The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

Progress has been slow. Mainly due to having so much trouble getting the Lucky Strike finished. I have had a trial attempt at fitting the female ferrules into a block of marine ply. Worked ok for a first go, apart from getting the angle of spread slightly wrong. Leaving the net too narrow at the top by about 2 inches. At least the experiment showed that it is feasible to use this method. If I get some time over the weekend I will have another attempt and post some pictures.

I actually quite like a sagging front to the net and weight the net in the middle to make it sink down under the fish as I scoop it into the net. It happened the first time because of an error.....I forgot to shorten a bit of old hide that carried the net, but I found I liked it...once i made it sink with an old spiral spinning weight, that is.

Anyone spotted that old Hardy net head about to finish on eBay? Lovely pear-shaped bit of wood.


Most annoying that I can get any walking stick makers interested in bending a few up for us...there's clearly a market for a dozen or three!

I have a bit of a droop on the MK IV, but this try was just too narrow. I need to be able to get the odd fish in it now and again.

Saw the Hardy, nice bit of kit.

Still hankering after a bent wood one. I have some tall straight hazel in the garden which I may try and bend in the spring when it is more flexible.

Well that net head went for £39 plus p&p!


The recent storms brought down a large branch of my curly willow and I was suprised to find how flexible the green wood was with the sap down. It wouldn't take much steam to get it into shape.


I shant give up on this, I want a pear shaped landing net and I won't pay £500 for one, not the £140 some went for recently......I couldn't afford it if I wanted to.

I agree, which is why I am carrying on with the homemade option. A lot of the posh nets cost more than my entire tackle collection. I'm not into collecting posh stuff, just fishing and having fun

Nobby, PM for you...

Thanks Vole!

Ok, here goes. I have spent a reasonable part of today in the garage working on some modifications.









Still some slimming down and shaping to do, but coming along

That marine ply is going to look nice with a bit of oil and varnish on it, must be pretty light too?

Not bad at the moment but I will have to skim some more off it to get it a bit lighter