The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

Part of my enjoyment from angling comes from reliving the memories of my youth.
My father had an original BCSG landing net which was passed to myself for a while . It evokes great happy memories and I was curious if I could maybe try and recreat something similar for myself .
These memories are from 30 years ago and more but it had lovely long ash handles and I think a fairly rudimentary flat metal spreader with a great 6ft ally pole in green.
I was wondering if any of you chaps might have one , its rare I know and if so could take some measurements and or detailed images ( mainly the spreader area ) ?
Kind regards
John

http://www.fishermansemporium.co.uk/landingnets2.html
Is it this one

Thats the one ... I don't remember it having that large piece of wood as a spreader though , we certainly never used it but just the black metal parts . I remember the pole as plain green and thicker , but it was many years ago .

Edited to add .... wow less than a hundred made .

Looks fairly easy to replicate... Cant really see how the net arms are held in though.

No but I don't remember it being too sophisticated but thats why I was hoping for detailed images or measurments .

The metal plate at the base of the V was 2 separate parts with dowels on 1and location holes on the other. All held together with a central 3/8BSF screw which screwed into the landing net handle. These nearly L shaped plates were fitted to the end of the ash arms. Hope this helps

Hi ajsrider
Thanks for the reply .
I remember it as you described except for the locating holes and dowels ? I guess this does make sense to stop it pivoting though.
Many thanks
John

The net shown for sale in John Farey's Emporium was originally mine. Back in the seventies two BCSG members, Brian Burcombe and Roy Parfitt offered for sale to group members a 42 ash armed landing net which came with a light alloy pole. At the time I was fishing for some big pike (I netted one of 34lbs for a friend) and our 40 inch home made nets struggled a bit. I asked Roy if he would make me a one off with 50 inch arms which he and Brian did, I think I had to source the mesh. When I got it I wasn't happy with the spreader arrangement,it just didn't seem strong enough to me. At the time I was fishing with amongst others Roger Smith, when I showed Roger the net he agreed the junction of the arms to the pole didn't seem robust enough. Roger gave the net to his father who created a wooden spreader and a retaining bolt thus increasing the strength of the net/pole junction massively.
Strangely enough not long after this modification Dick Walker wrote a piece for the BCSG's magazine and heavily criticised the Burcombe/Parfitt net focusing on the "weakness" of the spreader or coupling arrangement, after this criticism by Walker Roy and Brian stopped selling the nets.
Not long after modifying the net the first of the commercially available glass nets started to appear and I purchased a 45inch armed "Springbow" landing net from Dons of Edmonton which was much lighter then the BCSG one. The BCSG net became redoundent and I gave it to a friend who was fishing the same big pike water as me. Some years later we lost contact so I don't know what happened to it after then. I don't think my friend camo painted the pole however, and the claim that less then 100 were made I would doubt, From what Roy told me I would guess less than thirty were made.

Nice post JPC.

Thank you for posting about the history of the BCSG nets . Very interesting and informative . I remember the spreader arrangement was rudimentary and not easy to use but don't recall ever thinking it was weak .
I must confess though my my memory is poor and jaded.
Possibly I also look back with rose turned spectacles. I was young then but if I could have two things to remind me of those times and fishing with my dad it would be this net or his set of green Bruce Ashby rods .
The last I heard my dad's old study group net was left in a shed after he died . The arms rotten but I guess it's possible the rest of of survive and my brother may have rescued it.
Kind regards
John