Dear Beth Many thanks for your suggestion on using a lead weight with something sticky to pick up the substrate. I had thought of tying my Filipino boatman and a heavy rock on the end of a rope and telling him to go down and see, but he seemed to object to that! Thanks for encouragement. Think of me next time you are sipping your first evening martini about 5:30pm or so - then it will be dawn over here and I will be hauling up another load of rocks Best regards Richard Parker >From: Peter Froehlich <[log in to unmask]> >Reply-To: Conchologists of America List <[log in to unmask]> >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: Re: Philippines - Deep Sea Tangle Netting - Report 1 fromSiargao >Date: Thu, 8 Apr 1999 19:20:39 -0400 > >Richard, In order to check bottom and avoid setting your net in substrates >you have found unproductive you might try a large lead weight with a hole >drilled in the end that has been filled with petroleum jelly or some other >sticky substance. I know that the big sailing ships used to use this >technique for navigation in shallow water using a line with knot in it each >fathom. Anyway, it would be easy to experiment in shallow water to see what >sticky substance works best and what it looks like after touching different >substrates. Hope this helps. >Good Luck and let us all know the results of your next attempts. > >Beth DeHaas >Whitefield, Maine > >> ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com