I'm in the market for a new net. The one I'm using, the hoop is too small and the bag to shallow and stiff. What are you guys using? I really don't want to have to drop $100 on a net to get what I'm looking for.
Frabil at walmart, with rubber netting its the cheapest decent net.
Or nomads are nice but pricey. I've got a little wachter. And a metal one for the boat. A fisknat float tube net that's giant for guiding wade trips.
Get a cheap net or build your own net, and just buy a brodin bag for it.
I think the one I have now is a frabil. Got it at Dick's. The bag has got stiff and its just not deep enough. 18-20 inch fish flop out with ease.
I'm working on my net. I had a raquetball racquet from college that was just taking up space. Cut the strings out, ordered a Brodin knockoff bag from China, sanded the frame and removed the grip. Waiting on a good day to paint the frame and still trying to figure out my new handle. I've got $15 bucks in it right now.
Yard sale trout nets? I like it!
Brodin Phantom Tailwater $90 retail.... y; -0- p;- -+; n!n
The best net is the one on the back of your buddy's vest :;! I hate carrying a net.
@Rhody, where was your net yesterday??? d:b
Quote from: Flatlander on January 23, 2015, 11:23:16 AM
The best net is the one on the back of your buddy's vest :;! I hate carrying a net.
Very true!
Quote from: Flatlander on January 23, 2015, 11:23:16 AM
The best net is the one on the back of your buddy's vest :;! I hate carrying a net.
X2 on that!
still in the truck
boat net-fly shop https://catalog.theflyshop.com/product_info.php?products_id=1941&osCsid=fv20rl4ut3f0b3a761bifqbheras237t
they got some knock off brodins-
https://catalog.theflyshop.com/product_info.php?products_id=8421&osCsid=fv20rl4ut3f0b3a761bifqbheras237t
Possibly a winner?
She ain't pretty but should work. I'll Keep my eye out at the FF show.
(http://www.fishwest.net/flyfishing/product/BR52DVTBOS.html#.VMLI3EfF9AJ)
I have 6 nets. 2custom and 4 Brodins. The word BRO isn't in there for nothing. They are great nets, the newer ones bags suck balls. Benny is investigating on one, I ordered a replacement for both Ghost fireholes and the tailwater. The phantom is in its wrapper. I'll sell it to you for 50 donkey
I just got a long handled Brodin and like it for the additional length and the pretty nice finish. If Tropical Lightning was still around there's no question I would have popped for yet another Tropical Lightning though. Maybe I can buy back one of those I got for other people.
Now that they've been out a while, are the ghost-type net bags the real deal? All of my nets have the soft woven bags but I'm wondering if it's time to change them out for the clear bags. My main reason in considering the clear bags isn't that I'm afraid of spooking the fish with the old-school bags but am tired of getting hooks out of them. Do the clear net bags really snag the hook less and is there a problem with droppers falling more easily through the larger holes in the clear bags?
I have a clear bag, dacron line and tapestry needles sitting on the bench waiting for me to get my wretched ass to work but I'm still not 100% sure it's the right move.
Help an old man out here!
Quote from: Peddler on January 28, 2015, 00:08:36 AM
I just got a long handled Brodin and like it for the additional length and the pretty nice finish. If Tropical Lightning was still around there's no question I would have popped for yet another Tropical Lightning though. Maybe I can buy back one of those I got for other people.
Now that they've been out a while, are the ghost-type net bags the real deal? All of my nets have the soft woven bags but I'm wondering if it's time to change them out for the clear bags. My main reason in considering the clear bags isn't that I'm afraid of spooking the fish with the old-school bags but am tired of getting hooks out of them. Do the clear net bags really snag the hook less and is there a problem with droppers falling more easily through the larger holes in the clear bags?
I have a clear bag, dacron line and tapestry needles sitting on the bench waiting for me to get my wretched ass to work but I'm still not 100% sure it's the right move.
Help an old man out here!
I like em
Definitely snag less. Not snag proof, snag less. Easy to unhook though.
I changed mine out a while back after getting tired of unhooking my dropper (or topper). It was a good move.
Do it. I've strung up half a dozen of those clear bags, easy as pie to do. A good tip is to get a couple of spring clamps and clamp the bag to the hoop to hold it while you run the thread through. Holding the bag and trying to string it can be a pain.
^This^
And maybe use old fly line for a little pizzaz.
