Biloxi native Frank Duggan grew up in a family of fisherman. When he was twelve years old, an uncle taught him how to knit cast nets, a smaller net thrown by hand by one person. Soon after he began working in a local net shop making trawls, the larger nets drug behind boats to catch shrimp. The demand for the handmade nets has declined over the years as less expensive nets made from synthetic materials have become available. Although he now makes his living as a police officer, Duggan continues to construct nets in his spare time, knitting them with wooden needles that he makes himself. He works to pass on the netmaking and casting traditions through frequent demonstrations of these skills at the Maritime and Seafood Industry Museum in Biloxi.
		Frank Duggan demonstrating cast net knitting. Frank Duggan explains how he got started making nets and the importance of cast nets in the history of Biloxi. Get QuickTime™.

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