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It’s an angling art that’s been around for millennia.

They’ve been found in Egyptian tombs dating back several thousand years. There’s mention of metaphoric fishing nets in Christian texts, particularly Ezekial Chapter 32, where God talked about disposing of the Egyptians as though they were sea beasts to be caught and removed.

The native Calusa, a powerful tribe of anglers and traders that controlled south Florida and even taxed other native peoples, used cast nets extensively, launching them over thick schools of mullet.

Lots of angling techniques are faddish in nature. Some companies make red fishing line, claiming that red disappears faster underwater than any other color. Other companies make lures with red paint and hooks, boasting that red actually attracts fish, instead of disappearing.

But the cast net is here to stay, at least as long as anglers are chasing baitfish in coastal and inland waters.

Simple in concept, but difficult and sometimes dangerous in practice, throwing a cast net properly is graceful and efficient, almost elegant. The angler, who can be on in the shallows or on a boat, attaches a rope to one hand, coils the net in the other, folds it over a couple of times, spins like a discus thrower and tosses the net, which explodes into a giant circle. Kind of like a monofilament fireworks display.

The caster lets the net sink for a few seconds, depending on depth, then grabs the rope and hauls in what’s hopefully a large catch. It could be mullet, blue crab, Spanish mackerel or, more commonly, baitfish that will be dangled in front of snook and tarpon.

Unlike other fishing tactics — like sight-casting to redfish in 20 inches of water — throwing a cast net is a skill that can be acquired in an hour or so in your backyard, or at one of the many free cast net clinics offered at local parks.

“A lot of people are intimidated by nets,” says Buster McKenzie, owner of Calusa Cast Nets in Fort Myers. “It’s just a practice issue. If you go out and practice for an hour in the backyard, using the right techniques, you can learn enough to go out and catch bait.”

All you need is a Florida fishing license and a cast net. The rest is up to you.

The numbers

McKenzie makes and sells some of the finest cast nets on the market and has been throwing nets for more than 30 years. His nets cost upward of $300, although you can find nets starting at $35.99 for a three-and-a-half-footer at places like Bass Pro Shops in San Carlos Park.

Price isn’t the only number you’ll see when looking for that perfect cast net. Overall sizes are given by radius: a 10-foot net opens to 20 feet, etc. Smaller nets are easier to throw under most conditions. Eight to 12 feet is common for coastal waters here.

Overall weight of the net is determined mostly by the amount of lead weights in the net’s lead line.

Then there’s mesh size, which ranges from one-quarter inch to 2 inches. Nets are woven in a diamond-shaped fashion, and the mesh measurement is taken at the widest point. Three-eighths inch mesh is the standard for Southwest Florida baitfish.

Then there’s the number that justifies the purchase of a cast net: the amount you save by catching your own bait. Live baitfish can cost upward of $1 or more a piece, and you can go through three or four dozen in a day fishing for grouper, McKenzie says.

Technique

Learning to throw a cast net is something that’s better learned in person. Clinics are held regularly at local parks, tackle and hardware stores and at events like the Florida Sportsman’s Fishing and Boat Show, which takes place every February in Fort Myers. DVDs are popular learning tools as well. McKenzie taped a five-minute segment about throwing cast nets and posted it on youtube.com (go to youtube and search Calusa cast nets).

“I could tell you how to throw a cast net and it would take a book, but I could show you in a few minutes,” McKenzie says.

Joshua Conley is a ranger at Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park in Naples and does cast net demonstrations monthly.

“If you’re right-handed, put the loop around your left hand. Hold the net in your right and throw clockwise,” Conley explains to about a dozen anglers during a recent clinic. “Coil up the line. Pull the net up under the horn with your free hand. Grab the net with your tethered hand (the one with the loop on it). Reach about halfway down the net.”

In the end, the idea is to toss the net over a school of fish, let it drop and trap the fish, then retrieve the net.

Learning to throw the net is one skill. Finding fish to put in the net is another.

“A lot of people will make multiple casts and come up with nothing,” Conley says. “In order to catch a school of fish, they have to be there first.”

Conley says he finds baitfish visually. Others, like McKenzie, use chum like tropical fish or cat food.

“Get a (chum) slick going and wait just long enough until you see the fish feeding,” McKenzie says. “Then throw. Pinfish (one of the most popular local live baits) will show up almost immediately.”

Baitfish like structure. It gives them a place to hide from predators and an ambush spot for feeding. McKenzie says he throws around bridges, pilings and markers this time of year, mostly for threadfin herring.

Safety considerations

“People have been pulled overboard by large animals and alligators when they’ve gotten hung up,” Conley says. “It’s a good idea to carry a knife with you. It can save you from drowning.”

Conley makes cast netting sound a little dangerous. And while precautions should certainly be taken, throwing a cast net doesn’t have to be an exercise in cutting rope entanglements underwater.

Obviously you don’t want to go overboard or throw your back out. You also don’t want your net to get tangled on cleats or the trolling motor when you launch it.

McKenzie says anglers should pick the size of their net based on the boat they’ll be fishing from. If you’re on a bay boat that has 3-foot gunwales on each side, pick a smaller net because you have to clear the side of the boat, not just throw the net.

Cast net care

The No. 1 tip is to make sure you attach the tether line so you don’t loose your net when you throw it. McKenzie says his nets will last several years if washed and protected from harmful UV rays.

“To clean it, put the net in a bucket, fill it up with water. If it’s really dirty use detergent soap. Wash it out and lay it flat to dry. Monofilament has memory (it will take a shape if twisted and stay that way). Then put it back in the bucket and store it in a cool area out of the sun.”

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Cast net lingo

-- Horn: A round, plastic hoop at the top of the net that acts as a guide, keeping the net in proper alignment

-- Hand line/throw line: A rope of about 20 to 30 feet in length that tethers the thrower to the net and to retrieve net

-- Hand loop: A loop that goes around your off hand (opposite your favored hand) and keeps you from loosing contact with the throw line

-- Swivel: A device used to attach the hand line to the net

-- Lead line: A series of weights and netting at the bottom of the net

SOURCE: excaliburcastnets.com

Local parks sometimes give free cast net demonstrations

-- Lovers Key State Park, 8700 Estero Blvd., Bonita Springs, (239) 463-4588

-- Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park, 11135 Gulfshore Drive, Naples, (239) 597-6196

Online: You can also watch McKenzie’s video at youtube.com/watch?v=lOUkj2h2LjI\