Conservation net
A net built around knotless or rubber mesh and a deep bag, designed to land and release fish with the least harm.
The design goals are specific: mesh that does not strip the slime coat, a bag deep enough to hold a fish calmly, and often a flat bottom so the fish rests horizontally instead of folding. Some carry a measuring scale printed along the frame so you can size a fish without lifting it out.
Several fisheries and tournaments now require them, and a growing number of trout waters specify rubber mesh.
The name is marketing, but the features behind it are real and they measurably improve survival rates on released fish.
The frame matters as much as the mesh. A net you can hold in the water while you unhook the fish, rather than lifting it out onto a bank, keeps the fish supported and breathing the entire time, and that is worth more than any single feature.
Wet the net before the first fish of the day. Dry mesh, even rubber, takes more slime off than wet mesh does.
Related terms
Where this comes up
The guides that use conservation net and show it on real gear.
Conservation net is one of 206 terms in the glossary.
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