Patent ID: 7325680

Claim:
A net holder for carrying a landing net having a net portion and a handle portion comprising: an upper housing with a front and rear portion and a downwardly disposed elongated slot, a lower housing with a front and rear portion and an upwardly disposed elongated slotted opening, said upper housing includes a pair of spaced side walls each having an upper and lower edge portion and an elongate curved upper wall having a front portion with a ledge disposed adjacent a net portion and resting on a handle portion when said net holder is in a closed position and a rear portion and spaced side edge portions, said side edge portions of said upper wall being joined to said upper edge portions of said side walls, said lower housing includes a pair of spaced side walls each having an upper and lower edge portion and an elongate curved lower wall having a front portion with a single passage to secure a handle portion of a landing net therein disposed spacedly from said ledge, said single passage being deformable to permit entry of a handle portion into said passage and restrained therein and a rear portion and spaced side edge portions, said side edge portions of said lower wall being joined along said lower edge portions of said side walls of said lower portion, pivot means located adjacent said rear portions of said housings for pivotally securing said rear portions of said upper and lower housing together with a pivot axis extending through and between all said side walls, said side walls of said upper housing being spaced further apart than said side walls of said lower housing to provide for said upper housing fitting down over said lower housing when said upper housing is in a closed position, said upper housing being movable upwardly to an open position to allow a net portion of a landing net to be placed in said lower housing and being movable downwardly to said closed position over said lower housing to enclose a landing net between said upper and lower housings with a handle portion of a landing net extending through said passage and outwardly of said holder, and attaching means located on one said side wall of said lower housing to secure said net holder to a hull of a boat.