I have a Nomad net withe a rubber bag and I love it. Recently, FishPond bought interest in the Nomad nets.

The thing is pretty light and the rubber net is much better than the fine mesh net that I was using. You are exactly right John about being able to release a fish much more quickly.
I have the hand net, not the boat net. The carbon frame would hold up better than a wood frame. I'd recommend the Nomad nets. Not exactly cheap, but they are nice.

Brian