Any type of hand-held surface cleaner?

[Vapoolmom]

So, a small issue in the big scheme of things. My solar cover is about an inch too short on the sides of my 18x 36 Grecian pool. When I have the solar cover on, TONS of debris gets stuck in that small space between the cover and the pool side.
When the cover is off, it's not a problem as the skimmer and pool skim catch all the surface debris.
I can't seem to scoop it up with a leaf catcher or skim net, and then everything falls to the bottom when I take the cover off.
So, my question is..... Is there some sort of hand- held suction/ cleaner that I can use along the pool edge to suck up all the tree droppings, etc. In my research, most vacuum heads must be fully submerged, which defeats the purpose of skimming along the surface.
Thanks in advance for your innovative and creative replies!

 

[jblizzle]

Maybe a little net that you use for fish tanks?
I use one to scoop out the stuff in the skimmer after I pull the basket out.

 

[DaneCE]

Large capacity wet vac: fasten the hose end to a pole...my redneck version of what you need.

 

[f3justusc]

When you take the cover off, would having the pump running, and doing it in front of the skimmer help to ensure the debris gets to the skimmer and not the pool floor?

 

[Vapoolmom]

Thanks so much for your replies! I knew you would have some great insights and "work arounds". To f3justusc, The debris is not really on the cover but between the solar cover and the pool side. It floats there and gets disturbed when I pull the cover off and then sinks. Sigh.......
Also, when I try and scoop with the leaf net, I just can't get anything. So, the mini fish tank scooper and the wet vac are both great solutions. As always, appreciate the TFP family!