THE BEST NETS FOR UNDER £60

From keepnets to landing nets, we’ve found just the net for you – whatever your fishing style

KEEPNETS come in all shapes and sizes, but the once popular round-ringed nets have become something of a rarity, superseded by the square-ringed type. These are far safer for the fish, as they don’t collapse so readily.

These are intended for pleasure and match anglers who need to hold fish for short periods so that they can either be admired at the end of a session or weighed in.

It’s vitally important to look after your catch by making sure your net is correctly submerged and not collapsed. Nearly all commercial fisheries set sensible limits on the maximum weight that can be placed in a single net. If you’re not sure, as a rule of thumb you should aim at putting no more than 50lb in one net. If you’re unsure of what weight you have, get a counter clicker.

Modern keepnets come in a variety of styles and patterns. River anglers favour a largermeshed net with aluminium rings that keep it pinned down in the flow, while match anglers who require multiple nets tend to use those with compact openings that save on space.

Keepnet capacity (ring width and net length) should be dictated by the venues you fish. There’s little point in buying a 2.5m-long net if your fishing position is from a high bank where a 3m-plus net is clearly called for.

The type of material and the mesh size are again a personal choice, but I would say that all modern keepnets use fish-friendly materials which help to prevent damage to the fish’s fins and body.

Here are some of the best keepnets available today, all priced at under £60.