Nets, Packs & Vests
How to Choose a Fly Fishing Net
Six decisions, in the order that matters. The first one eliminates most of the nets for sale.
Nets look interchangeable and are not. Six decisions separate them, and taking them in this order means you never compare two nets that were never really candidates.
The short list
| # | Pick | Best for | Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Orvis Wide-Mouth Hand Net16" hoop · 9.5" bag · 25.5" longBest Overall | What these six decisions arrive at for a wading angler | 8.3 | Check price on Amazon |
| 2 | Frabill Floating Trout Net11" x 15" hoop · floatsBest Value | The same decisions on a tighter budget | 7.4 | Check price on Amazon |
| 3 | Fishpond Nomad Mid-Length Net37" · 13" x 18" head · floatsBest Upgrade Pick | The boat and big-river answer | 8.2 | Check price on Amazon |
1. Best Overall
Orvis Wide-Mouth Hand Net
The wading net: knotless bag, 16-inch hoop, short handle, light composite frame. The right shape for standing in a river.
| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Total length | 25.5" |
| Total width | 10.5" |
| Hoop length | 16" |
| Bag depth | 9.5" |
| Frame | Lightweight composite |
| Bag | Knotless, hook-resistant |
| Handle | 9" |
A net is a fish-welfare item before it is a convenience. A fish held in the current in a knotless rubber or soft mesh bag can be unhooked and released in seconds with its slime coat intact; the same fish wrestled on gravel or held in knotted nylon loses the protective layer that keeps infection out.
The Wide-Mouth Hand Net is built for that job and for wading specifically. The numbers: 25.5 inches overall, 10.5 inches wide, a 16-inch hoop and a 9.5-inch bag on a 9-inch handle, in a lightweight composite frame with a knotless hook-resistant bag.
The short handle is deliberate and it is the thing people question. Wading with a long-handled net means catching it on every willow and every wading staff. A hand net rides on your back and comes off when the fish is already close, which is where you should be landing it anyway.
What we like
- A knotless bag is the single most important fish-safety feature on a net — knots strip slime and scales
- A 9" handle is the right length for a wading angler; long handles snag on everything
- Composite frame does not show age like a wood frame and does not rot
- 16" hoop with a 9.5" bag is plenty for trout to around 20 inches
What you give up
- The short handle means you have to get the fish close before you can net it
- Too small for anything much over 20 inches
| Criterion | Score / 10 |
|---|---|
| Fish safety | 9 |
| Hoop size | 8 |
| Weight | 9 |
| Durability | 8 |
| Value | 7 |
| Overall | 8.3 |
2. Best Value
Frabill Floating Trout Net
The honest budget answer: rubberized micromesh and a flat-bottomed bag, which are the two things that protect a fish, without paying for a carbon frame.
| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Hoop | 11" x 15" (other sizes sold) |
| Bag | Tangle-free rubberized micromesh |
| Bag shape | Flat bottom |
| Floats | Yes |
Most of what you pay for in an expensive net is the frame — carbon fiber, a shaped handle, a finish that survives being dragged through brush. Almost none of what protects the fish is in the frame; it is in the bag.
The Frabill gets the bag right. Tangle-free rubberized micromesh does not abrade a trout's slime coat and does not snag the fly you are trying to remove, and the flat-bottomed design lets the fish lie supported rather than bent in a deep V. At an 11 by 15 inch hoop it handles ordinary stream trout comfortably.
What you give up is weight and refinement. It is bulkier on your back and the hardware is built to a price. If the choice is between this net and no net, this net wins easily — a fish landed in rubber mesh and released in ten seconds is in far better shape than one played to exhaustion and handled on gravel.
What we like
- Rubberized micromesh at a fraction of what a composite-framed net costs
- The flat-bottomed bag supports a fish's weight evenly instead of folding it into a U
- Floats, so a dropped net is recoverable rather than gone
- Sold in several hoop sizes, so you can match it to your water rather than the other way round
What you give up
- Heavier and bulkier on the back than a carbon-framed net
- Finish and hardware are built to a price, and it shows next to a Fishpond
| Criterion | Score / 10 |
|---|---|
| Fish safety | 8 |
| Hoop size | 7 |
| Weight | 6 |
| Durability | 6 |
| Value | 9 |
| Overall | 7.4 |
3. Best Upgrade Pick
Fishpond Nomad Mid-Length Net
The float-and-reach net: the right tool from a boat, the wrong tool in willows.
| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Total length | 37" |
| Head | 13" W x 18" L |
| Bag depth | 12" |
| Weight | 453 g / 1 lb with rubber bag |
| Material | Carbon fiber / fiberglass composite |
| Properties | Waterproof, UV protected, floats |
Fishpond's Nomad nets are built from a carbon fiber and fiberglass composite, which makes them waterproof, UV stable and — the part that matters when you fumble one — buoyant. The Mid-Length is 37 inches long with a 13 by 18 inch head, a 12-inch bag and a total weight of about one pound with the rubber bag fitted.
