How to Net a Fish

How to Net a Fish

Colorado guide Tom Whitley literally nets fish for a living. As we all know, this is where many hooked trout get away.

Here are the keys, according to Whitley.

First, note the fish’s body position. Tilted at a 45-degree angle (head pointed toward the bottom) and finning away wildly, the fish isn’t ready for the net.

To make that fish ready, drop the rod parallel to the water surface, maintain a solid bend in the rod and steer the fish toward you. At the critical moment when the fish is within reach, abruptly lift the rod tip skyward, changing the angle of the fish so that its head points upward.

When this happens, or when the fish’s head breaks the surface, maintain that tension and control. The trout has lost his leverage, and that’s when you can scoop him with the net.