Nets coming along

[Steeldrifter 0]

Very nice work Bryon that one looks great.

[chugbug27 0]

👍👍

[mikechell 0]

Yep ... that's a good looking net.  

[niveker 0]

Great work, Bryon, the frame is beautiful.  I have a question, though: why a mesh net instead of a rubber net?   I ask because this year I converted an old tennis racket frame into a rubber landing net and will never go back. So many fewer foul hooks in the net, especially when using barbless hooks.  I rarely have to remove a hook from a fish (or the net).  

[Bryon Anderson 0]

2 hours ago, niveker said:

Great work, Bryon, the frame is beautiful.  I have a question, though: why a mesh net instead of a rubber net?   I ask because this year I converted an old tennis racket frame into a rubber landing net and will never go back. So many fewer foul hooks in the net, especially when using barbless hooks.  I rarely have to remove a hook from a fish (or the net).  

Thanks Niveker -- I've been using the mesh nets for several reasons. I prefer them for my own fishing because they are lighter than the rubber ones and, to my eye, more traditional-looking, which I like. I have never had a problem with hooks getting stuck in the mesh.

The mesh ones also come in smaller sizes that fit traditional smaller trout nets, which, so far as I've been able to find, the rubber nets do not. Commercially made nets seem to have gotten bigger over the past few years.

All that being said, I fully expect that I will have to start building frames to fit the rubber net bags if I want to sell nets, because the rubber ones are all the rage now and people expect to see them on new nets.

[niveker 0]

Yes, they are significantly heavier. 

[Bryon Anderson 0]

Hello All -- it's been quite a while since I've posted to the forums, so I thought I'd jump back on to say "hi" and let everyone know what I've been up to the last few months. Since what I've been up to has almost exclusively been building nets, it made sense to post to this thread. 

It's been a long, sometimes frustrating, but overall very rewarding learning process this past fall and winter. I've learned a ton, not only about building nets, but also some of the ins and outs of trying to sell things online, particularly using social media. That part was VERY frustrating for a while, but I've had a little bit of success. As of this moment, I have sold, bartered, or given away about a dozen nets. I have one order to fill right now, but the most exciting thing is that I have verbal commitments from two well known fly shops to buy some of my nets for this spring. Things are looking up, and I am encouraged. 

Here are some pics of what I've been making. 

I hope everyone here is doing well and looking forward to getting back on the water, as I most assuredly am! 

Bryon

 

[niveker 0]

Really beautiful, Bryon, especially with the inlay and etching work.  Glad to hear things are looking up for you.  

[Steeldrifter 0]

They look great Byron, really nice looking one 3rd one down, is that box elder or something like that? 

The hardest part of opening your own business, especially online, is establishing yourself. Sometimes it can take years to do so.I think it took me a good 7-8 yrs to really establish myself enough to where I didn't have to keep trying to push for sales. Now I'll run sales here & there but for the most part I'm known enough so that the orders pretty much come to me and not the other way around. Just keep at it and you'll get there. If you build a quality product (which looks like you do for sure) and charge a fair price, then people will find you.

Hopefully this year I finally get time to redo my rod website. If so then I'll get your net website link from you and I'll give a link to your site on my new one to tryin help drive some eyes your way.

[mikechell 0]

Gorgeous nets!  How do you get the lightning patterns?  Are you carving them in, then filling?

[chugbug27 0]

Looks like superb work. Getting them into fly shops is a big marketing step. Fingers crossed for you.

[Bryon Anderson 0]

3 hours ago, Steeldrifter said:

They look great Byron, really nice looking one 3rd one down, is that box elder or something like that? 

The hardest part of opening your own business, especially online, is establishing yourself. Sometimes it can take years to do so.I think it took me a good 7-8 yrs to really establish myself enough to where I didn't have to keep trying to push for sales. Now I'll run sales here & there but for the most part I'm known enough so that the orders pretty much come to me and not the other way around. Just keep at it and you'll get there. If you build a quality product (which looks like you do for sure) and charge a fair price, then people will find you.

Hopefully this year I finally get time to redo my rod website. If so then I'll get your net website link from you and I'll give a link to your site on my new one to tryin help drive some eyes your way.

Thanks Steve! That 3rd one down has a handle of Maple burl -- a friend gave me a good sized burl, so as a "thank you" I made him a net from it. 

I really appreciate your comments about getting established online -- it's something that I've really felt confused and frustrated about so it is very helpful to get some real insight from someone who is experienced in this arena. Being brand new, it's hard to know what my expectations should even be. You know how it is -- you work so hard on this stuff and you put it out there, and then it just sits, and self-doubt can really creep in. Hearing that it really does take years to build that momentum helps me to just relax, take a breath, and focus on the work.  Thankfully I still have my day job, so the woodworking gig can take all the time it needs to bear fruit.

My website is FINALLY almost ready to launch -- this Saturday, in fact, if all goes to plan! For a while I thought I could just rely on social media and Etsy, but I've discovered that while "likes" are nice, they aren't accepted as payment at Woodcraft. 😄 I would love to have a link on your site--thank you!--and you'll have one on mine as well. 

[Bryon Anderson 0]

2 hours ago, mikechell said:

Gorgeous nets!  How do you get the lightning patterns?  Are you carving them in, then filling?

Thanks Mike! I thought you might like the blue...   I'm carving the pattern with a  "Flex Shaft" attached to my Dremel tool, then filling them with a slurry of epoxy and crushed stone. It's fun! I've been using a stone called Chrysocolla, but I just received some nice crushed turquoise in the mail today...

[Bryon Anderson 0]

44 minutes ago, chugbug27 said:

Looks like superb work. Getting them into fly shops is a big marketing step. Fingers crossed for you.

Thanks Chugbug-- I am excited about the fly shops. I didn't really expect that to happen so soon, but I'll take it!

[essequamvideri 0]

Mr. Anderson,

I humbly tip my hat to you.  I am in awe of your ideas and your ability to make them into reality.

Michael