Aluminum-body magnetic net-keeper
(for 1 net)

Aluminum-body magnetic net-keeper
(for 1 net)

Price: $29
(Call or e-mail to order)

Aluminum-body magnetic net-keeper
(for 2 nets)

Aluminum-body magnetic net-keeper
(for 2 nets)

Price: $42
(Call or e-mail to order)

One of the most useful flyfishing gadgets to show up on the scene in the last few years, in my opinion, is the magnetic net-keeper. No more fumbling for that French clip in-between the shoulder blades, when you need your net, and no more groping behind you for a D-ring when you want to clip the net back, after use. Instead, when you're ready to land a fish, just tug on the handle and the net pops off its magnetic holder. Even better, when it goes back for storage, just swing the top of the net in the general vicinity of its keeper and "snap!", it's back in place.

As much as I like magnetic net-keepers, most of them on the market have some feature that bugs me. The cheapest ones are made of molded plastic, and say what you will, molded plastic, especially when exposed to sunlight, eventually breaks. On others, either you have to wind the split ring onto your vests D-ring, or you have to wind the other split ring onto the hoop of your net (thereby gouging it up); or you have to pass a strip of fabric between your net hoop and the net fabric, then line up 2 holes in the fabric and wind a split ring through them; or you have to use teeny zip-strips to attach the magnet to your net (what do you do later when you want to switch nets?). It's a pain, especially when you later have to move the gizmos from net to net.

I decided to machine my own out of 3/4-inch aluminum, making it as simple as possible. Just clip the carabiner and magnet #1 to your vest (or belt), then wrap magnet #2's velcro tabs around the hoop of your net, and you're ready to go.

I've made a few extra sets, and am offering them up for sale.

As I've hinted above, there is one big problem with those magnetic net-keepers found commercially: If you have more than one net, you have to remove the magnet from one net and transfer it to another when you change nets. Alternatively, you need to buy 2 magnetic sets, and chuck one of the vest magnets in the trash - what a waste!. No one makes magnetic net-keeper sets with one vest magnet and 2 net magnets, so I did.

I use a small Brookie net for small streams, and a larger net, Riverkeeper or Tailwater, when I'm fishing bigger water. So I've made up some sets of magnetic net-keepers that include one vest-magnet, and TWO net magnets. Attach a magnet to your vest, another to each net, then just pick up the right net and go. (By the way, if you need THREE or more net magnets, just let me know!)