DIY wooden landing net
Wooden landing nets might not seem like the easiest or least expensive DIY-project, but this article shows how to easily make one almost for free
If by any chance you read my previous post (IKEA Fly Tying Board: How to make a 10-dollar tying station based on a cheap IKEA cutting board. Published Nov 24. 2019), you know I have this "why buy one when I can make my own" mentality. I am not necessarily cheap; I just like to get my creative juices flowing every now and then…
A couple years ago my wife bought me a wooden landing net. Looking at it I thought I could make one, so I went to the local woodworking shop and shared my idea: create a simple mold, bend the wood to shape, sand and seal, make a basket and... voila!
Their input was less than constructive. The first thing they said was "you can't do that". Then, they proceeded to list all the items I needed to buy (from them of course): a wood steaming box, this and that tool, etc. at the tune of over one thousand dollars. I left the shop both upset and with my brain racing with ideas... I hate when people with limited creativity tells me I can't do something!
So, I got to work.
I gathered some wood that was sitting around the basement and my very rudimentary and limited selection of tools (a hand saw, a wood rasp, several clamps… and yes, my wife's tea kettle) and started creating my home-made landing net.
I created a mold by drawing the desired form with pencil on a piece of plywood and placing nails along it to create the required contour. To bend the thin net frame made from pine wood trim into shape, I used a tea kettle to create steam, exposing the trim to it and gently coaxing it into shape. I tied the ends together and left it untouched for several days to help it retain the shape.
I then created the middle section of the handle by cutting the desired shape out of a piece of poplar and glued it to the pine frame. I used the remaining pieces of poplar as part of the clamping system to help retain the desired shape.
Once the glue dried, I cut the handle to shape, created a lengthwise groove on the net frame and drilled the necessary holes. I then sanded – and sanded, and sanded some more – and finally sealed it with polyurethane.
I made a custom basket and attached it with fishing line so the weaving would not show.
This is now my to-go landing net. I spent zero dollars on this project.
Read more about why you should register.
Related content
More content from the front page
Since you got this far …
The GFF money box
… I have a small favor to ask.
Long story short
Support the Global FlyFisher through several different channels, including PayPal.
Long story longer
The Global FlyFisher has been online since the mid-90's and has been free to access for everybody since day one – and will stay free for as long as I run it.
But that doesn't mean that it's free to run.
It costs money to drive a large site like this.
See more details about what you can do to help in this blog post.
Comments
Thanks for a great article!
Thanks for a great article! How did you create the lengthwise groove on the frame?
I first scored the wood with
I first scored the wood with a chisel and then used a wood file of the appropriate size. I finished it (for cosmetic reasons) with sanding paper wrapped around a small piece of wood.
DIY wooden landing net
Great looking net! Thanks for the 'How To'.
Grooving wooden net frames
Much the easiest way to achieve a consistent groove, is to rout it out before steaming/bending.