Landing and proper handling of a fish you intend to release requires good equipment and proper technique. These tasks are made much easier when using a well designed landing net. I have had the opportunity to use Rushton nets for the past several seasons of fishing lakes and rivers. These hand built nets are both fish and angler friendly. Of paramount importance is the use of soft small diameter opening mesh material for the net bag. This soft netting prevents sloughing of the protective layer of slime of the fish while the small openings prevent fins from protruding and being damaged. It is these features that make it so easy to keep the fish in the water during the entire handling and release procedure. My Guide Series long handled boat net has seen a lot of use during the past couple of seasons and it still looks as good as the first day I broke it in! — Brian Chan