Why did it all start?
Well let’s go through the process and hopefully I can explain the thoughts behind making such a beautiful item that every fly fisherman needs, a net of this quality in his armoury against their quest for the love of Trout fishing.
As an avid fly fisherman, someone who has travelled all over, indulging myself in all aspects of fly fishing wherever it may be found, I grew to realise one item of tackle was letting me down. I was fishing in France with a friend, stalking a river for wild browns, weaving through bushes and around trees.
We were sight fishing for them and with only three methods in mind, one being the bow and arrow cast in around the trees on the higher side of the banks, something that is an art in itself and should never be taken lightly as it can produce some very large trout but being very quiet is a must and the others were the upstream dry or the upstream nymph.
An integral part of this game is to be as quiet and unobservable as possible. My friend had this down to a fine art whereas I was either retrieving my net from some bush or snapping tree branches to free it. This was costing me fish as the tally proved at the end of the day. It was obvious that my net, hanging from my kit bag, was vulnerable to snags whilst my friend’s net was securely attached on his back and avoiding all problems. So, there and then, the concept of Lomond Bespoke Nets was born.
The basic design is big at the shoulders and narrow down towards the handle, making the net more than capable of landing the larger fish in the rivers, but has been designed in a way that is very light on your back. Connection is by the magnetic system at the top of the net and can be placed for either left or right handed fishermen. Although it is approx. 500mm wide and 835mm long, you won’t even know that it is there.
I don’t like the word landing net but much prefer scoop net, just my personal feelings especially in this present climate when most fish are returned to the water to preserve the stock levels.
Although there are some well-designed nets on the UK market, The Lomond Net fills a gaping hole – a bespoke product made with much enthusiasm and detail, hand crafted in my own workshop.
Anyone that is looking for something constructed for a defined purpose then please get in contact with me, and over discussion we will come up with your very own handmade net that can accompany you on those special trips to the riverbank.