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Landing net woes

Neil Blood said:
When you buy Drennan, you know it will be quality and won't fall to bits, unlike some other tackle companies who make stuff cheap and field test it on their customers (Fox and Wychwood plastic spreader blocks spring to mind)!
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Usually I am a big fan of Drennan gear , however I had one of their spoon nets[ not used for barbelling ] and it cracked in the plastic spreader area .
 
Mike,

Is it the Super Specialist Spoon net? The original did have a plastic spreader block; however latest models now have an alloy spreader block?

Regards,

Neil
 
Abu garcia folding nets.

Thumbs up for me in the larger size the Abu Garcia folding net , with a generous blob of super glue [to stop it folding] twinned with a now old midi Rock hard two piece fibre glass handle has never let me down , and replacing the net after a couple of seasons due mainly to brambles and anything else I can snag it in is very cost effective. I like the nets shape with the fronts middle stringey section that doesn't seem to spook the wee beasties as they are landed.
 
One thing i do know are Chris brown nets are pony
 
I wasn't going to post this but feel the need :) I don't agree re. Chris Brown nets Rob, had one for a good few years.

But, and there is a but that fits with ALL of my four nets - net 1 is a 30" with plastic spreader I've had since 1978 (bought in a shop named Bait 78 in Chingford); net 2 is a 36" Solar 30+ with alloy spreader block; net 3 is a 32" Chris Brown; net 4 is a 42" Keenets (little used these days}.

I made a simple modification which makes me more confident in several instances. Modification is to sew a strong cord loop to the spreader-block-end of the net.

Firstly when resting a fish, and especially but not exclusively on a high bank, I utilise this loop to secure a 6ft length of strong cord with a carabiner thingy on each end, one on the loop the other staked to the bank with a bivvy-peg.

Secondly since a recent problem (I must stress strongly that this was a fluke) with one of the nets where the arms became detached from the spreader block whilst returning a heavy fish for a rest. So how many times has this happened? just once (this season) in the last 50 years of fishing for barbel - that is one time too many !!

In this instance I utilise this loop by adding a yellow (high visible tie) around the handle under the spreader block - this cable tie is cut off at end of session.

I have no access to my photos at this moment but I do have a photo (on my mobile phone) of this on just one of my nets, which happens to be the Chris Brown one but is not exclusive to that net.

net_tie_s.jpg


Let me repeat myself, just indulge me. Had you asked me in my previous 49 years of barbel fishing how many times had my net arms become detached from the spreader block I'd have said never. But when it happened this season, at 11.30 pm, I was absolutely gutted. Gutted to have lost a net, but more gutted to think the fish was (obviously) in the net when it swept downstream. I spent 45 minutes casting to try and snag the net but to no avail. I just have to think that all was ok and confident that the fish was able to free itself. So don't say it has never happened to you therefore it will never happen. This simple modification and utilisation of it may just save you having the problem that I had !!


I'll just finish by mentioning handles. Net 1, 2 and 4 paired with a Powerstretch, net 3 uses the Chris Brown own handle :)
 
That is only my experience with them that's all.
 
I noticed in this weeks AM, that Dinsmore have brought out a new net that would suit barbel anglers. It's a quick dry, 90cm with an aluminium spreader block. Might be worth a look as long as you don't need to carry it too far
 
Alex Dalton said:
Thumbs up for me in the larger size the Abu Garcia folding net , with a generous blob of super glue [to stop it folding] twinned with a now old midi Rock hard two piece fibre glass handle has never let me down , and replacing the net after a couple of seasons due mainly to brambles and anything else I can snag it in is very cost effective. I like the nets shape with the fronts middle stringey section that doesn't seem to spook the wee beasties as they are landed.
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I had this net for a few years. Like you say - it never let me down until I managed to snap part of one of the plastic arms that enable it to fold out. This was my fault and would never of happened during normal use. Need to get myself another one.
 
Luke Agacy said:
I had this net for a few years. Like you say - it never let me down until I managed to snap part of one of the plastic arms that enable it to fold out. This was my fault and would never of happened during normal use. Need to get myself another one.
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I've got two ABU folding spoon type nets that I've used on the rivers for a few years without any problems but they are an accident waiting to happen, hence the two nets!
My mate busted one of the spreader arms on his because he failed to push one of the net arms home on assembly which consequently cracked the block when under strain.
I brought a large Gardener spoon with alloy frame at the start of this season which is stronger and allows me to poke it through thick weed if necessary, but it still has a plastic block.....why didn't they make it with something stronger I wonder!?
I also brought a Wychwood 28" roving telescopic spoon net which is good for wading and rolling meat sessions as long as you don't need to reach more than 7 feet!
It's well constructed but the quick dry net wasn't deep enough to retain and rest a barbel, so Nigel G. kindly replaced it with a deeper net in the shop before we did the deal.:D
https://barbel.co.uk/site/vbulletin/forum/members/picture.php?albumid=496&pictureid=5647
My gaff is slowly turning into "nets'r'us",..with 8 at the last count and still not one that I'm 100 percent happy with!
ATB Dave
 
I have the Greys model, from the AM review. An excellent net, certainly compared to the Wychwood folding model - the plastic spreader block broke.
 
Steve Walker said:
It certainly is a well designed adapter which is why I bought it,sadly it lasted 4 weeks and then developed a crack in the cam mechanism,I then found out why it's called a quick release net adapter-it released my landing net into the river.:(
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Mine also didn't last long before it released my net into the river on returning a fish while it was still locked. Luckily I managed to grab it.
 
I had a Berkeley triangular net 30 inch,deep as well,the spreader block snapped landing a 10 lb bream,I replace it with a metal spreader block.I kneeled on one of the arms in the dark sorting a fish out,gutted,was a great net.Ive bought the quick fold wychwood net,and even though I'm impressed with it,when netting a fish ,there seems to much pressure on the spreader block,have to see how it performs .Do prefer a triangular net though .
 
Oh bugger, have to raise this thread again as my woes continued ......

Since I had the trouble of losing a net (see previous thread) my Solar 30+ net arm broke a while back when I snagged something underwater. I had to pull and pull expecting the net to rip and there was a muted crack.

Damn :mad::mad:

Bought a replacement and recently whilst fighting a fish in strong current .... crack. I didn't lift the fish out of the water of course, I just was manoeuvering it in the current in order to reach down and grab the arms/net.

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I've lost all confidence in nets now, lots to ponder :(
 
Paul Whiteing said:
Oh bugger, have to raise this thread again as my woes continued ......

Since I had the trouble of losing a net (see previous thread) my Solar 30+ net arm broke a while back when I snagged something underwater. I had to pull and pull expecting the net to rip and there was a muted crack.

Damn :mad::mad:

Bought a replacement and recently whilst fighting a fish in strong current .... crack. I didn't lift the fish out of the water of course, I just was manoeuvering it in the current in order to reach down and grab the arms/net.



I've lost all confidence in nets now, lots to ponder :(
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You could always use a gaff Paul :eek: much more robust ;)
 
I am currently on my fourth landing net since the start of September, which is a new PB for me. Spoon nets by Fox, Korum and Wychwood have all snapped at the spigot. They're all as bad as each other...
 
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