Orvis Hands-Free Landing Net & Sears Craftsman Reversible Ratcheting Wrench
A net that's easier to land fish with and a wrench that's almost hands free...
Orvis Hands-Free Landing Net
The unusual curved shape of this net (it looks like a pork chop) offers several advantages over conventional straight-handled designs. First, it’s easier to land fish without bending your wrist to an awkward angle. The net is also substantially easier to hold under your arm when unhooking and releasing a fish. With the included bungee cord you can attach the net around your waist to use as an impromptu stripping basket, which works surprisingly well. Pork-chop-style nets aren’t new, but it’s been about 25 years since I’ve seen one. Priced at $110 from Orvis, 800-548-9548; www.orvis.com.
— John Merwin
Sears Craftsman Reversible Ratcheting Wrench
This doesn’t carry treble hooks, and your choke tubes won’t fit in it, but it’s still essential gear for virtually all sportsmen. This is a radically new and useful wrench design that’ll make your life easier whether you’re working on your 4×4 or fixing the old water pump at deer camp. It looks like a standard open-end/box-end combination wrench, but the box end has an internal ratcheting ring that’s reversed by flipping a small lever. This fine-tooth design vastly speeds and eases the process of tightening and loosening nuts and bolts. Available as seven-piece sets in both metric and standard (inch) sizes at $99.99 per set. Sears Craftsman, 800-377-7414; www.sears.com/craftsman.
– J.M.
