Main Branch Products Landing Nets

The woods I use are carefully chosen for their beauty, it is not unusual for me to purchase two or three board foot of figured walnut only to be able to cut out two or three handles! Any combination of the above woods could be used, however I choose to use light and dark combinations. The process I use to construct a landing may not be the fastest/mass produced type method but it does assure a wooden landing net that is unique and one of a kind.

Construction of a wooden landing net begins with the cutting of the strips that form the bow of the net. The strips are cut to a thickness of approximately .125" thick and 3/4" wide. The strips are then soaked, not steamed, Curley Maple & Walnut Bow

in hot water for about 10 minutes. They are then quickly formed and clamped around the net form. The net form is a piece of 3/4" plywood the shape of the net with special cut outs to accommodate the many clamps required to hold the bow material in place. After the bow has been allowed to dry for a few days the the strips are removed, separated and allowed to throughly dry. Next a waterproof glue is applied to the pieces and the pieces are securely clamped to the net form using about 30 clamps. The glue is allowed to dry for 24 hours, I them sand the bow to check for gaps the lamination. If the bow shows any signs of the slightest gap it becomes firewood and I start over. The handle insert is next cut to shape and meticulously fitted to the bow to assure a gap free fit. Again a waterproof glue is applied to the bow and handle which are them clamped together and allowed to cure for 24 hours. The net is now rough sanded to approximate final dimension.

I next cut the groove into the bow to accommodate the retaining cord that will hold the net bag in the bow and the holes are drilled into the bow to allow the net bag ends to be pulled Birds Eye Maple & Walnut Bow through so the retaining cord can be looped through. The radius is the cut on the end of the handle and final sanding begins. After the final sanding a clear semi-gloss polyurethane finish is applied. The finish is applied using spraying equipment, all dust and lint are lightly sanded and removed prior to applying the next coat. A minimum of six coats are applied to provide durable coating the will last for years. The net bags are hand tied by myself to a depth of approximately 22" using a rot proof nylon.