POLY BAGS
Making a "Balloon" for ShippingMaking a "balloon" is an important function when it comes to
bagging fish for shipping. The balloon tucks the corners of the bag un and into itself so
that the fish don't have a place to dive into in a panic.
There are a number of species which will dive into
corners of the bags...sometimes in mass. They can create a havoc/panic situation and
perhaps damage themselves in the process. Because we are trying to get the fish to the
other end of the process in best possible
condition, it is important to get rid of the corner opportunities.
When a bag is closed (by any method you choose), it usually has two corners on the bottom
of the bag and at the knotted (or banded) end, the "sholders" of the bag are
pretty much rounded.
 
We like to use the "grab and bag" method of trapping air in a bag. Of course
when we use oxygen to ship fish, we use a hose to get the air into the bag. But
essentially the concept is the same...fill the space over the water with gas and close. We
twist the bag...
and then knot the bag,
 
cutting the excess bag away (it makes it easier to slide the bag into a second bag with
the excess cut away). We still need to deal with
the nasty corners of the bag...
If one was to invert the bag, knot first, into a second bag and then push the first
bag into the bottom of the new bag one would create an opportunity to form a balloon. The
balloon is formed when the knot (or banding) is completed on the second bag.
As one twists the second bag, the first bag (which is unside down in the second
bag) is beared down upon, more-or-less pinching it's corners into the newly formed
shoulders of the second bag. The new shoulders should be rounded much like the first bag
was...the shoulders of the first bag remain rounded and in effect the fish are now in a
double bag which is rounded off on all sides.
 
The balloon also creates an environment which is smooth. The rounded corners help
mitigate the tossing, turning and tumbling that is sure to occur as the fish is shipped to
it's new home.
So in effect, not only does the second bag provide
protection from leaks, it also mitigates some of the damages that can occur in the
shipping process. |