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Trekking Ski Pole Fishnet Mods

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River crossing with trekking pole.
Crossing the North Fork of the Popo, Wind Rivers, Wyoming.

We’ve been using trekking poles for years. To us they’re usually known as "ski poles" and used during approach hikes for ski mountaineering. But we’ve used ‘em for pure hiking as well, and still do. The latest crop of dedicated trekking poles from folks such as Black Diamond are specific to hiking. They’re light, collapse short, and have ergonomic grips that help when you’re moving through uneven terrain (AKA terrifying glacial moraine). During our Wind River backpack we used a pair of Black Diamond Contour trekking poles, one each (with two for Dad during steeper downhills). The Contours were brilliant — durable, light, comfortable…

BUT, nothing in the Dawson compound shall remain unmodified. Our goal was lightweight backpacking in the Wind River mountains of Wyoming, with a dose of fly fishing. Medium to large size trout on light line require a net. Why not use the trekking pole as the net handle, thereby eliminating a bit of weight by eliminating the net handle, as well as providing a longer reach for scooping those lunker cutthroat out of alpine tarns? So that’s what we rigged:

Trekking pole fish net
The completed and assembled "TrekNet" is basically a collapsible fishnet that inserts in the upper shaft of a Black Diamond Flicklock trekking pole.
Collapsed net before insertion in shaft. Note adapter that we made for the net. It’s just a chunk of ski pole tubing JBwelded to the net.
Backcountry ski pole fish net.
Net being stuffed for travel. It worked.
Backcountry skier gets fed summer sushi.
When you’ve got a teenager with a hollow leg (or two), having a good wilderness fishnet insures the man will be fed, sushi or otherwise.

Posted by Lou on August 27, 2005 | Filed Under Gear Mods, lightweight gear 

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Welcome to Louis (Lou) Dawson's backcountry skiing information and opinion website. Lou's passion for the past forty years has been alpinism, climbing, mountaineering and skiing -- along with all manner of outdoor recreation. He has authored numerous books and articles about backcountry skiing and is well known as the first person to ski down all 54 of Colorado's 14,000-foot peaks, otherwise known as the Fourteeners! Books and free back country information here, and tons of Randonnee rando telemark info.

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