Fishing The Fly Scotland
Index => Tackle Talk => Topic started by: Mike Barrio on 16/04/2015 at 11:41
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I hate nets when on the river, they always get in my way and never feel right for me :z6
I've just ordered an Orvis retractable net holding gadget and I'm thinking about trying this with a wooden scoop net ..... fingers crossed :z4
Cheers
Mike
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The good thing about the Orvis retractable net thinghy (if its the one I have), is that it has a quick release clip meaning you can very quickly detach your net from the lanyard with the fish in it. Really useful feature indeed.
I dropped the wooden framed scoop net in favour of a metal framed version. because the wood floated, it was for ever banging my side in the current. The metal one is lighter, thinner and does not catch the current/float.
Alternative is not to wade so deep!
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Sounds like the one I've ordered Rob. I have a couple of wooden nets, so I'll see how I get on with them.
I love the shape, mesh and size of the Wychwood Rover Net ..... but mine has just been a pain, the pin dropped out of it on it's second outing and the unfolding mechanism jams half open all the time, it will quite likely end up in the skip :z6
Cheers
Mike
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Oh dear, that is not good at all. Normally their kit is great. I would report back on my Wychwood salmon Gye net, but as I left it in the car park on its second trip out, I can't!..lol
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I would report back on my Wychwood salmon Gye net, but as I left it in the car park on its second trip out, I can't!..lol
Maybe that's what I should have done :z4 :z4 :z4
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hey Mike !
just a few thoughts about carrying scoop nets:
imo, the main reason they can be a pia to have is that they swing around, catch things like bushes and stuff and get in the way when moving about.
assuming the net is kept in the back, the above happens a lot more when it's attached by the handle (handle up), plus the net bag hangs below the net further increasing its snaggability and reaching up over the shoulder can be difficult for us old gits ! :z4
now, attach it the other way around (handle down) and the net's frame lays flat against the back (as well as the bag) and the whole lot wobbles back and forth a whole lot less, (it basically doesn't unless you do some sort of climbing or James Brown type of gesticulation... :z13 ) plus grabbing the handle to scoop a fish becomes more intuitive and much easier !
imo, retractors for nets don't make a lot of sense as it means holding the net down against the retractor's force and quite often this hinders or detracts from last-second landing activities. (the fish wants to take off again or a gazzilion other things that might/can/will happen when we thought the fight was over but wasn't. once the fish landed, the retractor is still pulling etc, etc, etc.
on the other hand, retractors like the orvis are really nice for wading staffs or small cameras :wink
i've tried all scoop net management systems and this is the only that works well all the time. you can of course omit the leash but that means losing a lot of nets both on the ground and in the water... :z4
(but maybe mostly, the leash allows one to let go of the net if needed and continue to properly finish the fight, without having to faff about with the darn net)
cheers,
marc
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and reaching up over the shoulder can be difficult for us old gits ! :z4
Sure can :z4 :z4 :z4
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I have a bamboo scoop net that hangs from a C& F magnet thing, handle down and leashed to my wading belt. Never swings about or gets in the way.
It never occured to me to hang a net handle up cos I could never reach it.
The leash is also a C&F springy cord thing. I have one on my float tube for the same reason and attached to my Abel nippers. Very nice bit of kit.
Might look at getting a bigger net this year but that might be pushing my luck! :z4
:z1
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I do hang "The Rover" handle down and I like the net size and the extending handle ..... maybe I just need to work out why it is jamming :z8
Cheers
Mike
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now, attach it the other way around (handle down) and the net's frame lays flat against the back (as well as the bag) and the whole lot wobbles back and forth a whole lot less, (it basically doesn't unless you do some sort of climbing or James Brown type of gesticulation... :z13 ) plus grabbing the handle to scoop a fish becomes more intuitive and much easier !
Yep Marc handle down . Must admit I went all posh with a spiral plastic spring thing to replace a piece of fine bungee cord recently but don't think it's any better. I have a magnetic holder cable tied to the bow of the net which allows the net to hang handle down.
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Ive been using one of these since last year, must admit not the most confidence inspiring when trying to land a fish but have had a few 4 pounders in it and did the job. Much easier to carry around but takes a bit of getting the hang of it folding it up again.
http://www.guideline.no/EASY+FOLD+NET.d2Y-18UlNO38pBp7q5B8Nxh0xE2N13PYpwtvO5o.ips?template=engWebshop
All in all I prefer a solid scoop net but find this better especially when banks start getting a bit overgrown.
