Landing Net for Fly Fishing

My old landing net was falling apart, and I figured it would be more fun to make one than buy one.

The bag was the hardest part. If you make one of these, get the bag first and build your form to fit the bag rather than trying to get a bag to fit the form. Few stores sell just the net bag, so I ordered one on Amazon. The first one came out the wrong size (ordered a 40" circumference and received a 47"). Returned and got a replacement, and they sent the 47" again. Returned and got a third one (Fishpond this time, so a reputable brand) and it came out correct, but not exactly 40".




For the form, I went down to the Orvis store and traced one of their nets onto a big piece of scrap paper. I didn't use their handle shape because I wanted it to be a bit longer. It was a little awkward, but the Orvis people seemed entertained. Glued my tracing to some scrap plywood/MDF and cut it out with a jig saw. For steam bending, I poured some water on it, wrapped it in foil and hit it with clothes iron for 10 minutes. I covered my form in packing tape to keep it from soaking up water and to stop the glue from sticking to it.