Moving GF; To Net Or Not?

[SeaWitch]

I still have not made a decision on if I am going to leave my fish outside this winter or not. BUT, if I do decide to bring them in, I have a problem...

I have some very LARGE fish and I have gotten scared to pick them up with my hands because I am so afraid I will drop them. Two of my fish I can hardly hold with two hands and they squirm and flap so much that I have almost dropped them twice. Since they have been in the "pond" this summer, they have grown even more.

I REALLY hate nets and have never used one, but what other options do I have to move them safely?:youtellme: Any advice is appreciated!

[Veil Gal]

Nickie, I am with you, I try to use my hands to move goldfish when at all possible. Another option to move fish is to use a large plastic container. Use it as a scoop and then just move the fish via the plastic container to the new home. I use 2 quart yogurt tubs. You could use tupperware, etc. Works great on slow moving fancies. However, if you are trying to catch single tail fish--use a net. :gogirl:

[SeaWitch]

Thanks so much! I will see what I can find in the way of a container. All my fish are fancies and fairly slow (except my ranchu, he is a fast waddler, LOL!).

[flaringshutter]

I second that suggestion. Rubbermaid tubs work great for this! You can herd them into the tub with the help of a friend holding a net, and once they're inside the tub, scoop them up. The larger tubs will work even for singletails (like mine)!

[johnatoranchu]

Nickie, try using a 10/12 inch diameter "paddle" net - sold by specialist Koi dealers in the US. It is Japanese by design, the net is relatively taunt so cannot form a "bag" like conventional nets and is why I call it a paddle net because it resembles a paddle! It's like a giant culling net. Such nets are also very useful for guiding fish into containers. The fish should lie on the net reasonably quietly but if you are worried about possible wriggle simply place a second similar net (wet) over the fish. I think you'll find such nets far easier to manage than containers.
John