All of the guides I use on the rivers use rubber nets, very easy on the fish and the hooks don't hang up in the netting. I have the soft nylon nets, both the long handled boat net and the short trout stream net, but I have set both of them aside for the newer rubber nets in the same size. About the only time I don't use a net is when I can slide a hook release tool down the leader while the fish is still in the water and release it that way.

Larry ---sagefisher---