The King is dead, long live The King.

My old (pre-alloy spreader block version) Drennan Specialist 22" landing net gave up the ghost last week. After many years of use, and abuse, the hollow alloy rim gave in and snapped.

Initially, I was just going to buy another new version of the same net. It generally goes on a Drennan Super Specialist landing net pole so my OCD wouldn't be agitated.

However, it's been a long time since the Drennan was bought, it had to be worth a scoot round the web to see if there was anything else worth looking at.
I found a few odds and sods that caught my attention. A Daiwa net, similar to their match nets but in green. Having seen and used Daiwa match nets, I knew it would be a decent buy, just not interesting enough to pass the Drennan.

I then started to think about a folding net as I seem to spend most of my time wandering round and round a gravel pit or up and down a river. However, I don't like triangular carp type folders, even if they are small. I found the Korum folding spoon net, good price, but mates have had the odd issue with Korum nets and I don't fancy the split spreader block.
I then found the Wychwood Specimen Quickfold. Folding, green, no split spreader, check. It also has a little magnet in the net to clip it up to the spreader, no more dragging the excess through a spreader or retro-fitting a good old fashioned laggy band. Only one snag here being that it was 25 or 30". I wanted a touch closer to the 22" of the Drennan. Despite there being no sign of smaller on the Wychwood website, Ted Carter were showing a 22" version in stock.

I took a punt and ordered the 22", it arrived this morning. No chance to test just yet, but it looks damned good. Spreader is solid, breaks down easily, but not too easily. The little magnet works a treat, making a relatively deep net a bit more manageable until you actually need the depth. Whilst I can only acknowledge that I haven't actually used it yet, I'm impressed enough to be thinking seriously about getting the 30" net for barbelling and my roving carp fishing.

Thanks for that Sam - just what I'm looking for too.

I was considering the Korum, but this looks better.

You've bought a good net Sam, I bought one towards the end of last year... I can't remember what size but suspect mine's the 30"

I've used it a couple of times on the river and it's performed as well as you'd expect, I particularly like the small sewn in magnet that keeps the excess mesh from dragging until the fish is netted.

I'm just going through the final phases of completely destroying my 36" triangular net before moving on to the Wychwood full time for that kind of fishing.

Hold your horses before you buy - I tested mine out on a load of bream last week - failed miserably. The metal hoop, supporting the net is too weak. It bends out of shape, I am going to buy the net it replaced .... A Drennan Specialist.

Interesting.

I too had one of those Drennan Specialist nets. I never liked the shape so I was quite glad when the rim on mine snapped too. I replaced it with a Greys rubber mesh which I really,really like but its a bit big for some of the fishing I do.

So I looked for a smaller net & went for the Korum folding spoon at 22" [seems smaller than that ] and so far I think its brilliant. Perfect for the smaller species but big enough for the odd yobbo intruder. Good value too.

I'm not too sure about the folding concept on bigger nets & bigger species. There has to some reduction in strength/robustness over a fixed head I would have thought. I've only used the Korum 2/3 times but its handled tench to nearly 5lb comfortably with no sign of any distortion. I really like it.

shaunfox said:

Hold your horses before you buy - I tested mine out on a load of bream last week - failed miserably. The metal hoop, supporting the net is too weak. It bends out of shape, I am going to buy the net it replaced .... A Drennan Specialist.

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I'm surprised to hear that Shaun as I've had a couple of low double barbel in the short time I originally used mine and it was fine, I wonder if you might have got a dodgy one?

Having said that mine's not had too much of a continual bashing as it was put away after the first few sessions so maybe time will tell... ?

Looks a good net Sam, will have to nip in carters and have a look myself as I am not overly impressed with Korum Barbel net I bought last year, the Frame and spreader block are just too flimsy IMO and was looking to replacing it with a Drennan SS.
I have allways had respect for the Wychwood Brand and if this net is as good as the rest of the gear I have bought over the years (mainly fly fishing luggage) It will be good!

I have the large specimen version and it's fine except one issue.

The mesh sleeve will fill with water when submerged, the net becomes very heavy and I have seen others collapse and break, particularly from high banks. As long as you are aware of that, it's good. I've carefully created a few drain holes on the underside of the sleeve which helps a lot.

