a fish landing net for landing heavy fish from an elevated location includes a flexible retaining hoop having a normal open position . a netting has an open end carried at the hoop periphery and a depending closed end providing an enclosure for securing and carrying the fish . a lifting rigging is attached by three outwardly and downwardly extending rope sections to the hoop for raising and lowering said hoop member at the elevated location . the hoop has an initial prestressing establishing the open position and is locally anneals at the attachment sites for permitting inwardly deforming of the periphery under loading conditions of the fish in the netting thereby resulting in an inward constricting of the hoop opening during landing of the fish .