Do you need a $125 trout net?

I used to think a net was a net. As a matter of fact I spent most of my trout fishing life with a net with a cloth basket. Yep, every dual fly setup was a pain when you caught a fish. It was inevitable that the second fly was going to get embedded deep in the mesh netting. I think the last net I had finally went to the trash with several small flies still tangled in it that I never could get out!

But do you need a carbon fiber Fishpond net? Well, maybe. They are super light weight and very durable. I will say that any net that has nice rubber basket material will be such a step up from any older net you may have that you might decide to just stop there!

But if you want light weight, the Fishpond nets are nice. You can of course find custom wooden nets that are expensive and unique if that is your thing, and you can get nets at all price levels.

Deciding on the size and length of net is also a personal choice. You'll have to weigh the variables of how you fish. Whether you will be walking up an overhung bushy stream catching little brookies, or mostly floating in a drift boat for big browns will help you pick the right basket size and handle length.

The thing is a fish safe rubber basket, the size you think will fit you best, and the material that your ego or budget can live with. When all is said and done, a net is a net - but some nets are certainly created better than others.