That length is the whole decision. From a drift boat or raft you are reaching down and out, and 37 inches is the difference between netting the fish and watching it come off at the gunwale. Wading the same river, that length catches every branch you walk past.
If you are buying one net and you wade, buy a hand net. If you float, or you split your time, this is the upgrade.
What we like
- It floats, which is the feature you appreciate exactly once
- 37 inches of reach is what you need over the side of a raft
- 1 lb with the rubber bag is light for that size
- Carbon/fiberglass composite does not absorb water or rot like wood
What you give up
- Too long to wade comfortably with — it catches on brush
- Costs several times a basic net
| Criterion | Score / 10 |
|---|---|
| Fish safety | 9 |
| Hoop size | 9 |
| Weight | 7 |
| Durability | 9 |
| Value | 7 |
| Overall | 8.2 |
1. Bag material — this eliminates most nets
Rubber or knotless mesh, or do not buy it. Knotted nylon abrades a trout's protective slime coat, catches fins, buries every hook you put near it, and freezes solid in winter.
This single decision removes a large fraction of the nets sold in general sporting-goods aisles, which is why it goes first. Full reasoning: rubber versus nylon net mesh.
2. Hoop length — size for the realiztic fish
Hoop length decides the biggest fish you can land cleanly, because a trout enters a net nose-first along its length. For ordinary trout fishing that means 15 to 18 inches; the full table is on the net size guide.
Ask a local fly shop what a good fish is on your water and size for that. Buying for the fish of a lifetime means carrying an awkward net on every ordinary trip.
3. Bag depth — at least nine inches
A shallow bag lets a netted fish turn and jump out, usually while your hands are occupied and usually onto rocks. Nine inches is a floor, twelve is comfortable. An impressive hoop over a shallow bag is a net that loses fish.
4. Handle length — from how you fish, not what you catch
- Wading: short. A hand net with a 9-inch handle. Long handles catch on branches, wading staffs and your own line.
- Boat or raft: long. You are reaching over a gunwale, and 36 inches or more is normal.
- Small overgrown streams: shortest and most compact you can find.
Buy for the way you fish most weekends. One float trip a year does not justify carrying a boat net up a creek.
5. Frame — where the money goes, and what it buys
| Frame | Weight | Durability | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carbon fiber / composite | Lightest | High | What you pay extra for. Noticeable on a long walk in |
| Wood (laminated) | Medium | Medium | Beautiful, and will eventually crack if abused. A choice, not a spec |
| Aluminum / steel | Heavy | High | Cheap and tough, and you will feel it on your back |
| Molded plastic | Light | Low | Fine until it flexes under a real fish |
The frame does nothing for the fish. It decides whether the net is comfortable enough that you actually bring it — which matters, because a net in the car protects nothing.
6. How you will carry it
Decide this before you buy, because it affects which net works. A magnetic net release on a D-ring between your shoulder blades is the standard answer; some packs and vests have a dedicated net slot or ring, such as the Fishpond Flint Hills vest.
A net that floats is also worth the small premium, because the moment you fumble one in a riffle is the moment you learn whether yours does.
The six decisions as a checklist
- Rubber or knotless bag. Non-negotiable.
- Hoop 15-18" for ordinary trout; check the chart for your water.
- Bag at least 9" deep, 12" preferred.
- Short handle for wading, long for boats.
- Composite frame if the walk is long; anything sturdy if it is not.
- A magnetic release and a D-ring, bought at the same time.
Run the shortlist in best fly fishing nets through those six and you will have one answer, not four.
Questions people actually ask
What should I look for in a fly fishing net?
In order: a rubber or knotless bag, a hoop 15 to 18 inches long for trout, a bag at least 9 inches deep, a handle matched to wading or boat use, a frame light enough that you bring it, and a way to carry it on your back.
Do I need an expensive net?
No. The parts that protect the fish — a rubber knotless bag of adequate depth — are available cheaply. What money buys is a lighter frame and better finish, which mainly affects whether the net is pleasant to carry.
Should a fly fishing net float?
It is worth the small premium. Nets get dropped in moving water, and one that floats is recoverable while one that sinks is gone.
What is a magnetic net release?
A two-part magnet: one half clips to a D-ring on your pack or vest, the other to your net. The net rides on your back and pulls free with one hand. It is the standard way to carry a net and it costs very little.
Where these figures come from
Read next
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