Without doubt the very best folding net available today is the Whitlock.

These nests are super strong, have a telescopic handle, a never fail locking mechanism, and will last you a lifetime.
The frame is so strong you put your foot onto it to extend the handle and will shovel up a whole weedbed plus your fish after you've shoved it through a dense reedbed.

Yes they are expensive, but quality never did come cheap.

And they are made 100% in England.


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mick b said:

Without doubt the very best folding net available today is the Whitlock.

These nests are super strong, have a telescopic handle, a never fail locking mechanism, and will last you a lifetime.
The frame is so strong you put your foot onto it to extend the handle and will shovel up a whole weedbed plus your fish after you've shoved it through a dense reedbed.

Yes they are expensive, but quality never did come cheap.

And they are made 100% in England.


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I know Mick, I used to have one till some towrag nicked it!!

mick b said:

Without doubt the very best folding net available today is the Whitlock.

These nests are super strong, have a telescopic handle, a never fail locking mechanism, and will last you a lifetime.
The frame is so strong you put your foot onto it to extend the handle and will shovel up a whole weedbed plus your fish after you've shoved it through a dense reedbed.

Yes they are expensive, but quality never did come cheap.

And they are made 100% in England.


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They also weigh a ton which is fine if you have wrists like a silverback but not good if you have girlie ballerina wrists....which is why I didn't buy one.

Lovely nets though.I could almost buy one for the sheer hell of owning it.

How about long handles? The Drennen and the Gardner ones were the best when we last discussed these; anything new better out there? My Drennen has just given up the ghost

geoffmaynard said:

How about long handles? The Drennen and the Gardner ones were the best when we last discussed these; anything new better out there? My Drennen has just given up the ghost

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I dont think there's much else about other than those two if you want a robust extending net handle,Geoff. I nearly bought a Drennan which looks the part but when I picked it up & played with it the damned thing jammed solid. I put it back.

S-Kippy said:

I dont think there's much else about other than those two if you want a robust extending net handle,Geoff. I nearly bought a Drennan which looks the part but when I picked it up & played with it the damned thing jammed solid. I put it back.

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Naughty boy

I found my Drennan Specialist net handle in a cheapo bucket putside a sports shop in Ross on Wye, someone had unscrewed the pole so the inner bush was no longer operating as it should........you again S-Kippy..mg:

Needless to say I pick it up and never let it go......yes I did pay money for it so it wasnt exactly robbery.....I was just taking advantage of a situation....exactly what any decent angler would do


:wh


AND i am going to weigh my both my Specialist and my Whitlock to gauge exactly how weak wristed S-Kippy really is........



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mick b said:

AND i am going to weigh my both my Specialist and my Whitlock to gauge exactly how weak wristed S-Kippy really is........

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I'll save you the trouble....the answer is very. Its not the weight per se Mick its the balance & the leverage. Most nets feel nice when they are dry and held at the perfect pivot point. Totally different when you're at full stretch with a lump and half a weedbed in the net.

A net I can't manage is no good to me...however well made it might be. Its the same reason why I dont like rods over 13'.

geoffmaynard said:

How about long handles? The Drennen and the Gardner ones were the best when we last discussed these; anything new better out there? My Drennen has just given up the ghost

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Presuming that you haven't broken the carbon pole itself, provided you haven't stripped the internal thread on the plastic widget, they can be resurrected. A good clean is the place to start. Then, if it still won't lock, you just need to build up the outer faces of the widget, the ones that contact the inside of the outer pole. A bit of superglue, applied in layers and allowed to harden in between, worked for me (I'm sure that there must be something better for the job, but it's what I had to hand.). Once built up, refit to the screw thread and reassemble. If it doesn't fit, give the faces of the widget a bit of a sanding down. Doing so isn't a bad thing as keying the faces makes it lock up extremely well. I've resurrected a worn widget twice this way.

However, it's a lot easier to just ask Drennan for a replacement widget. They usually give them out for free if you contact them.

In the unlikely event that this is even remotely helpful to anyone I can highly recommend the first two sections of the Daiwa 3m take apart as a handy long reach hosepipe extension for watering up...



:w