Paul Cook Landing Net

[Mark]

After some deliberation and in need of treating myself for a change I have decided to purchase one of Paul Cooks deluxe ash framed landing nets complete with handle. A deposit has duly been paid and the landing net should be ready sometime in the summer (Don't tell the wife).

They are rather nice.

http://www.artofangling.net/landing-nets.html

[Kingfisher]

Tis a thing of beauty Mark, you're a very lucky man.

[Hovis]

Yes a thing of beauty indeed. Seeing the prices makes you think Paul is related to Dick Turpin, but when you look at the skill and time that goes into making them they are actually very good value. Still miles out of my price range but I live in hope. Hope it proves to be lucky for you Mark. What size did you go for?

[Mark]

What size did you go for?

I went for 500mm x 600mm, bid enough for virtually all of my fishing.

[Bob Brookes]

You won't regret it Mark. I bought one of Paul's 2 piece handles last year, a true work of art. He drew on it a couple of drawings for me of a barbel and a perch. I had already got a net made for me by Andy Batchelor and a smaller one by John (Hermit) Haynes.

I have now got one of Len Arbery's nets on the way, but that's another story!
Bob

[Swythyn Troutbeck]

Paul made one for me a couple of years ago, along with an Artisan Avocet. Both absolute works of art and a treasure for ever. Paul's workmanship is truly outstanding and worth every penny paid for it. Very nice chap, too.

Troutbeck

[AshbyCut]

Splendid treat for yourself mark Sir !

[Paul Cook]

Slightly different style spreader on this image which is what Mark has ordered and being the last one in stock of that spreader design .The image on the web is an older cast spreader , that being the last of that batch also and this is the problem , getting or finding anyone willing to make them as they are very expensive to make .
The spreader in this image was a batch of ten that were made and not to my design , in fact I think they were based on a Barder design from some years back . They were offered to me and knowing how hard they are to get produced I couldnt turn them down . Access to spreaders dictates whether you can make these types of nets which I do enjoy producing .
Anyone who makes nets with spreaders will tell you how expensive and hard they are to source .The chap who made these intended marketing them himself to feed the need of the net maker but found after this batch they just were not worth producing due to time and expense in materials . I will tell you alone that these spreaders the cost was not much change out of a 100 quid each !
After five years of haggling with an engineer friend I have now managed to secure enough spreaders to a diffferent pattern and enough stock to last me out which is a great relief .

Hovis , I do have a sense of humour , I like the Turpin comment , I said exactly the same to a chap who supplied me with an overly expensive curtain rail for a shower and I asked him if he should have worn a mask . On a serious matter though it would be foolish of me to make these nets out of love alone as much as I enjoy making them and passing on my goods to those who appreciate the work that goes into it .There are other netmakers on board who do an equally nice job and they charge what they wish and I would guess mostly out of the love of making them and pleasure it brings crafting something for others to enjoy but I would guess in reality they would feel like I do that there is not that much profit money wise .

I think MHC worte a post on rod building and that there are very few who are actually making enough to live on and eventually the lack of makers will dwindle and I believe this to be true . We all vary in price and it is left to those who choose to purchase to suit their tastes and pockets . What goes against the maker is that now we are a cottage industry and have to rely on some other outlet to produce what are now really defunct items such as spreader blocks , where as years previously they were a standard item for what was back then a standard run of the mill net . These days are different and it is very hard to find a casting company whom I used to use in the early days , to an engineer that feels its worth switching on his CNC machine and run low numbered items .
Bulk buying means discounts but few are lucky enough to be able to financially support this in what is now a very specialised and limited market . Money tied up in stock which may lay on the shelf for years does not make good business sense if the items arent selling weekly . The ten spreaders I bought lasted me 4 years so that shows how many sell in that period . They are after all a luxury item now , and with material costs increasing the maker then is left with a decision to continue to make something that really is going to be an unjustified product which reduces any minimal profit margin .

[Bumble]

Pure class Mark and Paul nothing else to said really.
Bumble

[Paul Cook]

Another net with different handle , this time with garnet silk which is what Mark has ordered . The ash frame is the de lux version , so much simpler to to slip the mesh over the frame . Time consuming and even worse if you somehow miss a hole when sowing and have to unravel to whole lot which has happened on occaisions !