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Large Environet

Saturday, 02 June 2007

Top quality fish-friendly net - but longer than it needs to be for kayak fishing

The concept of the (some would say) revolutionary Environet is one I can get behind because it's fish-friendly design is instantly recognizable. Instead of using the time-honoured string netting, Environets use a fine PVC coated mesh - often combined with even friendlier PVC coated fabric. The coated mesh is so fine that fish do not get tangle or caught up in the netting in any way, whilst still allowing water to pass through. I'm a big fan of the concept, which is why I didn't hesitate picking one up when I found it on special (still not cheap at around $40.00)

Big thick net = big wind sock

As you can see in the picture above, I chose one of the larger of the available Environets with the PVC panels. If I had have put a bit more thought into it, I probably wouldn't have selected this net as I have found it to be less suited for kayak fishing than I'd hoped. The first problem is fairly obviously displayed in the picture above. Not only is the net so long that it's no as easy to manage as I'd like, it's heightened profile can help to make it act as a sail. When pushing into an incoming breeze, the drag this causes is noticable. It's presence can also make for speedier drift fishing than one might hope for as well.

I did find a way around this, which was to lay it down along the back of the yak, strapped under the bungee cord over the gear in the rear store well. Problems associated with this arrangement are two-fold. One, it impedes access to my tackle box. Two, it's fiddely to pull it out- especially with one hand while fighting a fish in the other. Yes... I've been tempted to pull out the hacksaw and I may yet resort to that.

Another problem remains, however, which is that of the construction of the net itself. The combination of fine coated mesh and PVC fabric make it catch just as much water as it does wind. This results in having to exert more effort to lift it out of the water - especially with a sizable fish in it. I believe this would be much less of a problem if used from a boat or from waters edge, but in the confines of a kayak it's less than convenient.

Plenty of room for this chunky flatty

I imagine that the Environets (and the numerous copy cat home brands) that use a full coated mesh construction with no fabric panels would be much better suited to the task and I think this is what my next fishing net will be. Not only would it be more transperant to winds it would also drag through the water much easier. And I suspect that the fish-friendly properties would still be there.

Having said all of that, I should also add that this Environet has proven to be fantastic in every other regard. It's construction is nice and solid in every way, from the beefy rubber handle, the aluminium tubing and the net itself. If I was fishing from a stinkboat, pier or rocks, this would probably be my fishing net of choice. Instead I think I'll downgrade to one of it's little brothers. Something quite a bit shorter, with a smaller diameter and with coated mesh only. Something a little less expensive, with any luck.

EDIT: I decided to endure with this particular Environet, taking to it with a hacksaw and relieving it of about 30cm of tubing from the handle. There is still the issue of the PVC fabric panels, but I think I can live with that.