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Fished with a wooden scoop net for years now and you learn how to avoid most of the annoying bits :z4
Totally agree handle down by far the best way to position it, although the back of yer waistcoat can get a bit mingin if you have to use it often enough but a small price to pay for a few Rod benders :z4 :z4
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Tennis racket style nets have cost me a couple of serious trophies :cry :cry, so i don't go anywhere without my folding Macleans :z16 Quite accurate with weighing too so very handy.
Sandy
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I don't go anywhere without my folding Macleans :z16 Quite accurate with weighing too so very handy.
I just wish the netting was different, shallower and micro mesh :z6
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I just wish the netting was different, shallower and micro mesh :z6
You would need that to stop your fish falling through, i never seem to have the same issues :z7
:z4 :z4
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You would need that to stop your fish falling through, i never seem to have the same issues :z7
:z4 :z4
ZX3
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I just wish the netting was different, shallower and micro mesh :z6
Yeah, it's frustrating that although Maclean's do an excellent micromesh option in NZ, for some reason it doesn't get imported to the UK.
I got mine in NZ (in fact I had to ring Macleans direct and get them to deliver it to a local tackle shop!).
Might be worth calling them direct Mike and seeing if they'll send you one.
W.
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Hi Will,
I think the rubber mesh bags are available in the UK now, as an accessory, but then I'd have to buy the net for £90 and the mesh bag for £18 :z6
http://www.guideflyfishingonline.co.uk/page.php?id=1316 (http://www.guideflyfishingonline.co.uk/page.php?id=1316)
I think I need to fix the Wychwood :z4
Cheers
Mike
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thanks for the link Mike, been searching for the Trout size rubber net bag in Europe for a while. :z16
on the other hand, it might be that i didn't search properly but i don't find any retailers. any help ? :z16
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Good spot Mike. Thanks for the link!
W.
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Hi Marc :z16
I think all these would be dealers, or at least have an account for ordering one? Hopefully you'll see one you know.
http://www.guideflyfishingonline.co.uk/dealer-list-main.php (http://www.guideflyfishingonline.co.uk/dealer-list-main.php)
Cheers
Mike
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So these Mclean scoop nets with the scales seem to be popping up everywhere.
Are they worth £70 and do they hang nicely handle down? I have had a look around and they look like the only net that fits my needs.
Reviews please!
:z1
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thanks Mike ! :z16 i'll just send the distributor an email with the hope they can tell me which store has the rubber mesh bag.
Will ! are you still looking for one ? pm me if you are ? :z16
Are they worth £70 and do they hang nicely handle down?
yes and yes. it's very nice gear. mine's 2 or 3 years old now and still looks like new :z16
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found the rubber mesh bag ! :z4
GAC must have recently added it. http://www.fishingmegastore.com/mclean-rubber-netbag~24928.html
and it's not in stock either... :z4
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Are they worth £70 and do they hang nicely handle down?
I like mine. It hangs nicely, and is a good size - not too small, not too big. I've had trout to 5lb+ in it no probs. Being able to weigh your trout without handling them is great.
But... on the negative side:
£70... it's a lot for a net, and then you still have to add a few gadgets to make it fishable.
The standard knotless bag is a pain. It gets snagged on everything, it's too long. Mine got tangled up in the car boot before even going fishing. First thing - buy a replacement net or be prepared to curse a lot. (i bought a standard coarse fishing rubber net and fitted that). Or you can tie a knot in the bottom of the net to shorten it.
To hang the net, you need to add a magnetic release thing to the frame, and a lanyard to the handle so you can let the net go without losing it.
I added a magnetic release to the frame (exactly opposite to the handle). I had to use a cable tie to fit the magnet's split ring to the net frame.
The other half of the mag release is attached to the D-ring on the back of my fishing vest with a split ring. Minor contortions to re-attach after catching but do-able.
The handle of the net is attached to a coiled lanyard with dog clips (I bought the Caimore coiled lanyard from eBay and it's been excellent caimore coiled lanyard).
The other end of the lanyard is clipped to a d-ring that I slipped onto the side strap of my vest. The net by default comes with a piece of string to attach to yourself.... hmm. Plus the standard connector on the net handle is odd.
So, great net, but needs a lot of tweaks to make it usable. Having written this, surprised, i'd forgotten how much effort I had to go to to find the right add-ons to make an expensive net usable!
Euan - I know you like customising things, so this is probably just up your cup of tea :-)
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Euan - just adding up the cost - £70 for the net.
