Abstract:
This invention pertains to fly fish lure holders having magnetic means for securing the fly to the holder in a manner that the fly is not accidentally dislodged from its securing magnet, since the securing magnet is vertically mounted in a slot permitting securement of the entire side of the fly rather than a hook end.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a nonprovisional utility application based on Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/202,822, filed May 8, 2000, and is hereby incorporated by reference and whose priority benefit is hereby claimed. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention pertains to fly fish lure holders having a series of parallel slots with magnetic means for maintaining the flies secure and individually spaced from each other. 
     HISTORICAL BACKGROUND 
     In the past, there have been a number of holders for fly fish lures including Fee, U.S. Pat. No. 3,346,313; Preston, U.S. Pat. No. 461,921; Olsen, U.S. Pat. No. 4,653,220; Pryson, U.S. Pat. No. 3,507,071; and, Sylvester, U.S. Pat. No. 3,461,599. These references have non-magnetic means for supporting or otherwise securing the fly lure in place. Kasdan, U.S. Pat. No. 1,993,144; Staver, U.S. Pat. No. 3,197,915; and, Michal, U.S. Pat. No. 4,020,584, disclose magnetic type fly fish lure holders with means for identifying each individual fly. 
     In addition to fly tackle boxes, there are tackle totes such as Wittman, U.S. Pat. No. 5,426,885 and Whiteaker, U.S. Pat. No. 5,704,158, which organize lures of larger sizes and fly lures. 
     OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of this invention to provide a fly fishing lure holder which magnetically retains the lure securely in the box against accidental removal. 
     Another object of this invention is to provide a fly fish lure holder which will maintain the fly fish lure in the holder without exposing the fisherman to the danger of snagging the hook of the lure in his hand or fingers. 
     A further object of this invention is to provide a fly fish lure holder which will maintain the flies in proper sequence with identifying means for each fly. 
     Yet a further object of this invention is to provide a fly fish lure holder and tackle box in which the holder is maintained securely in a tackle box by magnetic means which will not be affected by weather, water and corrosive fluids and the like. 
     Another object of this invention is to provide a fly fish lure holder and tackle box which will provide a means for readily removing the holder from the box. 
     Still a further object of this invention is to provide a holder for lures which will maintain its ability to retain lures for years without requiring replacement of parts. 
     Yet another object of this invention is to provide a lure box for fishing flies which is easily and inexpensively manufactured. 
     In summary, this invention pertains to a fly fish lure holder and tackle box which provides ready access to the fisherman without a likelihood of his injuring himself and the likelihood of dislodging and losing his lures. 
     These and other objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description including the following drawings which are identified as follows: 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the tackle box with the holder positioned therein; 
     FIG. 2 is perspective view of the fly fish lure holder; 
     FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line  3 — 3  of FIG.  1  and viewed in the direction of the arrows; 
     FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line  4 — 4  of FIG.  3  and viewed in the direction of the arrows; 
     FIG. 5 is a top plan view with portions shown broken away. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     FIG. 1 shows a tackle Box having a lid  2  shown open for closing on the receptacle  4 . The lid  2  is shown secured to the receptacle  4  by a hinge  6 . Within the lid  2  is a fly index  8 . The tackle Box can be constructed of wood, metal, and preferably of plastic material. The fly index  8  may be a card which can be slipped into the lid  2  and secured by adhesive or inserted (FIG. 3) or otherwise printed or stamped on the inside of the lid  2 . The fly index  8  will carry the names of the various flies in numbered sequence as shown in FIG.  1 . 
     Receptacle  4  is designed to receive a fly fish lure holder or support block  10  having a thickness substantially greater than the width of the hook of a fly fish lure. 
     The lid  2  at the end opposite the hinge  6  is provided with a magnet  12  which will engage the magnet holddown  14  on the receptacle  4 , as illustrated in FIG.  4 . It is obvious that other latching means can be provided for the tackle Box, such as a latch hook mechanism, a twist lock or the like. 
     The fly fish lure holder  10 , as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, is provided with indicia  16  which corresponds to the indicia  18  on the fly index  8 . Indicia  16  can be printed or stamped or otherwise labeled on the fly fish lure holder  10 . 
     Fly lures  20  are shown mounted on the fly fish lure holder  10  in FIG.  4 . 
     Mounted in the bottom of the receptacle  4  are magnets  22 . The magnets  22  react with magnet holddowns  24  mounted in the bottom of the fly fish lure holder  10 . It is obvious that magnet holddowns  14  and  24  may be magnetized or of magnetic material and that the magnetic material can be substituted with the magnets  12  and  22  with magnets substituted for magnetic holddowns  14  and  24  which may be of magnetic attractive material. 
     A knob  26  is provided in the fly fish lure holder  10  for lifting the fly fish lure holder  10  from the receptacle  4  to obtain ready access for cleaning out the receptacle  4  as well as cleaning the fly fish lure holder  10 . A removal of the fly fish lure holder  10  from the receptacle  4  also allows for ease and access to the flies  20 . 
     The knob  26  may be screwed on to a screw  28  which rests in a recess  30  in the bottom of the fly fish lure holder  10  (FIG.  4 ). 
     It should be noted in FIG. 3, that the fly index  8  is shown mounted in the grooves  32  and  34  of the lid  2 . 
     As best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the fly fish lure holder  10  includes a series of parallel slots  36  which run lengthwise of the fly fish lure holder  10 . The slots are designed to be slightly wider than the hook of the fly fish lures  20 . The slots  36 , as best shown in FIG. 3, have side walls  38  and  40  and a bottom wall  42 . Adjacent the side walls  40  of the slots  36 , are magnetic strips  44  which extend the length of the slots  36 . The magnetic strips also extend from the top edge of the slots  36  to the bottom of the slots  42 . The distance between the side walls  38  of the parallel slots  36  and the magnetic strips  44  is slightly larger than the maximum thickness of the fly lures  20  and hooks  46 . 
     It should be noted in FIG. 3 that there is an interlock seal  48  between the lid  2  and the receptacle  4 , so that when the tackle Box is closed, water or the like will not easily run into the receptacle  4 . The hinge  6  is also designed to keep water from running into the receptacle  4  when the lid  2  is closed onto the receptacle  4 . 
     It will now be apparent that the lures  20  will have maximum security to the magnetic strips  44  as they will be secured to the magnetic strips  44  a maximum length of the hooks  46  and not just at the tip. It will also be noted that the hooks will be located beneath the top surface of the receptacle  4  so as to avoid accidental contact with the fingers or hands of the fisherman. This safety factor is important. It should be further noted that the strips  44  are designed so that the hooks  46  do not have to be placed exactly on a center but can be moved up and down the strips as desired for easy removal or for positioning. 
     While this invention has been described as having preferred design, it is understood that it is capable of further modification, uses and/or adaptations following in general the principle of the invention and including such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which the invention pertains, and as may be applied to the essential features set forth, and fall within the scope of the invention or the limits of the appended claims.