Believe it or not fishing is big business. There are many large companies vying market share in a hugely competitive sector. The Zebco Telescopic landing Net is a product I bought from Tesco for around £7 and it serves me very well. A lot of the big brands in this market charge many times more than this for a basic setup, so are the savings worthwhile, or is this just a cheap disaster of a compromise?

The Zebco Telescopic Landing Net may not be the most exciting of products for most of you, but it is an essential piece of kit for match and leisure fishing. The length of the handle is fully adjustable, overall the telescopic net has a 2 metre length when fully expanded. The handle and general feel of the net feels comfortable and robust, I think the build quality is up to a good standard, though this isn't the Rolls Royce of landing nets by any stretch. I think the handle could have done with either a rubber sleeve on the top of the handle, or some sort of padding for comfort. The product is fairly lightweight, but not in a cheap way. The 6mm mesh width is apparently 'fish friendly' and the folding handle means that although this isn't the most compact of landing nets it is by no means out of its depth against the more expensive competition.

Unfortunately, due to my fishing ability, I havn't had a great deal of opportunities to flex the muscles of the Zebco Telescopic Landing Net, but when I do use it I feel confident in its ability to cope with my catch. If my hands are wet or slimy the the handle can sometimes be a bit difficult to grip - especially with a heavy catch. Overall the experience of actually using the landing net on the lake or river is positive.

I always keep the net in my garage and often outside after I have just been fishing to allow it to air out. I find that unlike other nets I have owned, the Zebco Telescopic Landing Net doesn't attract as many fish scales, which allows me to clean it easier. I usually either rinse or dip the head of the net in warm soapy water and allow it to dry naturally before storage. The net has lasted me quite some time now and I don't intend to replace it in the near future. I have owned nets costing 4 times as much that have lasted me 3 or 4 seasons, I fully expect the Zebco Telescopic Landing Net to match this.