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-QKAY16rpmRc/U-7IroN_VwI/AAAAAAAAeLM/u2leAeltvno/w702-h540-no/P8150092.JPG)
Yes to the ghost net. Still rockin the net Ben made me. Also, the racquet net idea is interesting. Pictures when finished Bmadd.
How many nets do you see in these photos?
Muddy, em' fish are dead, no need for a net when you are gonna put it to sleep with a rock to the head.
"To Net or Not to Net
A common question among fly fishers is whether it is better to net a trout or not. The short answer is...it depends. The long answer is that you shouldn't net a trout unless you have to. Having said that, there are times when it is appropriate to use a net.
The basic rule of thumb regarding the handling of trout is don't. Of course, this is not always practical and we are sometimes forced to net or touch our catch. However, to the extent that it is possible, you want to avoid handling trout whether it be with your hands or a net.
One thing you should never do is net a small trout. It's simply not necessary and is potentially harmful to the trout. While no trout, large or small, should be manhandled, small trout are particularly susceptible to such mistreatment. They are very delicate little creatures. Mishandling small trout can dramatically increase their post-release mortality rate. They may swim away, apparently healthy, but the damage has been done.
Nets have a tendency to scrape off the protective mucous on a trout's skin. The mucous allows trout to easily slide through the water, reducing the effort required to get around in its environment. The mucous is also a barrier to bacteria and fungi. To a certain extent, any net will remove some of this mucous leaving the trout susceptible to disease.
The actual fabric of the net is an important factor in minimizing the damage to the trout.Notice where the net is being held in case the trout is dropped Rubber nets, like the one pictured, are the best at reducing the negative impacts of netting a trout, but are really only practical, due to their large size, when boat fishing. Soft knotted cotton nets are acceptable, but not as good a rubber. Being smaller, they are much more practical for wade fishermen, but hard to find. Woven synthetic nets, similar to nylon but softer, are in vogue with leading net manufacturers and are a pretty good compromise. Hard knotted nylon nets, like you'd find in the Kmart fishing department, are the worst and should not be used, period (assuming you want the trout to survive).
So when is it a good idea to net a trout? When a good size trout is going ballistic and refuses to give up, that's when! Hard fightin', hard chargin', brutes with no quit in their bones are prime candidates for the net. The idea is to reduce the length of the fight thereby reducing the overall amount of stress inflicted. In such cases the use of a net may be justified because you don't want to play the fish to exhaustion, which can increase post-release mortality rates. Use the net to keep the fight as short as possible.
Proper use of the net can also help minimize its impact. Net the fish, but keep it in the water. Let it catch its breath before lifting for a quick photo. Then return it to the net until it is fully revived. By keeping the netted trout in the water you are helping reduce the friction between the trout's skin and the net fabric. Lifting the trout from the water while in the net will cause the net fabric to scrape the skin and remove mucous.
To bottom line it, never net a small trout and only net large trout to reduce the length of the fight."
Guy Turck 2000
I do not know anything about Mr. Turck, but I only catch small trout, so I do not need a net.
My opinion of that article by Mr. Turck is he doesn't know what he's talking about and that the information on the different types of nets is outdated.
Quote from: bmadd on January 28, 2015, 11:34:01 AM
My opinion of that article by Mr. Turck is he doesn't know what he's talking about and that the information on the different types of nets is outdated.
What parts do you question, other than the antiquated net stuff?
As I read that post, I just kept thinking, "if your goal is to do no harm to a trout, then you shouldn't fish." It begs the question: where does one draw the line as far as what is acceptable and what is not. Some might say don't fish at all. Others might say if you keep what you catch, it's fine, but catch and release is more harmful. Still others say using a net is okay, but don't lay them on a rock, squeeze them too hard, hold them in a mud hole until daylight, barbed versus barbless, bait versus lure, etc, etc.
To each their own. I'll just continue to go on judging everyone who doesn't think the same way as me.
Quote from: The Dude on January 28, 2015, 12:24:58 PM
As I read that post, I just kept thinking, "if your goal is to do no harm to a trout, then you shouldn't fish." It begs the question: where does one draw the line as far as what is acceptable and what is not. Some might say don't fish at all. Others might say if you keep what you catch, it's fine, but catch and release is more harmful. Still others say using a net is okay, but don't lay them on a rock, squeeze them too hard, hold them in a mud hole until daylight, barbed versus barbless, bait versus lure, etc, etc.
