Friday 16 September 2016

Catch and release and the weedy problem

Ok, so finally the fish is well hooked - unlike the 'tap it and flee' fish that occasionally seem to predominate - you faff about with your landing net whilst trying to control the rod and fish. The fish cavorts up and down the river. You now have your net in the river and realise that the play on the line has changed. Your fly is hooked, but no longer to the fish. Out comes the fly (hopefully) with a long stream of healthy river weed attached. Again!
Damned clever these catch and release fish!
Hey ho.... Well at least the net dries rapidly - having bought a replacement Snowbee rubber-mesh - incredibly cheaply - ordered from Peter Arfield at the Bakewell fly fishing shop. They do them in different sizes. I can recommend them. As long as they are the right rim measurement I should think they fit any net. They are better for toothy fish and the hook less readily attaches itself to the mesh.