I remember going on excursions up and down Red River in search of dogwood suitable for net hoops. We passed so many sandbars with acres of willow, that I thought would be perfect for net hoops. Dad would say, "That durn willer won't last but one season submerged in Ole Red." Dad always held out for dogwood because he could put it in Red River, fishing season after fishing season.
Dad hid his nets up and down the river in winter months. Through all that abuse the dogwood net hoops lasted for years; until the net itself was finally beyond repair and a new one tied for the old hoops. However, we always put new hoops in the nets we made to sell, which kept us busy searching for dogwood that was suitable for net hoops. Dad's nets and hoops were in great demand.
When making dogwood net hoops Dad would partially bend the dogwood branches and then tell me: "Now let them get used to ng the shape they're in ... we'll bend them some more tomorrow." The shaping process dad put the dogwood through intrigued me.