Abstract:
A netting conduit. The conduit defines a continuous channel extending between a first open end and a second open end. The conduit is fabricated from netting having a mesh size sufficient to prevent most fish from traversing through the netting material. The conduit tapers from the first open end to a midsection and enlarges from the midsection to the second open end. The longitudinal edges of the conduit can define a parabolic shape. The conduit further includes stakes that are usable to anchor the conduit to the bed of the waterway in which the conduit is in use.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/212,726 filed on Sep. 1, 2015. The above identified patent application is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety to provide continuity of disclosure. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to fishing nets, devices configured to assist in the counting of fish, or fishing weirs or other such devices configured to direct the passage of fish in waterways. More specifically, the present invention relates to devices configured to be placed in waterways in order to redirect fish and thereby assist individuals in counting the fish passing through the waterway. 
         [0003]    Fish hatchery surveyors are often tasked with the difficult chore of counting the number of fish in a river or other such waterway. Fish are generally counted at a narrow part of the river in order to reduce the number of fish that the surveyors need to count simultaneously; however, even the narrowest part of a river is generally not narrow enough to prevent a significant number of fish from swimming abreast and too quickly to be counted accurately. This results in defective counts and inaccurate figures. Therefore, there exists a need for a device that can limit the path of fish in a river to more accurately count them. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of fish counting or trapping devices now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a netting conduit wherein the same can be utilized for providing convenience for the user when counting the number of fish within a river or another such waterway. The conduit defines a continuous channel extending between a first open end and a second open end. The conduit is fabricated from netting having a mesh size sufficient to prevent most fish from traversing through the netting material. The conduit tapers from the first open end to a midsection and enlarges from the midsection to the second open end. The longitudinal edges of the conduit can define a parabolic shape. The conduit further includes stakes that are usable to anchor the conduit to the bed of the waterway in which the conduit is in use. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0005]    Although the characteristic features of this invention be particularly pointed out in the claims, the invention itself and manner in which it may be made and used may be better understood after a review of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like numeral annotations are provided throughout. 
           [0006]      FIG. 1  shows a perspective vie of a netting conduit. 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  shows a diagram of a netting conduit in use in a waterway. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    Reference is made herein to the attached drawings. Like reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to depict like or similar elements of the netting conduit. the figures are intended for representative purposes only and should not be considered to be limiting in any respect. 
         [0009]    Referring now to  FIG. 1 , there is shown a perspective view of a netting conduit. The conduit  101  includes a first open end  102  and a second open end  103  with a continuous channel extending therebetween. The conduit  101  is constructed from a netting or mesh material, i.e., a material composed of fibers or threads woven together to form a grid-like structure. The netting has a mesh size configured to prevent a fish from being able to pass, without restricting the flow of water, therethrough. In one embodiment, the conduit  101  is constructed entirely from the netting material. Furthermore, the netting of the conduit  101  can be uniform in construction along he entire length thereof. 
         [0010]    The conduit  101  includes a pair of edges  104  extending longitudinally between the first open end  102  and the second open end  103 . The edges  104  taper from the first open end  102  to a midsection  105  of the conduit  101  and then enlarge from the midsection  105  to the second open end  103 . In one embodiment, a width of the first open end  102  is larger than a width of the second open end  103 , which is in turn larger than a width of the midsection  105 . In another embodiment, a cross-sectional area of the first open end  102  is larger than a cross-sectional area of the second open end  103 , which is in turn larger than a cross-sectional area of the midsection  105 . In an illustrative embodiment, the edges  104  are arcuate or parabolic in shape. 
         [0011]    The conduit  101  further includes a plurality of stakes  111  attached thereto that are configured to anchor the conduit  101  to the bed of the waterway in which the conduit  101  has been placed. In an illustrative embodiment of the conduit  101 , the stakes  111  include a first set of stakes disposed at the first open end  102  and a second set of stakes disposed at the second open end  103 . When both sets of stakes  111  are anchored to the bed of the waterway, the conduit  101  can be held taut therebetween. 
