Walleye First
Published July 9, 2010

Jackson, Wis. - In manufacturing, specialization is essential to perfection. In Frabill terms, that means a true fishing company designs and engineers only fishing-specific products. Adhering to this philosophy - Frabill's three-quarter century old promise to anglers - when we recognized that the marketplace was lacking superior quality, nasty-weather gear built explicitly for fisherman, we felt it was our duty to make it. So we did, and are fired-up to introduce FXE Stormsuit, the inaugural entry in Frabill's Extreme Elements (FXE) series.
 

	Frabill FXE Storm Suit

The 'X' in FXE stands for extreme. That means engineered and designed to extremes; with the toughness and durability to withstand extreme weather conditions; and gear built for extreme anglers, the diehards who willingly ride whitecaps and drive through the night to catch a peak bite. At long last, there's fishing-focused apparel engineered for your breed, the extreme, nearly off-your-rocker angler.
       
Great minds met to develop FXE Stormsuit. From day one we involved the legend of all legendary anglers, Al Lindner. Nobody demands more from his gear than Al. He tested and retested FXE Stormsuit prototypes until his narrowed stare turned into twinkling eyes - the Al we've fished with on TV for decades. At that point, we knew FXE Stormsuit was ready for retail.
 
Al's co-conspirator was ergonomic apparel master designer, Chris Leonard, famous for launching Snosuit, which to this day lives as the benchmark in extreme cold weather wear. As with Snosuit, Leonard plugged in Al and followed the same pathway of success: "Let the experts tell me what they need."  Al's input wasn't short on describing the many disappointments and short-comings in existing rainwear brands, either. From Al's input, along with the many professional anglers who tested the gear, the dominating blueprint for FXE Stormsuit was drawn.
 

	Frabill FXE Storm Suit

Structurally, Stormsuit is founded upon a rugged waterproof, windproof, breathable, and totally seam-sealed shell. Before getting near the outer fabric, however, pelting rain and sleet must contend with a shielding treatment of DuPont™ Teflon® fabric protector. Good luck getting through, Mother Nature. Securing the uber-dryness, FXE Stormsuit features YKK Aquaguard zippers throughout.  
 
Key storm-surrendering amenities on the Jacket include a fully adjustable, oversized vented hood with reinforced sun visor, internal wire for custom shaping, large chin flaps and adjustable collar. Signature features on the Bibs include wide bunker-gear straps with wicked-tough cam buckles, reinforced tool pocket with several oversized pockets, exclusive patent pending waterproof crotch design, and articulated knees with padding to keep you comfortable even while crawling around the boat.
 
There is a storm on the horizon. We've stared them down before, and will do it again - this time even more boldly wearing FXE Stormsuit.


A WHOLE LOT OF NET IN A TIDY LITTLE PACKAGE
Wide-mouthed Hiber-Net XL scoops mighty predator fish then vanishes into the rod box
 
Jackson, WI - Quick, name the one piece of fishing gear that although vital to putting fish in the boat, often gets left behind because you've simply run out of space? Think of your favorite trips to the Canadian North, Florida Keys, or anywhere else you travel in search of large fish. On many of these excursions, carrying a landing net just isn't practical. What would you say, then, to a premium portable net that actually fit right inside a travel rod case?
 
Last year, the engineers at Frabill® introduced the ingenious Hiber-Net®-the first completely retractable landing net that stows like a broomstick and deploys as easily as an umbrella. Since then, countless fish have been safely landed, both during fly-in trips and journeys to neighborhood ponds alike, thanks to Hiber-Net's easygoing attitude and go-anywhere design.
 
Now, to tame even larger fish-northern pike, walleye, redfish, catfish and striped bass to 25-pounds-Frabill brings us Hiber-Net XL. With a larger, beefier hoop and deeper, more cave rnous bag, the new Hiber-Net XL gives you big  fish landing insurance, no matter where your fishing adventures take you.
 
"The Hiber-Net XL is an awesome landing net concept that works great for guide trips as well as family fishing vacations, where packing light is essential," says full-time fishing guide and Frabill Pro-Staff Tony Roach. "When I've got a group of anglers in the boat, the Hiber-Net XL is always ready to play, plus it's never in the way and never gets stepped on or tangled. The design is absolutely foolproof-when I need the net, I simply slide the handle forward to lock the hoop in place and land the fish. For all those big walleyes and pike we catch, the new larger Hiber-Net XL is perfect. And stowed, it occupies no more room than a 6-foot rod and reel combo. A net that fits in the rod locker, you've gotta love that!"
 
"Hiber-Net is unquestionably the best portable landing net solution we've seen," states Frabill Engineer, Ryan Kleckner . "And in over seventy years in the net business, we've seen a few. 
 

	Frabill Hiber-Net XL

"The beauty of the Hiber-Net XL lies in its simple, foolproof design," asserts Kleckner. "There are no buttons or confusing push connections. All you do is slide the handle upward. You feel, see and hear the net lock into place, so there's no way to overdo it. Hiber-Net XL retracts instantly, too.  Just pull the Slide-Grip back toward the handle. This unlocks the hoop and draws it back inside the tube."
 

	Frabill Hiber-Net XL

Hiber-Net XL, like its smaller brother, the Original Hiber-Net, features a robust handle and hoop frame built with heavy-walled, extruded aluminum. The Slide-Grip itself is super-durable, using pultruded fiberglass springs, which power the automatic hoop lock. Hardware consists of stainless steel and anodized aluminum, fortifying an already rock-solid product with extreme corrosion resistance for use in saltwater.
 
 On the business end of the net, a premium rubberized handle yields sure-handed use. The netting itself is made from a soft, black poly mesh. The material is UV and wear resistant, and won't spook or harm fish. Retracted, Hiber-Net XL is 72-inches in length, with a fish-friendly triangular-shaped hoop that's 31- by 27-inches wide and 32-inches deep. Thanks to Frabill's always-sound engineering, Hiber-Net XL easily handles some of the mightiest fish swimming our waterways, all with the portability of a fishing rod and the convenience of an umbrella.
 
 ABOUT FRABILL
 Frabill, Inc. (Jackson, Wis.) is in its 72nd year of engineering premium, trusted fishing equipment. Frabill's ice fishing product mix consists of portable ice fishing shelters, rod and reel combos, tip-ups, bait containers, portable aeration, apparel and other related accessories. Open water products include landing nets, portable aeration, bait containers, bait care, bait traps and seines, and other accessories. Visit www.frabill.com.