DAVE JONES' NET
Peter Morse lands a hand-crafted wooden landing net.
I’ve never been a big fan of landing nets. I’ve owned quite a few and have left them in paddocks entangled in barbed wire fences or blackberry bushes or God knows where, but there are times when I’ve cursed not having a net and it’s cost me several good fish, one in particular while working with a film crew. It was a big fish and had come at the end of a week of small fish. We wanted it badly and I lost it at my feet—the groans that went up from all of us echoed down the Thredbo valley. We knew what we’d lost and my immediate thought was that I should always carry a net when filming.
Most of the time I get by with a well-practised lift and a bit of ‘fish whispering.’ Balance a fish in the middle of your hand and it will generally lie still, something learned from holding fish for cameras. Squeeze its belly and it’ll thrash wildly, scoop it up gently and you’ll generally get a gentle response.
In my local town of Leura there’s a woodcraft gallery that’s known worldwide amongst collectors of beautiful wooden things—it is a place I love to go into just to admire the workmanship and the range of the displayed items. I buy gifts for overseas friends there and on a busy weekend you’ll hear languages and accents from all over the world. One day in the shop I noticed several superbly crafted wooden landing nets. I struck up a conversation with the owner Neil Williams and it turns out he’s a keen fly fisherman and a regular visitor to Tasmania and New Zealand.
The nets are made by Dave Jones, also a keen fisherman, and are a superbly understated example of traditional craftsmanship made from layers of blackwood, red mahogany, she-oak and silver ash.
From now on I will always have one hanging from the back of my vest. I might not use it, but I’ll at least have the option, and it looks good too.
If you would like to buy one of these fine nets call in to the Leura Fine Woodwork Gallery, 130 The Mall, Leura or phone 02 4784 1768.