You can learn a lot about a fly fisher as he’s walking away from you. It has very little to do with his destination or his gait. More than a name or number on a sports jersey, the angler carries an identifying mark between his shoulders.
What might be construed as a simple tool that assists in landing fish actually speaks volumes about the hand that wields it. Fly rods have a pragmatic elegance. Hats say something about aesthetics and comfort. A fly box will unveil the internal predisposition to order or chaos. But the net is an effective inventory for the personality of the person to which it is attached.
Six different kinds of nets are listed below. Ironically, the very thing intended to capture fish does a remarkable job capturing us.
A traditional, handmade wooden net
You might not catch many fish, but you’ll look good doing it. After all, after buying high-end rods and reels there are only so many pieces of gear you can acquire and show off. The wood is illegal to harvest but your guy has a pre-embargo supply he uses to make nets for the super-elites of the angling world. You harken back to a more refined time. Tweed, wicker creels, and the lost cause of fly fishing superiority.
A net covered in gadgets
Measuring tape sticker: check. Stream thermometer on a zinger: check. Retractor that looks like a phone cord from the 80’s: check. You vest only has so many square inches of fabric you can clip doo-dads to. Good thing you’ve got a net. You’re the Swiss Army Knife of anglers. There are dozens of tools at your disposal, and the two or three you use are truly helpful.
A boat net with a five-foot handle
Walking through the woods is much more difficult. If you fall, you’re definitely going to break something… your expensive net or a bone. But you’re prepared. Those twelve inch fish really appreciate the fact that you can land them a few seconds quicker, too. And with a few feet on each side to spare. You don’t have a driftboat. But with the appropriate net, you’re halfway there in your mind.
A colorful net with a GoPro mount
Can one ever get too much shaky POV footage of a splashing trout? Yes. But you are not that one. You have dozens of unedited video files of barely watchable fish netting sessions. One day you’ll splice them together and add some music. You have visions of social media and pro deal grandeur. One day…
An aluminum net with a thin nylon bag
Those fish are going to die. Even if you aren’t planning on keeping them, they’re going to die.
No net
What, you’re planning on not catching fish? Or are you up to something else? Why don’t you need a net? Are you some kind of fish-whispering angler who can coax a trout into your hand for release? Or are you the type who fishes flies without hooks and achieves complete satisfaction by only watching fish rise? Regardless, I’m skeptical.