It's only about 3 months since I returned to fishing after a break of 30-35 years and had to replace virtually all my kit which was stolen back then.
I'd got my s/h Hardy rods, serviced the couple of Hardy reels which the thieves had missed and bought all my other kit I needed.
The day of my first trip to the water came and I realised that I still didn't have a landing net ( obviously optimistic) - the only tackle shop in the area was closed but the ALDI store was open and I'd remembered seeing folding/extending nets among the other tackle they sold in there but just dismissed it as tat, especially as it was only £6.99.
However, any net is better than nothing for the difficult terrain I was going to fish and so I reluctantly bought one.
To be fair, I'd want something more substantial for long term regular use but up to now it's been very useful and I've landed up to 15lb pike with it so far and for the money I paid, it was an absolute bargain and it will probably end up as part of my caravan kit that I leave there next season.
Even if I got only one season out of it, at the price I paid, I'd have had my money out of it and besides, if I'm anything like I used to be, I'll probably loose it before it wears out as my one weakness was leaving my folding nets behind by the riverside so it wouldn't be the first one I've lost!
I nearly did it with this one the other night after I went for a half an hour to the river to test out a little rod I'd recently purchased but remembered just before I drove off in the car and had to walk back to pick it up
Tony