To each their own. I'll just continue to go on judging everyone who doesn't think the same way as me.
Cool cerebral outlook, Dude! As for C&R, I don't know if it is more harmful, don't care, but I do know C&R is certainly less filling. I am going to eat more fishes.
Quote from: Mudwall Gatewood on January 28, 2015, 10:37:04 AM
Proper use of the net can also help minimize its impact. Net the fish, but keep it in the water. Let it catch its breath before lifting for a quick photo. Then return it to the net until it is fully revived. By keeping the netted trout in the water you are helping reduce the friction between the trout's skin and the net fabric. Lifting the trout from the water while in the net will cause the net fabric to scrape the skin and remove mucous.
To bottom line it, never net a small trout and only net large trout to reduce the length of the fight."
I agree with his statements of proper use of the net. My opinion is the best thing for the fish after being caught is to keep it in the water. I think the ability land the fish quicker and then to keep it in the water while removing the hook is easier with a net no matter the size of the fish.
His argument for not netting small fish makes no sense to me. I understand that it is not necessary, but to call them small, delicate creatures that shouldn't be manhandled should be a reason to use a net and use your hands less IMO.
Dry hands or lifting the fish on dry ground is just as bad or worse than using a net on any size fish. And I agree with the Dude overall.
the only way i see a net being safer that palming a pune is if you never take it out of the water.
I had two different biologists tell me when handling a fish just don't drop his head on a rock! They told me it is where he is hooked that determines the mortality. If you see blood or if he is hooked in the gills, he will eventually feed the crawfish. That is if he dodges the minks and the otters while he weakens. I got curious about this after watching a biologist shocking a river. They dump them in buckets, weigh them and then measure them. I also asked a biologist about the dry hands versus the wet hands. He told me a healthy fish can rejuvenate slime. If he can't he would be weak enough to die from being caught anyway. I don't know how you can have dry hands while wading in a river stripping fly line, so that one didn't really matter to me one way or the other. That are a lot of different opinions on this, but I am sticking with the biologists.
don't use a net .....I like to just grab them by the tail with vise grips. Losing a little tail wont hurt them 8)
I just step on them. I usually need the leverage to get the hooks out. They seem fine since they go weeeeeee as I chuck them 40 yards upstream. Now a carp is a different story. Usually I feed them lunch and get into a little assplay before we part. But I'm a decent guy.
mad decent 'c;
Nets are a necessary evil IMO. I catch so many 18" - 24" fishes that I really have to have one, unless I'm fishing with Ben. If Ben comes along he can carry the net... :laugh:
I had a gift certificate... so went to the fly shop and was like "bro I want that net", and he was all like "Bro I can order you one" I was like "Brooo i need it for tmmrooo" he was like "really?" I was like "Fuck yea" and he was like "Fuck Yea???" and I was like "Fucking fuck yea!!" so I was like "fucking sell me THAT ONE" he was like "fucking didn't think of that" I was like "You fucking shoulda".....long story short with gift certificate got a fucking once used $150 dollar net for $45....fucking fuck yea you fucking fuckers
(http://i1346.photobucket.com/albums/p694/homegrowncrepe/20150110_123941_zpsutoexmdq.jpg) (http://s1346.photobucket.com/user/homegrowncrepe/media/20150110_123941_zpsutoexmdq.jpg.html)
That is one fucking ugly ass net -+;
Quote from: Flatlander on January 28, 2015, 20:23:21 PM
That is one fucking ugly ass net -+;
Its fucking wat's inside that counts...fuck
(http://i1346.photobucket.com/albums/p694/homegrowncrepe/P1110114_zps9dce9172.jpg) (http://s1346.photobucket.com/user/homegrowncrepe/media/P1110114_zps9dce9172.jpg.html)
(http://i1346.photobucket.com/albums/p694/homegrowncrepe/P1110127_zps6f2d6c4f.jpg) (http://s1346.photobucket.com/user/homegrowncrepe/media/P1110127_zps6f2d6c4f.jpg.html)
If it's ugly, it's bad ass ugly. y;
I am with Flat !!! I hate a net and don't even own one except for a boat net which is used to deal with fish measured in pounds versus inches.
Since you are going to release 99% of your fish anyway,why carry a net unless you are photo happy /
JT