The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

BSC is probably one of many, including myself and other TFF members that I know who sometimes use a keepnet. I didn’t today, but I may tomorrow. It all depends on the swim I choose to fish, and how long I expect the session to last....

I stopped using a keepnet back in the early 1970's, when it was explained to me by a fishery biologist, the dangers to fish, also however careful we are. Fish can easily lose a scale or two. That’s an open wound for disease to effect the fish. If by returning fish to the water I catch less so be it.

Very fair comment Martin. Since I originally set up this thread I have realised how very rarely I actually use the net. On the river I never net roach, bream, barbel or chub, sometimes I net dace or chublets. On the pools I only catch tench, but never net them. Wonder why I keep carrying it around?!?!

Got one in the loft somewhere, but haven't used one for as long as I can remember. Just in case releasing fish back into the swim makes a difference, I walk them tewnty or thirty yards up the bank before returning them directly from the landing net. Funnily enough a walker saw me do just that and came up and commended me for doing it. He hated to see loads of fish in a keepnet. That's never happened to me before.

I have just read this thread, I gave up using a net back in the late 80's, after me and the brother in law had what i called a numbers shock. We had gone fishing at Stratfeild Saye, the Duke of Wellington Estate, got there just as the gates opened, and was walking round the small pond looking for which swim we fancied, then heard this strange splashing sound, so we checked, and lo and behold a net full of Tench, hidden behind a bankside bush.
At this time it was all the rage to get a 100lb of fish in one sitting, and so get your name in the angling press, what we assumed had happened, as there was no night fishing, this so called angler, had hoped to come back the next day, and make their weight up.
We released the fish, and threw the net up a tree, about an hour later we heard quite a bit of naughty language, but that was the end of it. I decided there and then I didn't need a landing net. I used one a couple of times, when fishing a small match with workmates, but they had a rule that if the fish could be weighed, then it was done at once and returned, only tiddlers in the net.
Rod

[quote=Rod post_id=496643 time=1675782373 user_id=2841

but that was the end of it. I decided there and then I didn't need a landing net. I used one a couple of times, when fishing a small match with workmates, but they had a rule that if the fish could be weighed, then it was done at once and returned, only tiddlers in the net.
Rod
[/quote]

I'd always recommend using a landing net just in case one hooks something more than just a tiddler.....

Not used a keepnet for many years.

Last time I used and owned a keep net was 46 years ago.
But..... I had one that I use on my boat when fishing for Bass to put live Joeys in, draped over the side.

Mr B

Martin James wrote: ↑Mon Apr 12, 2021 11:39 am I stopped using a keepnet back in the early 1970's, when it was explained to me by a fishery biologist, the dangers to fish, also however careful we are. Fish can easily lose a scale or two. That’s an open wound for disease to effect the fish. If by returning fish to the water I catch less so be it.

Exactly that Martin, I don’t personally see any place in Angling for keepnets…I’ve witnessed too many dead, dying and damaged fish being released from them over the years after matches. Like you I used them when I was younger and a lot less conscious of the damage they cause….

Rory Jones won a match on the Wye last week with 251 pounds 6 ounces of fish. That’s a lot of fish in five hours. I wonder how many keepnets he needed?