Rising Nets

By Spencer Mortensen I like catching fish. I think we can all agree that we really like catching fish. There are times when I go fishing that I don't bother carrying a net with me. Fishing high mountain streams where I've never seen a fish over twelve inches is one of those times. There are other times where I truly regret not taking a net with me. On one of my early carp excursions I ended up hooking into a fish, played it and got it to the bank next to me. I reached down, tried to grab a five or six pound carp, lifted it about a foot out of the water before it freaked out at me, did a death wiggle, fell back into the water and simultaneously broke me off. I was devastated. It was all because I didn't have my normal wood-handled 14-inch opening trout net with me. Since that time period I have found the need to have a bigger net with me. This lead to me getting a Rising Lunker net. Pros: Options: The Rising Lunker net comes in a two different sizes and a variety of color combinations. The two sizes are a 24-inch handle or a 38-inch handle. Those handles give the user the options for better use while wading or while on a boat. I selected the 24-inch handle because I am generally walking and wading and not on a boat. The net also comes in a variety of colors and has the option to do two tone colors. Have fun selecting from the various color schemes! Liftetime Warranty: Things break. People break things. Life happens. Having a lifetime warrany is an awesome bonus that provides some peice of mind - especially when dealing with something that gets tossed around a lot and could get damaged. Rising goes the extra mile and covers the net bag (for a small fee) for a full year incase it does get damaged. I really love the way they put it on their website: "If you have a problem or issue with any Rising product get in touch with us and we will make it right." That is a big deal. I hope to never need to warranty out my net - but if I do I am glad to know it will be taken care of. Net hoop: The hoop on the lunker net is 21 inches long and it tapers from 13.5 down to 9 inches wide. That makes for a pretty wide mouth opening to fit feisty fish into! The hoop also has engraved markings at 12, 16, 18, 19, 20, and 21 inches to give you a quick reference point on fish length! Keep those fish near (or in) the water as much as possible. #keepthemwet Another benefit of the larger net hoop is that it makes it easier to net a fish. Having a smaller openings require much more precision when helping your friend net that trophy trout they've been chasing all year. Stream Side Flask: The end of the 24-inch net handle has a gasket sealed end-cap. This can be used to store some liquid courage or other beverages of your choice. I use the sealed end-cap as slight flotation device for my net. If I am wading in a knee-deep still pocket of water on the river or in mid thigh deep water on a lake I can drop my net at my side and the end of the handle will float up keeping it off of the bottom and easy to reach. That makes my life easier. I have heard of people stashing candy in them for a quick snack as well. If you look at the picture below you'll see the handle of the Lunker net floating in the shallows behind me. Handle: Having a net with a handle that is hard to hold onto is a net that you'll want to use less and less. The Lunker net has a great knurled grip. A knurled grip means that it has a pattern of lines is cut or rolled into the material - in this instance a crossing knurled pattern. The texture on the grip makes it particularly easy to hold on to, especially when it is wet. Cons Carrying/Attaching the net: Moving from a smaller trout net to the larger Lunker net does create the need for some adjustments. If I were to wear my traditional fly fishing vest I would imagine having a tough time connecting the lunker net to my vest in a way that I wouldn't trip over the net or lose it while walking around. Over the last year or so I have migrated my fishing setup to normally using a waist pack while on the water. I have found that while using a waist pack setup I find that while walking the flats with line out that I tend to have the line wrap around the net handle. A simple adjustment of what direction I tilt the net and how I manage my fly line has made this basically a non-issue moving forward. Over many trips I've definitely enjoyed my time using the Rising Lunker nets. They are capable of landing big fish and keeping them secure. I'll keep using my purple Rising Lunker, because I like it! The Rising nets now come in a variety of custom colors! Check them out HERE