I really don’t know but I envy you of your “problem”
I have for a long time wanted to buy one of those nets, I have a question that you shuld be able to answer.
Can you use the steelhead net as a wading net or is it too long?
I HIGHLY and STRONGLY recommend the lightweight rubber nets for fly fishing. All my guides use rubber nets and I own several of them myself. The older soft nylon type was good for Catch & Release except the flies get hung up in the net fairly often AND the net retains the smell of the fish. The newer rubber nets have no problem with flies hanging up in them, it is really easy to unhook a fly from the rubber AND they retain no fish odor at all. They are also very fish friendly, the best net for C&R type fishing.
Fisknat is a local company up where I live and I own three of his nets. He does great work on the wood and you will be very pleased. I have a smaller hand net for stream fishing and a boat net for use on my WaterMaster raft and pontoon boat.
Spinner since you asked for suggestions on wood let me give you a suggestion if I may. Box Elder Burl…I had a net made by “Dr.Sam” of http://www.flyfishingnets.net/ using Box elder burl and it’s just an amazing looking wood.
Rubber bags as sagefisher mentioned are nice, and he’s right about flies not getting hung up in the bag of a rubber net. But if your a wading angler then you should take into consideration the weight factor of a rubber bag on a Steelhead size net as well. Steelie nets have a bigger opening so a rubber bag would add considerable weight over a mess C&R bag. If your fishing from a boat as guides do then thats not a problem, but for a wading angler having a large steelie net with a rubber bag hanging off the back of your neck for 6-8hrs is something to take into consideration.
Here’s a pic of my net with the Box elder burl I mentioned.