         [0012]    The conduit  101  can be utilized by orienting it roughly longitudinally with respect to the direction of the flow of a waterway. Furthermore, the first open end  102  is directed towards the direction from which the user expects fish to be coming, such that fish enter the first open end  102  and are then forced to proceed linearly through the conduit  101  as it tapers towards the midsection  105 . The conduit  101  can be provided in a number of different sizes in order to accommodate waterways having different dimensions and different types of fish. In one embodiment, the midsection  105  has a cross-sectional area equal to or slightly larger than the size of the fish that the user wishes to count, allowing only a single fish to pass through the midsection  105  at a time and thereby making the fish easier to count. In one embodiment, the conduit  101  can be fabricated such that the width and the depth of the first open end  102  are close to the width and the depth of the waterway, thereby ensuring that substantially all of the fish passing through the waterway likewise pass through the conduit  101  when put into place within the waterway. 
         [0013]    An embodiment of the conduit  101  further includes a cover  201  or sleeve that is securable thereover. The cover  201  constructed from continuous sheet of material lacking any openings. The cover  201  matches the size and shape of the conduit, including a first open end  202  corresponding to the first open end  102  of the conduit  101  and a second open end  203  corresponding to the second open end  103  of the conduit  101 . The cover  201  is configured to be tightly securable over the conduit  101  when the conduit  101  is taut, blocking the mesh openings of the netting of the conduit  101  when secured thereover. The cover  201  can be utilized, e.g., when counting fisher that are smaller than the mesh size of the conduit  101 , as such fish would otherwise be free to move through the netting material of the conduit  101 . 
         [0014]    Referring now to  FIG. 2 , there is shown a diagram of a netting conduit in use in a waterway. In an alternative embodiment, the conduit  101  further includes wings  301  extending from the lateral sides of the first open end  102 . The wings  301  are configured to unfurl or extend from the first open end  102  to a desired length, allowing users to adjust the conduit  101  for use in waterways  501  having different widths. In one embodiment, the wings  301  are constructed from the same netting material as the conduit  101 . The wings  301  further includes stakes  111  disposed at their distal ends so hat the wings  301  can be secured in place when unfurled. The wings  301  can include a height greater than or equal to the depth of the waterways  501  in which the conduit  101  is intended to be used, thereby allowing the wings  301  to serve as barriers preventing fish from passing over or around the wings  301  and directing the fish towards the first open end  102 . In one embodiment, the height of the wings  301  is equal to the height of the first open end  102  so that they conduit  101  and the wings  301  are congruent. In one embodiment, the wings  301  further include inflatable structures disposed along their top edges. The inflatable structures along the wings  301  maintain the wings  301  in an upright position, perpendicular relative to the surface of the waterway  501 . 
         [0015]    The wings  301  are extended in length so that they can be secured to the banks of the waterway  501  well upstream of the conduit  101  so that drag from the flow of the waterway  501  on the assembly is reduced. In one embodiment, the length of each of the wings  301  is equal to three-quarters of the length of the conduit  101 . The wings  301  being three-quarters of the length of the conduit  101  has experimentally been found to balance the amount of drag on the assembly without the need for the wings  301  to be excessively long. 
         [0016]    This embodiment of the conduit  101  is utilized within a waterway  501 , e.g., a river, by orienting the first open end  102  towards the direction from which the fish the user wishes to count will be coming and then securing the conduit  101  tautly in place via the stakes  111  disposed on the body of the conduit  101 . The user then unfurls the wings  301 , extends the wings  301  to the edge of the waterway  501 , and then secures the wings  301  in place via the stakes  111  disposed thereon. The conduit  111  thereby serves as a means for creating an artificial chokepoint in a waterway  501  for counting fish or other aquatic life passing therethrough that does not disrupt the flow of the waterway  501  and is adjustable. 
         [0017]    It is therefore submitted that the instant invention has been shown and described in various embodiments. It is recognized, however, that departures may be made within the scope of the invention and that obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art. With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention. 
         [0018]    Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.