How to Care for Your Wooden Landing Net
A wooden landing net gets better with age — if you treat it right. Steam-bent hardwood can handle years of cold water, muddy banks, and the back of a truck, but wood is wood. Give it five minutes after each trip and an afternoon once a year, and it'll be the thing you hand down, not the thing you replace
Rinse it after every trip
The single most important habit. River water, mud, and fish slime will work into the finish and grain if you let them sit. At day's end, rinse the whole net — hoop, handle, and bag — with fresh water. A hose or a bucket and soft brush both work. Hit the joint where the handle meets the hoop and where the bag attaches; that's where grime collects and moisture lingers. Skip the power washer. High pressure forces moisture deep into the wood and chews up the finish.
Dry it the right way
Shake it out, then hang it or stand it hoop-up somewhere with airflow — the garage or porch. A few hours minimum, overnight is better, before it goes back in the truck.
Don't seal it up wet: a damp net in a rod tube or closed car goes musty fast. And don't speed-dry with heat — no hair dryer, no space heater. Rapid, uneven drying cracks wood. Air and patience do the job.
How the finish works — and how to renew it
Every net that leaves our shop gets a coat of tung oil worked into the bare wood, then about seven coats of Epifanes marine polyurethane, sanded between coats. It's the same spar varnish used on wooden boats: a hard, waterproof shell built for a life in and out of the river.
No finish lasts forever. Sun, gravel, and a few hundred fish wear it thin — first on the high spots of the hoop and the end of the handle. Test it with a few drops of water: if they bead up and roll off, you're good. If they soak in and darken the wood, it's time for a refresh.
The fix is easy. Scuff the worn areas lightly with 400-grit sandpaper — just enough to dull the surface, not cut through to bare wood — wipe off the dust, and brush on a fresh coat or two of spar varnish. Varnish bonds to scuffed varnish, so there's no stripping required. Let it cure a few days somewhere with airflow before fishing it again.
For most anglers, every year or two is plenty; the bead test tells you when. A hard-fished net might want it each season. That's the beauty of wood over composite: a tired finish comes back to life in an afternoon.
Store it like you mean it
Cool, dry, out of direct sun. Hanging or standing upright is best — it keeps pressure off the hoop and lets air circulate.
Two mistakes to avoid: the hot car all summer (heat bakes the finish and can loosen glue joints), and leaning it on the hoop in one spot for months (wood under constant uneven pressure can take a set). For winter, give it a fresh coat, let it cure fully, and store it somewhere dry — not the damp basement corner.
What to avoid, all in one place
The dishwasher. This should go without saying, but it's been said before: hot water, harsh detergent, and hours of steam are the enemy of wood and finish alike.
Harsh chemicals. Bleach and solvents strip finish and dry out wood. Fresh water and mild soap are all you need.
Prolonged soaking. A rinse is good; leaving it submerged while you rig up is not.
Abrasive scrubbers. Steel wool scratches the finish. A soft brush or rag is plenty.
Heat. Hot cars, radiators, heat guns — wood and heat don't get along.
It's the same care you'd give a good knife or a bamboo rod. Tools built to last ask for a little upkeep in return.
A net worth keeping
We build every Kinni Forge net by hand in River Falls, Wisconsin — steam-bent hardwood, fitted one at a time on the banks of the Kinnickinnic, finished for real river life and easy renewal for years. The K1, K2, and fully custom KUSTOM are all built the same way: by hand, one at a time.
