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

Big Ass Ugly Fish

Man, for Tiger Muskie, these fish sure are picky. As I had been throwing a small streamer for trout, something big swam up behind one of them. The fish swam away, scared for it's life. And that's when I started to see them. Big fish, Muskie, everywhere. I re-rigged my rod as fast as I could with heavy duty tippet and some big flies. I must have given these stupid fish 200 casts, with no result. Finally bored with picky fish, I threw a fly right next to one's belly and set the hook. My 5 weight started buzzing as the fish swam away. I battled for quite a while, only to come up with one big ass, ugly fish. They weren't picky Muskie, they were stupid Suckers! I quickly let the fish go and tied on the only thing I could think of, a Girdle Bug to a Leech to an Egg. A little split shot was added to get the flies down into the deep, slow run, and the first cast was made. After a few more casts, I saw a mouth open and close. Fish on! I battled the ugly beast for a minute, and finally brought it to my net. And now, my net smells like Suckerfish Poop. So do my hands. But I got the best photo, me trying to smile as I look down at the poop on my feet:

I managed to catch two more fish that day, and drove home a very stinky but still happy camper. For anyone hoping to catch a Sucker, I would be glad to take you on a.... well, just find someone else to do it. I have to go clean off my net and myself. Again, happy Father's Day!