Walk Softly, And Carry A Big Net

What You Feel Like With An Undersized Net

Now, those little nets you see people carrying in LL Bean magazines are great... for getting stuck on trees and throwing away. So once you're ready to man (or woman) up and buy a real net, go for it. Let me elaborate.

Any fish that is small enough to fit in a cute little net really doesn't need a net. But when you do catch a big fish, that little net on your back probably won't be sufficient. I remember trying to net a fish for a guy out on the Dream Stream last Fall. He wanted me to use his net, so I reluctantly picked up the tiny piece of wood that I would call a twig. As I tried to net his fish, I realized that it wasn't really going to work. The fish's girth was pretty big, and wasn't going to fit inside the 6 inch wide net. We caught the fish, using my bigger net.

So next time you are about to buy that new Wachter "Stream" 7 by 12 inch net, spend the extra 40 bucks and grab a "C&R Magnum Boat" 23 by 15 inch net instead. When you hook that fish of a lifetime and lose it because you don't have that extra reach and bigger bag, you won't be able to console yourself by saying, "At least I saved 40 bucks on my net".

My Nets. Use 32 Inch Bat For Comparison