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Folding pan net for Barbel

Nigel Whittingham

Nigel Whittingham

Senior Member & Supporter
Anyone recommend a folding pan net suitable for Barbel?
No shops near me have any to look at and have been put off the Korum ones with bad reviews. (I’ve got a plain pan net i use for Tench etc which seems ok?)
Larger the better as long as it folds but imagine 30” is the one to go for?
 
Replaced my Korum one with this Gardner target net 30”, had a decent drop on it for resting fish and solid metal spreader and arms. Folds easy and lightweight. Not got it wet yet, first time on bank with it now, so not really a user review but impressed with build quality
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I had one of these and really liked it, a little more awkward to carry about than a triangular net but I guess that's the trade off. I stupidly let some kids use it on a park lake, one of them wanted to get a towel out of the margins. They scooped it up and lifted the landing net, with a couple of them holding the handle, that was the end of the net. The wet towel was massive and must have weighed 10+ kg. I have taken the net off though and crammed it on to a drennan specialist frame as I like the depth of the net.

tacklebox.co.uk

Wychwood Specimen Quickfold Net - Large 30ins

Wychwood Specimen Quickfold Net - Large 30ins
tacklebox.co.uk tacklebox.co.uk
 
Another vote for the Gardner. I bought the 26" and it's a little on the small side TBH. But in my defence, the 30" is quite large IMO, and looked a bit cumbersome in the shop. Comes in a bag, folds up fairly small and compact (I strap it to the top of my rucksac) I bought it to use when trotting, but took it out a couple of weeks ago, and it worked fine. Seems well made enough.

Here it is with a 13-2 fish on it for size comparison.

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Simon Archer said:
Another vote for the Gardner. I bought the 26" and it's a little on the small side TBH. But in my defence, the 30" is quite large IMO, and looked a bit cumbersome in the shop. Comes in a bag, folds up fairly small and compact (I strap it to the top of my rucksac) I bought it to use when trotting, but took it out a couple of weeks ago, and it worked fine. Seems well made enough.

Here it is with a 13-2 fish on it for size comparison.

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Funny how nets seem massive in the shop but look tiny on the bank….
 
A 30 inch pan net is not big enough to rest a double figure Barbel you need a minimum 36 inch to 40 inch triangulated net,they give plenty of space for a Barbel to rest and recover,on occasions I have rested fish for three hours of more before they were ready to go.

I have caught Barbel to over 17lb my last two fifteen plus fish would have been bent in half inside a 30 inch pan net resulting in stress and possible death please think about what your doing because a big Barbel is one of the rarest creatures in the British Isles.
 
I normally use a 36” triangle net but saw the 30” pan nets marketed by various companies as ‘BARBEL’ nets & imagined they would be fit for purpose?
I’ve not seen one ‘in the flesh’ as none of my local tackle shops stock them. I’ll consider it’s usefulness when it arrives and if i think it’s not suitable, i’ll use it for other species
 
Nigel Whittingham said:
I normally use a 36” triangle net but saw the 30” pan nets marketed by various companies as ‘BARBEL’ nets & imagined they would be fit for purpose?
I’ve not seen one ‘in the flesh’ as none of my local tackle shops stock them. I’ll consider it’s usefulness when it arrives and if i think it’s not suitable, i’ll use it for other species
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A 30 inch net is about right for big chub or Barbel fishing on rivers like the wye.

it is all so a good idea to have a alloy or carbon spreader block

honestly those nets are a Joke for big Barbel fishing.
 
Gardner one is really good,
James Berry said:
A 30 inch pan net is not big enough to rest a double figure Barbel you need a minimum 36 inch to 40 inch triangulated net,they give plenty of space for a Barbel to rest and recover,on occasions I have rested fish for three hours of more before they were ready to go.

I have caught Barbel to over 17lb my last two fifteen plus fish would have been bent in half inside a 30 inch pan net resulting in stress and possible death please think about what your doing because a big Barbel is one of the rarest creatures in the British Isles.
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If a 30inch pan net is not big enough, than the 36 inch triangular net is also not big enough.

As shown by @Richard Isaacs, a 30inch pan net is about the same as 36inch triangular net.

