Ti Tenkara NetThe Ti Tenkara Net from TrailLight Designs is an ultra light, ultra strong, ultra modern tenkara net. Not traditional you say? Neither are carbon rods nor fluorocarbon lines. We have a hi tech sport and hi tech performs! I was skeptical myself at first. I'm not an ultralight backpacker more interested in losing base weight than keeping basic tradition. I thought (and still think) that Daniel's hand made tamos are almost ethereally beautiful. However, the commercial ones, while still very nice, just don't quite catch the feeling of the hand made tamos. So, as long as you are going to buy a commercial net, I have to tell you that the Ti Tenkara Net grows on you. The design is functional and minimalist. With a 9.5" dameter titanium hoop and 12" carbon fiber handle, it weighs next to nothing. And if you should happen to slip on a steep streambank and fall on it, it is much more likely to survive unscathed than a wooden net would (if a wooden net could).
In Japan, the home of not only tenkara, but also of the Kaya tree that is so highly prized for making tenkara nets, I received quite a bit of interest in the prototype net I had tucked in my belt. At first, they asked about the material of the grip, then they marveled at the low weight. And the weight truly is low. TrailLite Designs claims a weight of under 3 ounces. Of the five nets I received in my initial order, four weighed 2.4 ounces on my postal scale. One weighed 2.5 ounces. These are probably the lightest nets you'll ever find and make it much more reasonable for even ultralight backpackers to take a net. I know for a fact that I have lost fish, nice fish, from not having a net with me. If I was back-packing and counting on (or even hoping for) fish for dinner, I'd bring a net.
How you fit an 18 1/2" fish in a 9 1/2" net.
The titanium and carbon that make up the design are light weight, but they are extremely strong. The net will easily hold up to any fish that will fit in it. 
The net bags on the Ti Tenkara Nets are the same as on the Tenkara USA Tamo. I had mentioned in my review of tamo that my flies would ocassionally get caught in the netting. I have had several questions about flies getting caught and whether it is as hard to get them out of the Ti Net as it is from the black nylon netting of the Brodin or other similar nets.The net bag of Ti Net looks like it is made from very thin diameter mono that was knotted together to form a net. The mono is thin enough that a hook barb can get caught on it, but removing the fly is only difficult if you also have a fish flopping around in the net. The openings in the mesh are large enough that it is easy to remove any hook that doesn't come with an attached fish. The Ti Tenkara Net comes in two configurations. One is flat, with the net hoop on the same plane as the handle. The other has the more traditional angle between the net hoop and the handle, which varies slightly from net to net, but is about 25 degrees.
I carry the angled net here at TenkaraBum.com. Flat nets are available at TrailLite Designs. Please note that the handle angle on new nets is less than that shown in the photo below. 
Angled version of Ti (titanium) Tenkara Net showing the black net bag
Flat version of Ti (titanium) Tenkara Net
The Ti Tenkara Net is $115. Although the nets weigh only about 2.5 ounces, the box required to ship them weighs just enough that they have to go Priority Mail instead of First Class. Shipping and handling on this item will be $6 to domestic addresses. For international shipments, postage will range from $23 to $34 depending on country. Please request a quote. Payment is through PayPal but you don't need to have a PayPal account. You can use your credit card. PayPal payments will be made to chris at tenkarabum dot com. Credit card statements will read CM Stewart.
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