A case is presented for the revival of an old, but very productive, insect collecting method. Seines made from readily-available and inexpensive materials were used to skim insect-bearing plant debris from the water surface of the El Dorado Canal near Pacific House in the Sierra Nevada of California. Fifty-six collecting events over a period of 26 years resulted in the accumulation of a large number of insects, especially beetles. Of the nearly 5000 specimens collected and prepared, about 3000 of them were beetles representing 72 families. Identifications of nearly 70% of the insect specimens by specialists revealed surprising taxonomic diversity and many uncommon species.