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Landing net woes

Paul. I gave up on spreader blocks/arms some years ago. A real worry on the Severn/Wye banks. Probably ok on your garden swims:D

But really cant recommend any spoon nets too highly.

I have a 30" Gardener Spoon that feels like a 50" net when being carried. I also feel the screw fittings and arms seem a bit fragile. It does wobble a bit at the end of the 3mtr carp power telescopic handle though.

I prefer my 27" Korum net. The green metal fixings and arms seem very robust, however one at 28" and slightly deeper mesh would make me happier resting fish. An inch can matter, according to the missus anyway!:eek:

I have still got my 2 powermesh handles, just now for pike only, much prefer the modern, lighter carp power telescopic.
Nothing really to lock up or snap off....it's a no brainer.
 
ABu garcia

Have used the folding large net with a large blob of super glue to stop it folding . Nice shape and the front with a cord gap does not spook the fish while landing , strong but not heavy at all.
 
As Drennan has been mentioned above does anybody have contact details for them please. I’ve not only managed to split the plastic expanding “thingy” but also cocked up the thread on the alloy bit that the plastic “thingy” screws on to on my Drennan handle....This was due to my hamfisted clumsyness and NOT the fault of the product....phone or email would be appreciated...
 
I've had the Fox mk1 specialist spoon for two seasons and it's OK for landing Big Thames Barbel, however I got bored on one of my blankless sessions and started scooping out the hundreds of minnows bleak sticklebacks and imaginary barbel from the margins and ended up bending the frame from frustration from too many blanks. The mk2 version has a thicker frame and different net that I've been looking at that will hopefully land a nationwide stickleback record....
 
Slight side topic, but anyone looking for quick release adapters as mentioned earlier in the thread - take a look at the large prologic ones (about the only decent bit of kit i've ever used from them).

No plastic cam locks to snap or crack, and have been very happy with mine.
 
Guy Leeder said:
Slight side topic, but anyone looking for quick release adapters as mentioned earlier in the thread - take a look at the large prologic ones (about the only decent bit of kit i've ever used from them).

No plastic cam locks to snap or crack, and have been very happy with mine.
Click to expand...
I've had the Korum one over a year now and it's still ok, landed some lumps with it but I may well get one of the PL ones.
 
Fed up with buying landing nets, ended up cutting down a gardener ring to a smaller size, then squirting silicon through it to solid it up a bit, aralditing the spreader to it, this had a 30 inch net to give the depth,so i could rest the fish without it stressing in a shallow spoon net, also i used a bootlace to strap the net to the spreader and frame, the reason i made the net frame smaller was try dipping your net in the upper trent or dove and hang on,especially if theres a foot or two on the river,so in a word 'no' personaly i dont think anyone makes a good barbel net, i recall the first so called barbel net i had was the fox 30 inch with carbon arms, which lasted about 4 or 5 fish the last one being a 15 04,that smashed the arms to bits, build your own ,your better off,and dont forget its in the manufacturers intrest that you keep buying,
Regards
 
Couldn't resist - adapted some bits and made this head which I donated to a mate and made another for me. Tubular aluminium 13mm with internal fibre glass strengthener inserted,
nominal 32" spoon, stainless steel thread,
alloy spreader block. Mesh from a salmon gye net.
Super strong - later one had machined aluminium spreader.

landingnet600.jpg
 
Bob Gill said:
Couldn't resist - adapted some bits and made this head which I donated to a mate and made another for me. Tubular aluminium 13mm with internal fibre glass strengthener inserted,
nominal 32" spoon, stainless steel thread,
alloy spreader block. Mesh from a salmon gye net.
Super strong - later one had machined aluminium spreader.

landingnet600.jpg
Click to expand...

I want one of those!
You’re a bad man Bob!:D
 
Richard Parsons said:
It doesn't look very deep, Bob, or is it just the photo?
Click to expand...

It's quite deep but chosen for strongish flows - the mesh is 32" deep and frame is 26" w and 32" long. Frame is 13mm tubular aluminium with GF internal strengthening.
All the best,
Bob
 
The Gardner barbel/specialist pan net is my weapon of choice.
https://www.anglingdirect.co.uk/gar...kkkhMdTWuaiSBJSGvan1t9xdVZ6ALjNxoCt-0QAvD_BwE

A strong rigid frame that stands up to being pushed and dragged through dense vegetation and a deep mesh for resting/weighing fish.
I use it with a prologic quick release adapter which makes unhooking and weighing the fish quicker.
After a couple of seasons use it is standing up pretty well to the physical abuse it gets.The material surrounding the frame has a few small tears in it but nothing to worry about yet and at that price it's cheap to replace every couple of years.
 
I have made some decisions :)

Net 1 : I have modified (yes, I find I modify every item of tackle :rolleyes:) my "old" Chris Brown net. Telescopic handle has been modified so that it locks in either direction and not just the one direction (especially useful in fast flow where the lock would loosen if river flow one way but ok if flow was t'other way). I replaced the cord with 100lb nylon covered trace wire some 3" shorter than the original so it helps keep the arms more secure in the spreader block.

Net 2 : I have mended two old broken nets by replacing the broken arm on one with the good arm on t'other. But this net, with Powerstretch handle, will only be a spare and may be used on shallow swims where banks are not high.

Net 3 : This is where I phoned Chris Brown (what a helpful guy as ever) and he is making me a new net / handle to my requirements - more anon
 
Gardner net is quite good, but was let down by the securing screws 'fixing' the arms in the spreader block.
Finally managed to work out a way to stop my Drennan inner section dropping out of the outer. A few desparate moments were had when my left handed buddy attempted to quickly net a fish for me from a precarious position, which made me think twice about using it as I experienced that 'sailing down the river' moment more than once.

The Fox 'Big Fish Stalker' handle was easier to solve with a bit of cord running internally in the handle.

Making an extension as well :) as in my modded Gardner handle.
 
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