Weaving a Wicker Fish Trap — Funnel-Entry Basket Trap

Harvest green willow withies in spring or early summer when the sap is running — this is when they are most flexible. Select straight rods about 1-1.5 metres long and 3-5mm in diameter. You need 30-40 thin weavers and 8-10 thicker stakes (5-8mm) for the framework. Strip any leaves. If the withies have dried, soak them in water for several hours until pliable.

Arrange 8 thick stakes in a circle, their butt ends together, forming a radiating star pattern. Begin weaving thin withies in and out of the stakes using a simple randing weave — over one stake, under the next, repeating around the circle. After every 3-4 rows, push the weaving down tight. The body should form a cylinder about 30cm in diameter and 50-60cm long. The weave gaps should be small enough that target fish cannot escape through the walls.

At the open end of the cylinder, bend the stake tips inward gradually, weaving them together to form a funnel that narrows to an opening about 5-7cm wide. The funnel should extend 15-20cm into the trap body. Fish follow the funnel walls inward easily but the narrow opening and expanding interior confuse their escape instinct — they swim along the trap walls instead of finding the small hole. Secure the funnel tip stakes by weaving their ends into the body wall.

Weave the back end of the trap closed by bending the remaining stakes inward and interlocking them in a dome shape. Leave a small removable panel or tie-closed flap so you can retrieve fish without destroying the trap. This can be a simple bundle of withies lashed in place with cordage that you untie to harvest.

Place bait inside the trap — fish scraps, crushed berries, or bread work as attractants. Position the trap in shallow water with the funnel entrance facing downstream. Fish moving upstream will naturally enter the funnel. Weight the trap with stones placed on top to prevent it floating away. Check the trap every 12-24 hours. In productive waters, a single trap can yield several fish per day without any active effort.