarded. In addition, as they aged, 

 the traps were especially susceptible to damage 

 by sharks and other large fish. 



Wire traps . --Wire traps (fig. 6) usedmeas- 

 ured 14 by 36 by 36 inches and were constructed 

 from 3/4- or 1-inch hardware cloth. 



Two 64-inch pieces of 36-inch hardware cloth 

 are cut; each end is bent up 90°, 14 inches back; 

 and the two are wired together at right angles to 

 form a rectangle. A section of either top or side 

 is then cut out, and the funnel is inserted and 

 wired in place. Top funnels are 8-inch squares 

 open on both ends. Side funnels are made from 

 two triangular pieces of hardware cloth, 4 by 18 

 inches, wired together to form a funnel-shaped 

 opening, which is about 14 inches across at the 

 outer end and 6 inches at the inner. Finally, a 

 hinged opening is made in the top panel by 

 cutting along three sides of an area large enough 



