Cheap nets or quality

[JOHN11]

HI And thanks for reading.

Just getting into fishing and am wanting to buy some nets.
Which would you recommend, cheap and cheerful nets, or strong robust expensive ones.
Nets can detriorate after time, get ripped, tangled, chewed up, need repair.
Would it be better to buy cheap nets, use them a few times then get rid of them, or expensive ones and keep repairing them.
What would you do.
Tanks.

 

[Robbi]

welcome.

what do you intend to use the nets for ? ( please don't say catching fish ! )

 

[punkrockcaveman]

landing net? Keepnet? Gill net?

 

[JOHN11]

Thanks. Any kind of nets really.
I want to buy the necessary equipment to begin my hobby and don't want to make mistakes and waste money, got absolutly no idea where to start, am a total beginner and noob so it is just a general stab in the dark question.
Just wondering, saw cheap nets from china at about a tenth of uk prices, never thrown a net in my life, so want to know what is the life expectancy of a typical net, is it better to buy a cheap one, use it a few times then dispose of it, or is it better to buy quality one and get a few years of use out of it. Which is the less hassle way, is it worth the time and effort of repairing nets, or should i buy cheap and throw the net away if it becomes damaged

 

[punkrockcaveman]

Thanks. Any kind of nets really.
I want to buy the necessary equipment to begin my hobby and don't want to make mistakes and waste money, got absolutly no idea where to start, am a total beginner and noob so it is just a general stab in the dark question.
Just wondering, saw cheap nets from china at about a tenth of uk prices, never thrown a net in my life, so want to know what is the life expectancy of a typical net, is it better to buy a cheap one, use it a few times then dispose of it, or is it better to buy quality one and get a few years of use out of it. Which is the less hassle way, is it worth the time and effort of repairing nets, or should i buy cheap and throw the net away if it becomes damaged

Sounds like your possibly talking about a cast net? I.e. to throw over a shoal of fish to catch them?

It might help us to know what type of fishing you are planning on doing, where abouts you plan on going etc? Inland freshwater? Coastal? Hook and line fishing or fishing with nets and pots?

 

[Broch]

Hi John, welcome to the forum.

Fishing is a great pastime and a really good addition to the 'wilderness living' toolkit. I am no expert and others on here are far better qualified to comment. However, you need to be very careful fishing with nets in the UK. In fact, you need to check the legality of fishing methods in general and any local restriction on waters near you. Even sea fishing has some levels of controls.

In particular, freshwater fishing in the North East rivers has net fishing controls; I quote:

"It is illegal to use cast nets to catch freshwater fish, eels, trout, migratory trout or salmon in the North East. They are also illegal if used to catch migratory trout, salmon or freshwater eels up to six nautical miles from the coast line."

 

[TLM]

Now a question of terminology, does "cast" really mean cast as thrown or is it just used for using nets in some form?

 

[punkrockcaveman]

Cast = Thrown

 

[Robson Valley]

Except for negotiated First Nations Treaty fishing, amateurs here are not allowed to do net fishing of any kind.
Commercial will list nets in the terms of the license. Given the blessing of government agencies, professional fishers such as I was could do anything at all to catch fish, short of grenades and dynamite (DuPont Wobblers).

The only kind of net that I have not used is a purse seine.
Repairing nets is second only to scrubbing toilets for fun.

Having said that, I advise the purchase of very good quality nets.
Better materials, more durable and far less time making repairs.
Big nets (with lead-lines) are a grunt to transport and deploy by yourself, without a boat.

 

[C_Claycomb]

John,
The forum has strict rules against discussing illegal activities, and since net fishing can be illegal, it would be well for you to get to grips with the legal aspects so that you understand what can be discussed and what cannot. This will also allow you to steer the discussion in a direction that is useful to you.

While questions about what fishing gear to buy to get started are pretty common...starting in talking about cast nets is not common.

Help us out, back up a little and tell a bit more about what kind of fishing are you getting into? I know something about fresh water fishing but much less about sea fishing. What is it that you are embarking on, how have you got interested in it? While I have seen cast nets used for catching bait in various YouTube videos from the US and other places, I have not heard of their use in the UK (where they would only be legal in some areas of the sea). Normally when people talk about the hobby of fishing, they talk about rod and line, which is less efficient and catching and killing fish than nets (or traps, or dynamite) but is more fun.

I am sure you are as able to use Google as anyone, and that would be a good start.

Castnet fishing in the UK

Not sure if this belongs here or in "Fair Game" - mods, feel free to move it. ;) Anybody know much about castnet fishing? Is it legal in the UK, and if so, is it worthwhile? What species would you be likely to catch?

bushcraftuk.com

Warning for anglers after illegal cast net seized

The Environment Agency is warning anglers that fishing with an illegal cast net could result in a hefty fine or even custodial sentence.

www.gov.uk

The other aspect of your question has fundamental implications for all equipment purchases. The usual advice is to buy the best you can afford at the outset, that way you only cry once. Certainly this applies to tools where poor quality tools wear out more quickly, or are more difficult to use. Lots of people have found they wind up spending more in total by buying cheap, then a little better, then a bit better still before eventually buying the one they should have bought to begin with. Of course, no one tells one how to judge affordability! There is good inexpensive gear, and there is cheap junk, but without specific examples its hard to get specific advice.

Buying with the expectation of cheap gear being disposable is something else, something that I do not think should be encouraged. Think on this. Nets are invariably made of man-made fibre. How is buying cheap kit that you plan to throw away, and in doing so create more plastic rubbish, in keeping with any kind of environmental responsibility?

Looking forward to hearing from you, as I say, you have asked a pretty unique question!

ATB

Chris

 

[JOHN11]

Thanks for the replies, much appreciated.

I am talking about the casts nets that can be thrown at a passing fish. I heard that all the modern nets are made of nylon, is this true? If so, from your experience what is the difference between a cheap net and a more durable one. If it is all the same material then wny charge more, what do you get for your money? Is it a brand name people are paying to have the latest. What is the advantge, do they tear less frequently?
You said " buying the one they should have brought " Which are these. Which are the reputable sources that you buy your fishing gear from.
Thanks.

 

[punkrockcaveman]

Hi John

firstly just as a disclaimer/heads up you won't be able to use a cast net in freshwater as it is illegal. I notice you are in Yorkshire, the best thing you can do is contact the NEIFCA (google it) about the legality of using it on the Yorkshire coast.

I have limited experience of using a cast net, I bought a cheap chinese one. I used it in Cornwall (contacted the local fishery authorities about it, they said at the time I was perfectly fine to use it on the open coast not in or near estuaries).

I tried to use it on shoals of sprats in clear water around 6-8 feet deep. The net didn't sink fast enough and the sprats just bolted from under the net. I think a larger, heavier net in shallower murkier water would have been much more effective. Also, unless you are throwing on clean sand, they snag up really easily, and it's easy to cause breakages that way (even on small rocks, barnacles are like razors!)

 

[C_Claycomb]

John,
Where do you intend to use this net?
What fish species are you intending to target?
Where did you get the idea/why are you starting out looking at cast nets rather than the conventional route into fishing of rod and line?
Where have you seen these nets you keep referring to? Do you have links to them so that we can see what you are talking about?

The onus is on you to provide this information. No one is going to give you the information you want, or is likely to offer useful advice to you without you providing more information. By ducking the questions in earlier posts, not acknowledging the legal issues and persisting with asking about nets you make me think you are planning to ignore the law, in which case, there is nothing further to talk about.

Over to you.

Chris