A Splendid Traditional Specimen Landing Net – Leigh Spills The Beans

Renting a skip is exorbitant, so I have had to make multiple trips to the local tip to dispose of the materials from our home renovation. As a frequent visitor to the recycling centre, I am taken aback by the items others discard.

After unloading the car, I decided to browse through the recycling section to see if any useful items could be brought back home. While on my visit, I came across a vintage landing net from the 1950s. It was situated in a corner with old golf clubs, broken sea fishing rods, and garden parasols. It caught my interest, and I considered taking it home. I acquired the fishing net that came complete with a homemade spreader block featuring 36″ duralumin arms and its original mesh, which is now illegal.

Block Beginnings

I found that securing the spreader block to a modern net pole was unsuccessful. However, I discovered that using an Efgeeco net handle that I had on hand was the perfect solution. Unfortunately, the spreader block, which has hand-filled grooves to secure the net arms, was misaligned and is not safe to use. My fellow Raconteur Rob proposed that it could be used as a pike net, which made me consider its potential.

I exchanged several emails and met with a local acquaintance who is skilled in crafting traditional fishing nets. He examined the net I presented to him and commented multiple times on the amount of effort it required to make good. He straightened out the net arms on his vice and mentioned the material used in Richard Walker’s reel, which was also made of duralumin. He provided a brief history of the material’s past usage.

I watched the engineer closely as he tried to remove the pin from the spreader block using a hammer, relying on his mechanical expertise. I left the scene feeling hopeful that we could use the materials that were retrieved to make a landing net.

Alongside An Efgeeco Original

After a few weeks, an email informed me that the net was ready for collection. However, it did not include any photographs but confirmed that the net was complete.

When I picked up the crafted items, I was pleased to find that they were way above my expectations. The craftsman had created a new spreader block and combined it with a traditional landing net pole, following the design of the late Richard Walker.

The wonderfully crafted ‘Engineers’ block, with replacement mesh

As the new season approaches and I set personal goals, I hope to catch a big pike while fishing. I fondly remember my past trips to Norfolk, where I fished in the winter, but those are now distant memories that I only revisit through my photo albums. I am excited to see what the upcoming season will bring.

Writing & Images Leigh – May 2023 with a very special thank you to ‘The Engineer’