Net effect

Kathleen Valentine loves going to the state fish pier in Gloucester, especially on a sunny day when the fishing boats come in. She describes the scene, including the way the fishermen repair their nets:

... With knives the cut away the excess attachments, with line and large bobbins that serve as needles, they weave the damaged places back together. They move along the pier always bent over their nets working as they go. Some sit on over-turned plastic milk crates. Some stand, some kneel. They spend hours and hours. Sometimes I can hear them talking to each other as they work–-sharing news and gossip, telling stories, discussing politics and keeping the world running properly. ...