Thanks for the comment! I’ll be reviewing the Orvis Pro Hip Pack soon. I wanted to show some of the advantages of a hip pack over a chest pack vice versa.
The slit is for net retention. Works great for me with a longer handled net as well as the small nets as well. It can be tricky when trying to feed back into the holder sometimes.
I do lately due to an shoulder issue but normal not an issue. You could try using a long handled net that way you push up on the handle and help give you a better purchase on the net.