By Jamie Robley
Kayak fishing has been one of the biggest growth areas in angling over the past few years. For us kayak fishos, the benefits are clear: initial purchase cost, no fuel bills, stealth factor when fishing and personal fitness.
An essential item for anyone who chases bream or bass from a kayak is a landing net. Bring a sizeable fish up next to the kayak and, if you don’t have a net aboard, things can get pretty nervy…and it’s all too easy to lose the big one.
Having put up with an aging no frills landing net for years, I recently tried out a new net from Berkley, specifically designed for small-water kayak fishing. Well I’m very glad that I did, and the old net went straight in the rubbish bin!
Berkley’s extended handle design is the perfect size for kayak fishing. The 36cm handle is fitted with a comfortable EVA grip along its entire length which basically renders it kayak stealth compatible; in other words, you can net fish quietly during a hot bite without a metal handle banging about and spooking fish. The red aluminium hoop is 30cm wide, so it’s just right for any bream or bass you’re likely to encounter. The black silicon mesh is easy to sweep through the water and also fish friendly, so netted fish won’t get scarred or lose natural slime as you bring them aboard. The bonus is that it won’t tangle trebles like a knotted net will.
Another handy little feature is a lanyard clip at the end of the handle, so you can attach it to a cord so it won’t get lost if you drop it
in the water.
I fish in a sit-in-style yak and have found it tucks in nicely behind my seat, with the handle sticking out ready
to grab at
any time.
Overall length: 74cm
Handle length: 36cm
Weight: Approx. 300g
Frame: Anodised aluminium
Mesh: Knotless black silicon
Colour: Red and black
RRP: $39.95
Comment: The Berkley Kayak Net is well made and very quiet and comfortable to use. It has the right handle length and is the perfect size for small-water kayak fishing. Since using it, I’d have to rate it a must-have on a yak. Additionally, it would be great for anglers who like to wade the shallows or fish from a small boat.
