Helpful hints
A Magnetic Release For Your Landing Net By Dougald Scott
Helpful hints
A magnetic release attached to the D ring on the back of your fishing vest provides quick and easy access to your landing net. Most fly shops carry these magnetic release kits. The magnets easily attach to the D ring and the eye screw at the end of the net handle, but this means the net handle will be riding high, between your shoulder blades, and difficult to reach while preparing to land a fish. The best solution is to attach one of the magnets to the top of the net, so the net handle will ride down near your waist.
I heard differing opinions from several club members on how to attach the magnet to the top of the net. Unfortunately, these ideas involved cutting some of the netting in the process. I tried to think of a way to preserve the integrity of the netting, and yet provide plenty of strength to firmly hold the magnet. I found that a "cable tie" does the job (cable ties are those little notched plastic strap thingies with a ratchet head at one end...see the picture). The cable tie easily slides through the netting and can be cinched snuggly down on the net frame to make a stable attachment with plenty of strength (see the picture). Be sure to clip off the excess strapping from the ratchet head and don't leave any sharp corners.
If you are going to be walking/wading through brushy areas, it's a good idea to attach a lanyard to the net handle and your vest or wader belt. This will save you backtracking from your car in the dark, searching for your net. I bought 3 feet of bungee cord and a couple of brass clips at West Marine to make my lanyard. You can also find the bungee and clips at Orchard Supply.
