Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Gear Review - Keep & Release

The journey to the Keep & Release net retainer has been one of a few lost fish and many pinched fingers.  In the past I have used some sort of carabiner clip or magnetic accessory to keep my landing net attached to my vest, pack, or gear bag.  A carabiner can work great for keeping a net attached to a strap or belt but often times creates a real fumble when fighting a fish with a fly rod in one hand and trying to ready the net in the other.  A magnetic release was a better idea but the first couple that I used were flat on the connecting points and I can't tell you how many times while trying to get the two halves together behind my back that the edge of a finger would get pinched in between as the magnets locked in place.  A five pound magnet can really pack a punch.


I came across the Keep & Release some time ago and have been using it quite a bit since then.  The Keep & Release hits a lot of high points for me in it's construction and design and I can't imagine using any other magnetic net accessory now.

The Keep & Release net accessory is offered by a small Michigan holding company called Current River Concepts, of which Nets That Honor The Fish is also a part of.  Sam Lacina and Rich Steketee are partners in these businesses with Sam as a highly talented net maker and Rich building beautiful leather products with the Keep & Release being one of his offerings.

The leather construction of the Keep & Release certainly is a fitting look for this net release and it no doubt looks classy.  The real genius of the Keep & Release is the steel plated cup on one side which holds the rare earth magnets keeping fingers pinch free when attaching the net to the other side of the retainer.  The leather straps of the Keep & Release are held in place with a screw on each side of the retainer.  The magnetic strength between the two sides of the Keep & Release is very strong though you might want to tether your net with a bungee of some sort in case a tree branch snags your net while walking to and from the water.

The Keep & Release is priced at $30, which is on the high side of what other magnetic release accessories are priced at, but using a product from a small artisan shop that is near perfect makes up for the price difference in my mind.

Check out the Keep & Release website for more information.  Purchases can be made from a list of select fly shops.   

2 comments:

Freestone_bound said...

I love William Josef. I have a pair of their waders and they held up great for 3 years now! Love that net release, styling

Cameron Mortenson said...

FB..."styling" and really functions great as well. I agree also that William Joseph makes some bomber gear.