Fly fishing nets: rubber mesh, hoop size and where it hangs

Mesh material is the whole decision

A fish has a slime coat that works as a barrier against infection. Knotted nylon mesh abrades it, and a trout that goes back looking perfect can still develop a fungal infection days later from the patch of skin a net scrubbed.

Rubber and rubber-coated mesh is smooth. It does far less damage to the slime coat, it does not tangle a fish’s fins and gill plates, and it drains fast so the fish spends less time out of water.

There is a selfish argument too: a fly hook that goes into knotted nylon takes a minute to get out, in the dark, with a fish in the net. Hooks fall out of rubber mesh. Anyone who has picked a size 16 nymph out of nylon while a trout thrashes has already made this decision.

If you fish barbless — which our fly selection page assumes on most rivers — the rubber mesh advantage grows, because a barbless hook drops out of rubber almost on its own.

Hoop size, and depth

The hoop needs to be a little longer than the fish, not the same length. A fish that only just fits has to be maneuvered in, and that is the moment the leader breaks.

Bag depth matters as much as hoop size. A shallow bag lets a fish flip straight back out; a deep bag holds it while you unhook. Deep bags also snag on brush behind you, which is the trade.

Handle length: wading against boat

Short handle for wading. You are standing in the water at the same level as the fish, and a long handle is something to catch on branches, your net holster and your own line.

Long handle for a boat, a high bank or a float tube, where the fish is a long way below you and there is no other way to reach it.

If you fish both, buy for wading and accept a slightly awkward reach from the boat. The reverse is much worse.

Carrying it, which is what makes it usable

A net you have to unclip, unstrap or dig out is a net you will leave hanging while you hand line a fish in. That is exactly the moment fish break off and exactly the moment they get hurt.

The standard answer is a magnetic release on the back of a pack or vest: the net hangs behind you out of the way, and one hand pulls it free while the other holds the rod. An elastic cord keeps it attached if you drop it.

The alternative is a holster on a wading belt. It is more secure and slower, and it is better on a river where you are pushing through brush.

Using it without hurting the fish

Net head first, moving forward. A fish cannot swim backwards quickly. Lead it over the net and lift, rather than chasing it with the hoop.

Leave the net in the water. The mesh should stay submerged with the fish in it while you unhook. Lifting a netted fish into the air is where most of the damage happens.

Wet your hands first. Dry hands do the same thing to the slime coat that nylon mesh does.

Do not play the fish to exhaustion first. Netting early is better for the fish than a long fight followed by a gentle release. Our fly rod weights page makes the related point: an underpowered rod means longer fights, which is a fish-welfare cost and not just an inconvenience.

Why we are not naming a net

Because nets are sold with photographs and a hoop measurement and very little else — rarely a published mesh material specification, a bag depth or a weight. Naming one would mean asserting a figure we had not read.

The specification to insist on is short and checkable on any product page: rubber or rubber-coated mesh, a hoop in the 15 to 18 in band for general trout work, and a magnetic release included or bought alongside. That is here: rubber-mesh landing nets on Amazon, and the releases here: magnetic net releases on Amazon.