This one is a prototype, it needs some improvements and will likley not be for sale but it shows the direction I am going for the Boat Net style.
With this style of net I made a major change to the normal procedure. As most nets in boats will be wet for extended periods of time I used a Waterproof Marine Epoxy for the hoop glue up instead of the Water Resistant glue I have been using. It worked well but I have noticed a marked decrease in the stiffness of the hoop, it has a bit too much flex in it and may break if a large fish was to be lifted straight out of the water with the net horizontal instead of the proper way of lifting fish with the net in more of a vertical position, not to let it go to waste I am sure that it will be fine for the 6 pound smallies it is destined to see this summer , I have noticed the flex is decreasing as the Epoxy cures more. The flex issue will be solved by increasing the thickness of the laminations in the hoop.
I also have noticed the width of the handle is a bit too much, the template has been reduced a bit for a more comfy grip on future handles.
I am a sucker for flaws or inclusions in wood, when I saw the mark in the tiger maple I had to include it for the handle tip.
While picking up a new roll of net material I spotted another net material that I will be using in Cradles, it is much stronger than the current Catch & Release style I am using on the Steelhead nets BUT it is quite a bit stiffer!! maybe too stiff, I am not sure yet if it will soften up with use. As the saying goes, "it can't hurt to try" so I will make an attempt at doing a netbag for this net in the new material.
Not completed yet but I am planning to try out a simple lock down for the boat nets. It will be, if this works, a wire cable that goes through the brass hole that will be installed near the end of the handle, loop it through itself and lock it to some solid part of the boat with a padlock. Thats the idea anyway, simpler to make and show than it is to explain it LOL