"£250 for a landing net!" - I have seen hundreds of comments like this on social media lately, all relating to the NEW Korda Spring Bow landing net range that is now in stock and available to buy. But the question needs to be asked, is it too much money for a landing net? Keep on reading to find out!
KORDA KAIZEN SPRING BOW LANDING NETS
There are three nets in the Spring Bow range, all identical aside from the length of the arms, effectively giving you three different sizes.
42 inch, 46 inch and 52 inch.
The price with Total Fishing Tackle is set at £249.99 (you may pay more elsewhere).
Seems expensive, so what do you get for your money?
PRODUCT INFORMATION
Like rods, landing nets can be a very personal choice. Aesthetics, function and price always influencing most anglers’ decision making when purchasing a new item of tackle.
Korda took inspiration from a classic design from the past. Available in the early eighties by a shop in North London, Dons of Edmonton. Their Springbow was a brown fibre glass net, featuring a very unique, heavy stainless spreader tube, but that said it was the net of the era and the only serious choice for the carp fisher of the day!
The fashion of today seems to be for very thin handles similar to or matching an angler’s carp rods.
Korda have gone completely against this trend. For performance it was incredibly important that both the arms and pole had inherent stiffness. By having a very low diameter pole, you increase weight because you must increase wall thickness, thin handles are simply not as good to hold in use. A higher diameter handle increases stiffness, is easier to use and more comfortable to grip. Korda can utilise a thinner wall section without having to compromise on strength or weight.
The design has a 6’ handle that tapers down from 23 to 18mm. Manufactured from ultra- light, high performing carbon fibre in a stunning satin black finish. With a beautifully turned 316 stainless steel point in the end. This has helped to create a net that is so light, that when fully assembled and in use, lays perfectly on the surface of the water without having to use any kind of net float.
One of the key design points was to make a ‘statement’ spreader block. Something extremely light, very strong and unique in appearance. From concept to production, Korda updated the design four times over a period of about two and a half years. The final version is stunning to look at. Engineered by JAG, it’s incredibly light, but more importantly so very easy to use and assemble the arms into. As you offer the arms up to the block, you’ll notice inside it has a slight oval shape to it, Korda have machined the block so that it has what they call a “leading” edge.
This makes additional space for the arm as its flexed and pushed into place. The arms exit the block at the perfect angle of 91 degrees, this along with using the stiffest arms they could make without compromising assembly give a truly lovely shape to each assembled net. Each arm has an oversized machined, anodised aluminium, rounded end, designed so that it won’t push through the mesh and damage it. This part holds the thick green cord between the arms, with zero stretch and a perfect curve in the arms this keeps everything as tight as possible and helps reduce drag as it’s pushed through the water.
The aluminium spreader block is machined out on both front and back faces, (you can see the arms sitting inside). This feature further reducing weight and giving it “chassis like styling”. Korda have added a small slot on the front face that fits a 15mm isotope (NOT included) and engraved on the back with the Spring Bow logo. The final touch was to spray the block in a hard wearing, ceramic, Gun Smoke finish.
There are three versions, 42” 46” and 50” each one comes with a medium depth net in full Hexmesh. The net part is deep enough for the angler that chooses to push the handle into the lakebed with the arms far enough above the water to retain and stop any carp jumping free after capture!
So, to answer question we asked at the very start, we think the Korda net is breaking the mould for net design, the stiffness and lightness of the handle is a game changer and with JAG behind the spreader block, only good things are going to happen. It's a big thumbs up from us!
A final finishing touch is that all nets come in a heavy-duty Korda Dark Kamo sleeve which has separate pockets for both handle and the arms.
Like rods, landing nets can be a very personal choice. Aesthetics, function and price always influencing most anglers’ decision making when purchasing a new item of tackle.
Korda took inspiration from a classic design from the past. Available in the early eighties by a shop in North London, Dons of Edmonton. Their Springbow was a brown fibre glass net, featuring a very unique, heavy stainless spreader tube, but that said it was the net of the era and the only serious choice for the carp fisher of the day!
The fashion of today seems to be for very thin handles similar to or matching an angler’s carp rods.
Korda have gone completely against this trend. For performance it was incredibly important that both the arms and pole had inherent stiffness. By having a very low diameter pole, you increase weight because you must increase wall thickness, thin handles are simply not as good to hold in use. A higher diameter handle increases stiffness, is easier to use and more comfortable to grip. Korda can utilise a thinner wall section without having to compromise on strength or weight.
The design has a 6’ handle that tapers down from 23 to 18mm. Manufactured from ultra- light, high performing carbon fibre in a stunning satin black finish. With a beautifully turned 316 stainless steel point in the end. This has helped to create a net that is so light, that when fully assembled and in use, lays perfectly on the surface of the water without having to use any kind of net float.
One of the key design points was to make a ‘statement’ spreader block. Something extremely light, very strong and unique in appearance. From concept to production, Korda updated the design four times over a period of about two and a half years. The final version is stunning to look at. Engineered by JAG, it’s incredibly light, but more importantly so very easy to use and assemble the arms into. As you offer the arms up to the block, you’ll notice inside it has a slight oval shape to it, Korda have machined the block so that it has what they call a “leading” edge.
This makes additional space for the arm as its flexed and pushed into place. The arms exit the block at the perfect angle of 91 degrees, this along with using the stiffest arms they could make without compromising assembly give a truly lovely shape to each assembled net. Each arm has an oversized machined, anodised aluminium, rounded end, designed so that it won’t push through the mesh and damage it. This part holds the thick green cord between the arms, with zero stretch and a perfect curve in the arms this keeps everything as tight as possible and helps reduce drag as it’s pushed through the water.
The aluminium spreader block is machined out on both front and back faces, (you can see the arms sitting inside). This feature further reducing weight and giving it “chassis like styling”. Korda have added a small slot on the front face that fits a 15mm isotope (NOT included) and engraved on the back with the Spring Bow logo. The final touch was to spray the block in a hard wearing, ceramic, Gun Smoke finish.
There are three versions, 42” 46” and 50” each one comes with a medium depth net in full Hexmesh. The net part is deep enough for the angler that chooses to push the handle into the lakebed with the arms far enough above the water to retain and stop any carp jumping free after capture!
So, to answer question we asked at the very start, we think the Korda net is breaking the mould for net design, the stiffness and lightness of the handle is a game changer and with JAG behind the spreader block, only good things are going to happen. It's a big thumbs up from us!
A final finishing touch is that all nets come in a heavy-duty Korda Dark Kamo sleeve which has separate pockets for both handle and the arms.
KEY POINTS
- UK Made Block made by JAG
- Super stiff 6ft handle that gives lots of power
- Three sizes to suit all anglers requirements
- End spike for pushing into the lakebed
- Hexamesh deep enough to cradle the fish
- Super light easy to move through the water