And I agree with you, a large and deep nets is must for resting barbel
 

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If the fish goes through the frame comfortably and safely when landing then it doesn’t really matter after that in terms of how big the frame is.
It’s the depth that’s important for retaining and recovery not the diameter of the frame.
If the net is nice and deep and spacious, it will bulge out in the water offering plenty of space to recover a big fish.
2.5ft deep on a 30 inch frame will be plenty of space for the largest of fish.
A 16lb-18lb barbel is around 32-34 inches long nose to tail.
 
James Berry said:
A 30 inch net is about right for big chub or Barbel fishing on rivers like the wye.

it is all so a good idea to have a alloy or carbon spreader block

honestly those nets are a Joke for big Barbel fishing.
Click to expand...
I’m fishing the Severn near to Shrewsbury which is very much like the Wye. Lots of 6-8lb fish, a few scraper doubles and a very rare maximum of about 13 (the club record for this stretch is 13). A 36” triangular net is plenty large enough for anything i will encounter as the few doubles i’ve had have had plenty of room in. I have a 42” for the larger species but wouldn’t dream of using it on a fast flowing river as it would be way to large imho. Fish safety is always my main concern and wouldn’t dream of using anything i thought wouldn’t help with that as a priority. I’ve changed to a pan net for my Tench and Bream fishing and find them easier to use so thought it might be better for the River. I agree that resting the fish is an issue and not sure if a pan net would be suitable until i inspect it, hence the request via the forum. It’ll certainly be good for Bream so will get used at some point either way
 
Nigel Whittingham said:
I’m fishing the Severn near to Shrewsbury which is very much like the Wye. Lots of 6-8lb fish, a few scraper doubles and a very rare maximum of about 13 (the club record for this stretch is 13). A 36” triangular net is plenty large enough for anything i will encounter as the few doubles i’ve had have had plenty of room in. I have a 42” for the larger species but wouldn’t dream of using it on a fast flowing river as it would be way to large imho. Fish safety is always my main concern and wouldn’t dream of using anything i thought wouldn’t help with that as a priority. I’ve changed to a pan net for my Tench and Bream fishing and find them easier to use so thought it might be better for the River. I agree that resting the fish is an issue and not sure if a pan net would be suitable until i inspect it, hence the request via the forum. It’ll certainly be good for Bream so will get used at some point either way
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You’ll be absolutely fine with a 30 inch frame.
Korum are bringing out a brand new better stronger range of folding spoons so worth a look I’d say
 
Richard Isaacs said:
You’ll be absolutely fine with a 30 inch frame.
Korum are bringing out a brand new better stronger range of folding spoons so worth a look I’d say
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Thanks, I’ve ordered the Gardner as i cannot do with Korum as a brand tbh. Lots of great ideas but everything i’ve tried has either not been quite right or has let me down in some way. They are also useless with any sort of after service so will not use them again. I have the river brolly and am quite happy with it but apart from that i dont (& wont) use their products.
 
James Berry said:
A 30 inch pan net is not big enough to rest a double figure Barbel you need a minimum 36 inch to 40 inch triangulated net,they give plenty of space for a Barbel to rest and recover,on occasions I have rested fish for three hours of more before they were ready to go.

I have caught Barbel to over 17lb my last two fifteen plus fish would have been bent in half inside a 30 inch pan net resulting in stress and possible death please think about what your doing because a big Barbel is one of the rarest creatures in the British Isles
Click to expand...
 
Huanzhou Zhu said:
Gardner one is really good,

If a 30inch pan net is not big enough, than the 36 inch triangular net is also not big enough.

As shown by @Richard Isaacs, a 30inch pan net is about the same as 36inch triangular net.

And I agree with you, a large and deep nets is must for resting barbel
Click to expand...
The picture clearly shows which net is best for resting Barbel after capture thanks
 
Gardner 30” folding net arrived today. Quite pleased with it as regards size & depth for what i need so intend to use it on Friday on my stretch of the Severn (that’ll be a blank then!🙄). There actually seems more useable space than a 32” triangle and the drop is similar. Hopefully, It should be easier to manoeuvre through the marginal reeds etc 👍
 
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