Then:
£15-20 to replace the net
£5-10 for a mag release
£6-10 for a coiled lanyard
£1 or so for a cable tie if you don't have
£1 for a D-ring to fix to your vest (I re-purposed an old ring)
so... £25 min in extras, make the net nearer to £100. Sheesh, what was it Hamish quoted about things being made right straight from the factory...
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Thanks Iain.
That was pretty much the conclusion that I came to. I like the C&F coiled lanyard and I have one on my bamboo net but I would probably but another one for this net.
£100 for a landing net just so I can weigh fish! :shock :shock :shock
Off to think long and hard about nets....
:z1
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After 11 years of weighing fish at Haddo, kept ones in the early days and C&R in the nets from then on ....... I don't think I ever want to weigh another fish again :z4
Nowadays my fish are wee ones, nice ones and crackers ...... that'll do just fine :cool:
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Nowadays my fish are wee ones, nice ones and crackers ...... that'll do just fine :cool:
Spot on Mike! I also like this for a net
http://fly.greysfishing.com/en-gb/products/nets-handles/landing-nets/gs-scoop-net/
And it is only £22 for the medium one. anyone got one?
:z1
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oh dear... you just jinxed yourself for life and'll only catch monstrous brutes from now on... :z4 :z4 :z4
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All this talk of nets got me thinking, and I realized that although my wee pan net is great on small streams or when deep wading etc, I have lost a few bigger fish because I could not reach them from higher banks.
So, I bought a new folding, extendable net, and I have to say, it seems very well built.
Its the new Greys GX rubber meshed folding trout net. Christened it last night on a 3 pound Brownie and the net was easy to use, flipped up perfectly and despite it being a "pan" style, swallowed the fish easily. The handle is super grippy and the whole thing feels solid. Being rubber mesh, the water seemed to flow through it rather than "grab" it like my older nylon meshed net did. also, one shake and it was dry before clipping onto my back.
It is being sold as a bank anglers net, but the small size version seems to be perfect for what I want.
http://fly.greysfishing.com/cache/files/11554-1341928813/TF_425_037GXtelescopicnet.pdf
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I bought the Greys scoop net and I think it's ace. Same size as the Maclean with no mods needed thus it is £75 cheaper.
It hangs nicely on my back, the mesh dries really well and it is quite a solid build. Pretty muted bronze colour too :z16
In the end I could not justify £100 on a net. I can get a really nice malt for what I saved :z18
I will update the forum over the rest of the season.
When it breaks you can all have a good laugh! :z4 :z4 :z4
:z1
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Hi Rob,
I took a close look at my net and have decided to skip it :z6
Has your Greys GX got a clip near the swivelling part to attach it to a D ring on your back?
Cheers
Mike
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Hi Rob,
I took a close look at my net and have decided to skip it :z6
Has your Greys GX got a clip near the swivelling part to attach it to a D ring on your back?
Cheers
Mike
It does indeed Mike.
Unclips very smoothly too.
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Ordered ..... thanks Rob :z16
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Bloody hope you don't break this one!!! lol
What size did you go for? I went for the smallest at £29.99.
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Think that's the one I went for Rob, sizes were large and medium, I chose the medium. ( 18 inches? )
Didn't break the last one, it was just poorly designed :z6
Cheers
Mike
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Having second thoughts about putting the 'Rover Net' out in the skip .....
I think I'll keep it as my salmon net, it shouldn't annoy me so much for that, as I very very rarely need one! :z4 :z4 :z4
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On the subject of nets (I have no connection), I came across these hand-made offerings.
http://norman-agutters.com/nets.htm
(Don't understand why the knotted mesh though for the Gye style nets... :z8)
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On the subject of nets (I have no connection), I came across these hand-made offerings.
http://norman-agutters.com/nets.htm
(Don't understand why the knotted mesh though for the Gye style nets... :z8)
Tradition for the knotted mesh....but also illegal in Scotland.
I have seen there cane carp nets, a chap I know up here has one. Very well put together.
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Greys net arrived this morning Rob, looks a good size and it flips up well.
Not too sure about the durability and user friendliness of the extending handle locking ring or the fact that the handle rotates when loose ...... but a few trips to the river will answer that :z3
Cheers
Mike
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Greys net arrived this morning Rob, looks a good size and it flips up well.
Not too sure about the durability and user friendliness of the extending handle locking ring or the fact that the handle rotates when loose ...... but a few trips to the river will answer that :z3
Cheers
Mike
Are you buying your nets from "Substandard Nets R Us"? lol. Locking mechanism is solid on mine and even when loose the handle does not rotate.. :z8.
