Posted / 16th May 2017
SNG tops catch rates in the 2017 blue whiting season
After an extensive R&D schedule, Irish net makers Swan Net Gundry (SNG) entered the 2017 blue whiting season with a range of new trawl designs and brailers which gave their customers outstanding results and success on the grounds. SNG’s Design Manager Cathal Boyle explains that “the most common size of trawls fished were 2070mtr, 2400m and 2500m design. We manufacture in three well known material options in the front end, PE/PA and PELIX – similar to PE/PA but used for pair trawlers fishing blue whiting as it has the percentage of stretch in the material to cope with the extra stress and strain of a pair team, but still finished with an outer cover in polyethylene for ease of shooting and hauling, HELIX self-spreading twine which has become the most popular rope, bringing cutting edge technology to our blue whiting trawls, the feedback that we have received from our customers after the 2017 season has been “outstanding”.
The highly successful pelagic vessel Antares LK419 fished SNG’s 2,500m net giving horizontal opening of 253m and a vertical opening of 147m resulting in a 12m tunnel opening in the backend “Calculating where the tunnel sensor placement was, this achieved 31% mesh openings which is a direct result of our new 8-panel design and our ongoing R&D into water flow in the backend “And, with not so as much as a single broken mesh for their season, the skipper and crew of Antares reported back their delight with the performance of their new SNG blue whiting net,” The design of these trawls is the result of extensive R&D building over the years and testament to the success of this gear is that it continues to be used by many leading pelagic operators.
The 2500mtr BW Trawl, shown 1300mtr wire shot
Spread 138fm & Opening 80fm
Door spread @ 309mtr
The SNG Helix BW trawl being hauled, one can see clearly the colour coded Helix meshes
The best season for BW brailer sales for SNG
This new brailer design for the 2017 season and beyond has incorporated a host of new features which have been mainly incorporated for strength and shape. We now have 4 panels all the way down to the pump section which gives the brailer a better fishing shape but also adds strength where it’s needed. We are also using heavier and stronger restricting ropes attached with a new tying system with particular attention to the length of the ropes ensuring a uniform shape that can easily take the required larger hauls (up to 750 ton) in one tow
The tail aft end of the 8 panel BW Trawl attached to the 750ton BW Brailer, note the evenness of the 8 panel joined on to the 4 panel Brailer
SNG keeps the standard 4 rib-lines running down the tunnel to connect to Brailer via the netting flaps.
