Handle length, and a mesh that does not strip scales
Two words appear in almost every title on this shelf, and together they are the whole family. The first is a handle length, and the spread is large: 67–90 cm on the pullther at 29,99 €, 1,3 m on the Xndryan at 12,99 €, 1,6 m and 2,1 m on the Paradox Fishing rubberised nets at 31,99 € and 34,99 €, 170 cm on the Xndryan folding net at 18,99 €, 210 cm on the Zite Fishing telescopic at 34,99 €. The handle is reach, and reach is set by the bank: a metre is enough from a boat or a low platform, two metres is what a steep bank or a jetty demands, and every extra metre is weight held out over water with a fish in it. The second word is gummiert — rubberised — and it is the one that matters to the fish. A rubberised or knotless mesh does not strip scales, does not take the slime coat off a flank, and does not tangle a treble hook the way knotted nylon does; « fischschonend » on the pullther and the Roy Fisher nets says the same thing in one word. It is on the Paradox, Robinson, Zite and pullther nets, and its absence on the cheapest listings is the real difference between 13 € and 37 €. Two more figures to read. Whether the frame folds — « klappbar » on the Paradox and the Xndryan — which decides whether the net travels in a rucksack or on a shoulder; and the frame material, « Alurahmen » on the Robinson at 27,95 €, because an aluminium frame keeps its shape when a fish thrashes in it and a plastic one flexes open. The shelf runs 12,99 € to 36,98 €, which makes it the cheapest place on the site to stop damaging fish. We compare handle length, folding or fixed, mesh type, frame material, frame width, net depth and weight.
Retractable length 130 cm · folded length 42 cm · maximum load 3 kg · three extensions · durable nylon mesh on a light strong aluminium alloy shaft · metal buckle fitting, no tools required · length set by turning the pole’s locking system
A published load rating on the cheapest net on the shelf.
Best for: A pond, a stream or a child’s first net, within the rating the maker prints
Overall length 1,3 m · folded length 42 cm · net size 43 × 43 × 43 cm · weight 0,7 lbs · maximum load 10 lb · one-touch deployment with three-stage adjustment · durable nylon mesh on aluminium alloy · folds flat for storage
Five figures published, two of them in pounds, and one of them is what it will hold.
Best for: Small and medium fish, where knowing the rating matters more than the mesh
2,1 m · folding · telescopic · rubberised mesh, easy to clean and quick to dry · larger frame diameter with additionally reinforced components · quality transport bag included
Three times the reach of the shortest net on this shelf, and a bag for the boot.
Best for: A high or steep bank, where the fish has to be reached rather than led in
67 to 90 cm · round frame · soft PVC-coated nylon mesh, stated fish-friendly and non-scratching · one-button folding · corrosion-resistant aluminium alloy, stated rust-free · secure lock and ergonomic non-slip grip · sturdy clip plus an elastic cord with a carabiner, stated loss-proof
The only net here that arrives with a retainer, which is what a boat net needs.
Best for: A kayak or a boat, where a net that goes overboard is a net that is gone
50 × 50 cm catching area · 40 cm deep · 10 mm mesh · rubberised net that absorbs no moisture and holds no smell · robust metal snap triangle, stated to take heavy loads · abrasion-resistant join between net and frame · three handle lengths offered · compact folding
Publishes the three dimensions of the net itself, which six other listings do not.
Best for: Choosing a net on its actual dimensions rather than on its handle
Non-absorbent waterproof nylon mesh · triangular mesh design · folded size about 43 cm, retractable pole extending to 90 cm · handle described as strong light aluminium in one feature and as a retractable carbon pole in another · non-slip EVA grips, stated to suit a child’s hand
A triangular net whose own listing cannot decide what the handle is made of.
Best for: Kayak and boat work, or a first net for a child, with the handle question asked before ordering
Rubberised net, stated faster to clean and dry than a conventional nylon net · telescopic on a clip catch, stated easier to handle than the usual twist locks · stated tested under load for larger fish · all-round, for eel, brown trout, perch, carp and zander
The only net here that argues about how the handle locks, and it is right to.
Best for: Anyone who has fought a twist collar while a fish rolled in the margin
The figure beside a product asked the shop for itself the moment this page opened; a figure inside the text has sat still since the sentence was written, and the first of the two is the one to trust.