What I have found though, is that the locking mechanism gets in the way of the d-loop clip, so I keep my handle extended by about 4 inches so as to clear the clip making relocation onto the d-loop easy.
I will double check mine tonight but it was used 3 times on Saturday with no issues at all .
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Ordered from Ted Carter Fishing Tackle Rob :cool:
Handle on mine rotates freely unless it is locked tightly to length.
I had spotted that the chunky plastic locking ring would get in the way of the hanging clip ....... Chinese design :z4
Cheers
Mike
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All these nets................ You'd have been cheaper just buying a decent one to start with :X1
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All these nets................ You'd have been cheaper just buying a decent one to start with :X1
Couldn't agree more Sandy :X1
This one is going to be pretty useless too, as I'll be unable to extend it single handed, or with my foot, without leaving it rotating :z6
Don't think I need a trip to the river to work that out. Might phone Hardy Greys for their advice before I skip it and buy what I should have done in the first place :z6
Cheers
Mike
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I phoned Pure Fishing / Hardy / Greys customer services and they said that the handle is meant to rotate like that and that I should adjust the length to what I want before I start fishing ..... apparently it is a good boat fishing net.
He added that I should speak to the tackle shop that I bought it from and ask to return it if I don't like it.
Cheers
Mike
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Ted Cater will give me a refund if I'd like to ship it back to Preston at my cost :z4 :z4 :z4
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Macleans Silver series
Hinge Handle Net - Large
The Head measures 22" by 18.5". Overall length is 47" when opened and 26.5" when stored. Belt clip and grip fitted to handle.
Price: £49.99 (Including VAT at 20%)
(http://www.fishingthefly.co.uk/forum/gallery/19-180515171805.jpeg) (http://www.fishingthefly.co.uk/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=2795)
Without the weighing handle and in silver instead of bronze, this is about as good as it gets at a decent enough price. :z16
Same size as my one :z16
they do a smaller one too
A smaller version of the MLH40, ideal when wading where a longer handle could get in the way. Head measures 19" by 16.5", depth 22". Overall length when open is 37".
Price: £44.99 (Including VAT at 20%)
Could be even better :z18
Sandy
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Sandy,
That looks very like the Sharpes Belmont sea trout net that I have used for years. Non telescopic, silver frame with a beltclip. I just can' t find a way to clip it nicely to my chest pack / waders and the net is knotted.
That not withstanding, I do love that net and it will be the one I take north this weekend. It is time I set my mind to getting the clipping issue sorted and find a net that is fish friendly. It is all Hugh Falkus fault really... :z4
:z1
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Mike, really sorry the net is not what you are after. :cry
I checked my net last night, I have the "locking nut" slightly tight which means that I can step on the net and extend the handle and it does not rotate. Right enough though, if you undo the nut completely, the handle does rotate, which I had not noticed.
My handle remains a fixed length 95% of the time however, which is probably why I missed it.
Might I suggest a trip to Aberdeen to your local tackle shop as they have a good range of nets, including Sharpes, McLean, and a few others. At least you can try them there ;)
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Not your fault Rob :z4 :z4 :z4
Cheers
Mike
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I have decided you are a right royal fussy bugger Mike ;) :X2
Have you tried these? ;)
(http://www.ccgonline.co.uk/acatalog/landing-net-6-foot.jpg)
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:z4 :z4 :z4
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Right, rather than just pick up my net and have a quick look, I had a proper going over it last night as I had a "niggle".
Mike, are you sure you bought the GX? The rubber handle on mine is round (which was the bit I looked at), but the actual sliding bit of the net is a rounded off square with a channel. That channel and the slightly flat faces means that even when the locking mechanism is totally loose, the net handle cannot turn.
It also provides enough friction that with the adjustment set loose, the handle wont extend on its own, but a slight tug downwards before unshipping it from your back means it will extend and stay there. I had the fortune to put this into practice a few times last night and it worked perfect. A foot on the frame also works easily.
The net saga continues :)
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Yes, I'm sure it's a GX, possibly another batch? The guy at Greys knew exactly what I was talking about :wink
I'm sure we'll meet up some time Rob and we can compare notes ... nets.
Cheers
Mike
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i just ordered the Maclean hinged as suggested by Sandy on the previous page as i don't want anything any more mechanical than a simple flip connection.
springs and sliders and whatnot just look like trouble down the road which will inevitably come to life at the very worst moment... :z4
should get thoroughly soaked and baptised on several chalkstreams on the way up next month ! :cool: