Apparatus for retaining fishing rods in a boat

Claim 1

In combination with a boat having a generally rigid supporting surface, apparatus for holding an article with respect to said surface comprising: an elongated, flexible belt adapted to encircle the article to be held, said belt having a pair of opposed faces and a pair of terminal ends, one of said faces having a stretch thereof in overlying engagement with the supporting surface of the boat, said stretch being essentially parallel to said surface; means for attaching the belt to said supporting surface, said means being located adjacent each end of said stretch whereby to retain the stretch in said overlying, parallel relationship to said supporting surface; a first fastening tape secured to said one face of the belt between one terminal end of the belt and the proximal means for attaching the belt to the surface; and a second fastening tape secured to the other face of the belt between the other terminal end of the belt and the proximal means for attaching the belt to the surface, said tapes being matingly engageable; said belt being swingable about said spaced-apart attaching means whereby articles to be held with respect to said supporting surface may be placed at said stretch of the belt and the first tape placed over the articles to be held and said second tape brought into overlying engagement with the first tape to matingly engage the tapes over said stretch and said articles to thereby firmly hold said articles in place with respect to the supporting surface of the boat.