How to Set Up a Collapsible Fishing Net? | Pop, Twist, Secure

The Daggerfish Gear collapsible fishing net is one of those pieces of gear that looks confusing in the package but takes maybe ten seconds once you know the trick. Unlike a standard landing net that is always full-sized, this one twists into a compact ring set that fits inside a pack or on a belt. The trick is mechanical, not technical — no buttons, no settings, no battery. Just spring steel, rubber netting, and a strap. Land it wrong, and you kink the steel. Here is exactly how to unfold, collapse, and stow it, plus the mistakes that cost anglers time and money.

How the Daggerfish Collapsible Net Works

Pull the top ring back with your thumb, and the steel pops outward into the full hoop shape. No hinges, no locks, no assembly. The rubber net bag is replaceable and compatible with standard Fishpond and Brodin frame bags if you ever need to re-string it. Daggerfish Gear’s owner manual shows the whole sequence in about sixty seconds of video.

Step-by-Step: How to Unfold the Net

Unfolding is a one-motion job once you feel how the steel wants to move. Hold the net at the base of the handle with one hand so the bundled rings point away from your body. Use the thumb of your free hand to pull back the top spring steel ring. The tension will pop the net open into the full hoop shape. Keep the net pointed away from your face and anyone nearby — spring steel snaps back fast if it slips, and that hurts. That is it. No shaking, no flipping. If it does not open fully, you did not pull the top ring far enough back. Try again with a cleaner, more deliberate pull.

How to Collapse the Net Without Kinking It

This is where most people go wrong. After you land a fish, gather the net bag at the base of the handle so the rubber is bunched up and out of the way. Grab the top of the spring steel loop with one hand. Turn that hand forward and down while turning your other hand backward toward you. The steel twists naturally into a figure-eight pattern. Keep twisting slightly more until you feel the three rings start to form, then push the rings together gently — do not fold them.

The One Rule That Saves the Steel

Never fold the net closed after you twist it. If you try to bend the rings flat like a folding chair, you create sharp kinks in the spring steel. A kinked ring still works, but the net will not collapse as cleanly and the steel will wear out faster. You can carefully bend a kink back out, but the metal is never quite the same. Push the rings together. That is the motion. Let the steel find its own three-ring shape.

Securing the Collapsed Net With the Strap

Once the three rings are stacked, wrap the included leather-tipped strap around the bundle. Hook the strap snap closed. Make sure the leather tip catches under the bottom spring ring — if you leave it hanging loose, the strap slides off inside a pack and the net pops open. The strap is designed to hold the rings tight enough to stay closed in a dry bag or on a belt sheath. Center the strap over the rings so the bundle is round and balanced. Off-center strapping lets the rings slip and pop open in storage.

Table 1: Net Setup Steps at a Glance

Setting Up a Magnetic Net Release on a Kayak

If you are using this net from a kayak, a magnetic release lets you detach the net quickly without fumbling. The common mistake is stringing the lanyard in a straight line — net to vest to net. That fails when the lanyard catches on brush or you set the net down. The right pattern creates a loop: clip the lanyard to the net, run the lanyard through the loop on your vest, then back to the net. That way, the net hangs in a secure loop and the magnetic release only has to hold the net’s weight, not the tension of a straight line. For the kayak itself, many anglers secure the magnetic detachable component to the front kayak handle and tuck the net top under the forward elastic webbing so it is within reach without leaving the seat. And regardless of how you mount it, attach a float. A dropped net without a float sinks immediately, and that is an expensive loss on the first trip.

Common Setup Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

• Folding instead of pushing: After twisting, you must push the rings together. Folding them flat creases the steel. If you already kinked yours, you can gently bend it back, but the steel will always remember that weak point.
• Wrong magnetic release line: Hooking the lanyard in-line (net to vest to net) means the net drops the second the magnet releases. The loop pattern is the fix.
• Strap not hooked under the ring: The leather tip on the strap needs to catch under the bottom spring ring. If it just sits on top, the strap slides loose and the net pops open inside your pack.
• Skipping the float: You will not remember to add one after you drop the net. Install it when you set up the net the first time.

Table 2: Daggerfish Gear Collapsible Net Specs

Finish the Setup: What to Do After You Learn the Motion

The first few times you collapse the net, do it slowly in your living room where you can see exactly what the steel is doing. The motion feels awkward until the steel starts forming the three rings naturally. After you have done it five times, it takes longer to strap the net than to twist it. If you are still shopping for a net and want to compare this one against other collapsible designs, reading through reviews of tested models is the fastest way to decide whether the Daggerfish net fits your fishing style.

Check out our tested product roundup of the best collapsible fishing nets to buy for side-by-side comparisons on price, durability, and kayak compatibility.