Fishing World

Posts Tagged ‘Buying’

Landing nets and keepnets should be constructed of the softest material available, thus preventing any damage to fish. For pike, carp, barbel and catfish the Relum Be Safe triangular landing net, with 3 ft (1 m) arms is recommended. For heavy fish, you can use the Relum Springlok system, which allows the mesh frame to be detached or folded back when a fish is landed, thereby taking strain off the handle and making fish carrying easier. The mesh also features weighing straps, to avoid undue handling of the fish which can be weighed in the net and then released.

There is an option of a mixed mesh, so that a very fine mesh cradle makes up the net base. This is a godsend where hooks are prone to become tangled, for example trebles used in piking. This version is good for stillwaters, but in river work, say for barbel, a plain mesh net is better as the fine variety offers great water resistance in a fair current.

Another option is a net with a telescopic handle, which is useful as you are often faced with high banks or wide rush margins.

For smaller species, particularly on rivers, spoon-shaped landing nets are preferable as they are less prone to tangling in vegetation. Where spoon landing nets and keepnets are concerned, some of the best products are marketed by Keenets. The big mesh Mega Spoon for mid-size species, such as chub and tench, and a smaller, pan net version with a duplex mesh for roach and rudd are both recommended. Again, it is worth using a telescopic handle, such as a carbon telescopic which extends to 10 ft (3 m). Coupled with a lightweight spoon frame, the whole net is simple to use single-handed. But do not attempt to lift a fish at the end of 10 ft (3 m) of carbon, or you could break the handle. Ship the handle towards you and lift out the fish by grasping the net frame itself.

With regard to keepnets, buy the largest and softest net your budget allows. But use it responsibly, keeping it pegged out in a good depth of water, in uncrowded conditions, and for the minimum time possible.

If you love snorkeling and fishing there is a good chance that you will enjoy spearfishing. A lot of people who get into the sport get hooked (pun unintended!) very quickly. The thing is though, rather than going out and buying the best gear that is out there for spearfishing and then finding out that maybe you don’t really like the sport, you need to get some starting gear. A lot of people already have snorkeling gear, and if you enjoy that as a sport there is a good chance the gear that you have will do until you start getting very serious with your spearfishing.

One of the biggest expenses with Spearfishing is buying a gun. You can buy Cheap Spearguns for under $50, but they often don’t work that well. Still, they are better than nothing and are often a good start. I learned spearfishing and got into the sport by using a Pole Spear, which is much cheaper and much less likely to go wrong. Sure, you might not be able to land huge fish with them, but they are enough to give you a taste of what spearfishing is like. I know the first decent gun I purchased blew me away. I could barely load it, and the spear shot very quickly.

The great thing about spearfishing is that it costs very little to go out each time, meaning you can justify spending a bit more on a good gun and a good wetsuit. These two things are the most important, and then your fins can be upgraded. You also need a good knife, a float or spearfishing reel, depending on what sort of fish you are trying to shoot. Spearfishing has had such a bad rap in the past few decades, when in reality it is one of the most ecological types of fishing, it doesn’t cost much to do and it isn’t overly risky either. I can’t recommend spearfishing more; its an awesome sport.