The best fly fishing nets match the water you fish: a compact rubber-bag net like the Rising Brookie Net for small streams and wading, a bigger hoop like the Rising Lunker or the long-handled Rising Boat Net for big rivers and drift boats, a packable Rising Travel Net for backcountry trips, and a deep wooden net for stillwater giants.
I have watched more good fish lost at the net than anywhere else in a fight. A buddy of mine, Jay, once chased a 20-inch brown down a riffle with a net the size of a cereal bowl, scooped twice, and came up with nothing but gravel and a few choice words. The fish was fine. Jay's pride took a week. The lesson stuck with both of us: the right landing net is not an accessory, it is part of the system.
So I sorted this list by the kind of water you actually fish, because a net that is perfect on a brushy creek is the wrong tool in a drift boat. Every pick is in the FFIP nets collection, and Rising leads the list for a reason.
- Best overall and best for small streams: Rising Brookie Net
- Best for big fish on big rivers: Rising Lunker Net
- Best for drift boats and rafts: Rising Boat Net
- Best for backcountry and travel: Rising Travel Net
- Best on a budget: Stone Creek Aluminum Landing Net
How Do You Choose the Best Fly Fishing Net?
Choosing the best fly fishing net comes down to four things. First, the bag: rubber or silicone bags are easier on a fish's slime and fins than knotted mesh, and flies do not tangle in them nearly as often. Second, hoop size: match it to the biggest fish you realistically expect, not the one you dream about. Third, handle length: short for wading, long for boats and float tubes. Fourth, how you carry it: a magnetic release on your pack or vest keeps the net in reach without flopping around.
If you want the deep dive on one of these, we have hands-on write-ups of the Rising Brookie Net and the Rising Lunker Net.
What Is the Best Net for Small Streams and Wading?
Rising Brookie Net
The Brookie is Rising's lightest, most compact net, with its smallest hoop, bag and handle combination, made from 6000 series aluminum with a rubber bag. It is built for trout in rivers, bass in ponds and almost anything you wade for. Pick a 10-inch handle for a hip pack or sling, or go longer if you want a little extra reach.
Starting from $159 Shop Now
Wayward Little Dipper 12 x 8 Natural Landing Net
Handcrafted in Pennsylvania from American hardwoods, the Little Dipper pairs a walnut handle with a hickory hoop and a fish-safe rubber bag. The 12 x 8 inch teardrop hoop is right for brook trout, small browns and native fish on tight water. It is the classic look without the classic mesh.
$129 Shop Now
Wayward Fat Jake 16 x 12 Natural Landing Net
Step up to a 16 x 12 inch hoop when your creek grows bigger fish than it has any right to. Same walnut handle, hickory hoop and fish-safe rubber bag as the Little Dipper, in a size that handles most trout you will meet on foot. A great choice for an angler who wants one wooden net for everything.
$159 Shop Now
Which Fly Fishing Nets Work Best on Big Rivers and Boats?
Rising Lunker Net
When the fish get larger, Rising says grab the Lunker, and they mean huge browns, grass carp and redfish. It carries a bigger 22-inch hoop than the Brookie, in the same 6000 series aluminum with a rubber bag. Handle options run from 10 inches for wading up to 24 inches when you want reach.
Starting from $179 Shop Now
Rising Boat Net
The Boat Net takes the Lunker hoop, adds a deeper 16-inch bag for the big grab, and puts it on Rising's longest handle at 38 inches. If you fish from a drift boat, raft or skiff, that reach is the difference between landing a fish and watching it shake off at the gunwale.
$259 Shop Now
Wayward Big Dipper 24 x 17 Natural Landing Net
The Big Dipper is Wayward's largest hoop at 24 x 17 inches, with the same walnut and hickory build and fish-safe rubber bag. It is the net I would want on a lake or reservoir where trout, carp or steelhead run big. Plenty of room to keep a heavy fish in the water while you get the hook out.
$299 Shop Now
Your net has one more job on the way out. On episode 75, fly tyer and content creator Svend Diesel shared a habit I love: fill your net with trash on the walk back to the truck. A couple of minutes picking up line, cans and wrappers at the access point means we leave the water better than we found it, and a big rubber bag is the perfect carry-all.
What Are the Best Travel and Budget Fly Fishing Nets?
Rising Travel Net
The Travel Net has the same dimensions as the Lunker, but the custom hoop breaks down into two pieces for a compact, packable size. It is the one to strap to a backpack for an alpine lake hike, or to stuff in a duffel for a trip where you want a real net waiting at the other end. A sturdy net that goes anywhere you do.
$279 Shop Now
Stone Creek Aluminum Landing Net
An aluminum teardrop net with a 25-inch overall length and a 14 x 18 inch basket, in green. It is a sensible first net for an angler who is not ready to spend a hundred-plus dollars, and the aluminum frame shrugs off being dropped on rocks. Pair it with a magnetic release and you are set.
$62 Shop Now
Stone Creek Wooden Landing Nets
These 22-inch wooden economy nets come in a squarish Catch and Release shape or a Teardrop shape. They use mesh netting rather than rubber, so wet your hands, keep the fish in the water and work quickly. As a kid's first net or a spare in the truck, the price is hard to beat.
$30 Shop Now
Whichever net you pick, keep it handy with a Stone Creek Magnetic Net Release on your pack or vest. Browse every Rising net, tool and spare part in the Rising collection.
In this short Tips and Tricks segment of the Fly Fishing Insider Podcast, we cover how to measure a fish right in your net, why to punch your own hash mark at 20 inches for trout, and why carrying two nets for two kinds of water makes sense. Episode page.
Frequently Asked Questions
What size landing net do I need for trout?
For most stream trout, a hoop around 12 to 16 inches long handles fish up to the high teens comfortably. If you regularly land fish over 20 inches, or fish big rivers and lakes, step up to a larger hoop like the Rising Lunker or the Wayward Big Dipper.
Are rubber nets better than mesh nets?
Rubber and silicone bags are generally easier on fish because they do not scrape away as much protective slime or split fins, and hooks are far less likely to tangle in them. Mesh nets work, but handle the fish gently and keep it in the water.
How long should a fly fishing net handle be?
A short handle of about 10 inches is easiest to carry while wading. Longer handles help from a float tube or bank, and boat anglers benefit from the longest handles, like the 38-inch handle on the Rising Boat Net.
How do you carry a landing net while wading?
Most anglers slide the handle into the back of a pack, sling or wader belt, or hang the net from a magnetic net release clipped to a vest or pack. The magnet lets you pull the net free with one hand and snap it back when you are done.
A good net pays you back every time a fish of a lifetime slides into it instead of off the hook. Start with the nets collection, and if you are building out the rest of your kit, the tools collection has the nippers and forceps to go with it.
Tight lines, everyone!
Find the right net for your water and help keep more fish healthy, so you can catch any fish, any time, and anywhere.
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