Stripping baskets

[Guest airbornemike]

I've made a couple stripping baskets in the past but decided to finaly bite the bullet and by a "designed" one. I chose the Orvis from reading a majority of favorable reviews, $60.00 for a piece of tupper wear . Well I'm gonna tell you it was worth every penny, it easily functions three times better than any contraption I made.

 

I do alot of pond hopping and bank casting over still water so a basket is esentiall, not stepping on my line and ruinning it, or spending 5 straight minutes trying to untangle fly line is worth its wieght in gold. The basket wasn't nearly as bulky or heavy as I imagined, and when I needed to change spots or walk I just pushed it around to my side. There was no need to keep reeling up your line everytime you decided to move, this is a real time saver and keeps your fly in the water. The basket also has a couple cool notches so you can lay your rod in it when your tying on a pattern or fiddling with something else.

 

Heres some shots from thursday evening.

 

[coryg]

Mike,

This is quite interesting. I thought you were quite happy with your homemade basket by Menards that you modeled for the 4th Monday Bassbuggers at Fermi. What led to the change?

Cory

[Mike G]

Great tip Mike!

 

I will take a look at one of these. Not having to reel in every time alone may make it worth it.

 

BTW "The basket also has a couple cool notches so you can lay your rod in it when your tying on a pattern or fiddling with something else." That beats our standard practice of holding the rod in one's mouth.

[Guest airbornemike]

The cone fingers in the bottom of the orvis basket keep the fly line from knoting on itself, thats what my "home engineered" basket lacked.

Mike,

This is quite interesting. I thought you were quite happy with your homemade basket by Menards that you modeled for the 4th Monday Bassbuggers at Fermi. What led to the change?

Cory

[Guest airbornemike]

And the pit tuck.

 

Great tip Mike!

 

I will take a look at one of these. Not having to reel in every time alone may make it worth it.

 

BTW "The basket also has a couple cool notches so you can lay your rod in it when your tying on a pattern or fiddling with something else." That beats our standard practice of holding the rod in one's mouth.

[Mark K]

I was thinking about getting this one.

http://www.williamjoseph.net/products/product_31.aspx

[ronk]

And the pit tuck.

Learning to handle retrieved line by holding it in loops in your line hand like a lasso hanging on a cowboy's saddle will preclude the need for a stripping basket for casts to 60-65' which for most flyfishermen I've seen is as far or further than they're capable of reaching.With practice longer casts can be achieved without tangling too often.As well as not needing a stripping basket for shorefishing this ability will make casting easier & more enjoyable wading where a stripping basket would limit wading depth.You'll be a more skilled flyfisherman,save $,and have one less piece of STUFF(cudos to Carlin)to drag around and get in the way.Last but perhaps not least you'll look instead of the look a stripping basket provides.

PS

God gave us armpits for holding our flyrods when changing flies etc.

[Guest]

A stripping basket is a godsend if you shore fish or bank fish. Even wade fishermen use them, check out east coast striper fishermen. Trying to surf cast without one is a nightmare (been there, done that).It makes it so EASY to manage your line that only a....(fill in your own word) would not use one if they knew how well they worked. Don't knock 'em if you haven't tried 'em. Like anything else flyfishing related, a commercial one will set you back a couple of bucks, if you're cheap, you shouldn't take up fly fishing cause it isn't or don't you want the peace of mind that comes with a shooting basket? As for looking cool, again check out east coast striper fishermen, it's a status symbol. They adorn it with all sorts of cool stickers about fishing or just satires. They're in. I personally own six, I keep searching for the perfect one. I have the Orvis one in question and it's OK but there is a collapsable wire and mesh one (One More Cast) that works really well and can fold up and fit in a vest pocket when not in use. These things will add years of life to your fly line, if you want to talk about cost! It's a TOOL that just makes fly casting a little more enjoyable. Nothing can set you off like repeatily having your line hung on rocks, twigs, bushes, boat parts or just your two big feet. Kudos to line management tools!

[ronk]

A stripping basket is a godsend if you shore fish or bank fish. Even wade fishermen use them, check out east coast striper fishermen. Trying to surf cast without one is a nightmare (been there, done that).It makes it so EASY to manage your line that only a....(fill in your own word) would not use one if they knew how well they worked. Don't knock 'em if you haven't tried 'em. Like anything else flyfishing related, a commercial one will set you back a couple of bucks, if you're cheap, you shouldn't take up fly fishing cause it isn't or don't you want the peace of mind that comes with a shooting basket? As for looking cool, again check out east coast striper fishermen, it's a status symbol. They adorn it with all sorts of cool stickers about fishing or just satires. They're in. I personally own six, I keep searching for the perfect one. I have the Orvis one in question and it's OK but there is a collapsable wire and mesh one (One More Cast) that works really well and can fold up and fit in a vest pocket when not in use. These things will add years of life to your fly line, if you want to talk about cost! It's a TOOL that just makes fly casting a little more enjoyable. Nothing can set you off like repeatily having your line hung on rocks, twigs, bushes, boat parts or just your two big feet. Kudos to line management tools!

When stripping baskets were being discussed on this site not too long ago I pointed out that they were developed specifically for fishing the surf where extremely long casts into a churning surf with shooting heads is the norm.ISA stands for Illinois Smallmouth Alliance not Illinois Surfcasters Alliance.For the kind of flyfishing pertinent to this site there is no need for a gawky basket if you learn to manage retrieved line as I described above.Instead of relying on a casting aid to overcome a casting problem the better choice where possible is to overcome it by becoming a more skilled caster.

[Mike G]

It is just a tool, Ron. I see some advantages for certain applications. On the other hand, Ike Walton never used one. He didn't use a reel either though he caught his share.

[Guest airbornemike]

 

When stripping baskets were being discussed on this site not too long ago I pointed out that they were developed specifically for fishing the surf where extremely long casts into a churning surf with shooting heads is the norm.ISA stands for Illinois Smallmouth Alliance not Illinois Surfcasters Alliance.For the kind of flyfishing pertinent to this site there is no need for a gawky basket if you learn to manage retrieved line as I described above.Instead of relying on a casting aid to overcome a casting problem the better choice where possible is to overcome it by becoming a more skilled caster.

[Guest]

All the above comments are those of the individual angler, not neccesarily that of the ISA. Just because someone chooses to remain in the stone age that is their prerogitive. Fishermen casted for years without the graphite rod we now all own. Fishermen toiled to cast with level line before the invention of tapered lines that we all use. Fishermen struggled with cat gut leaders before the creation of monofiliment that makes up all our leaders. Now fishermen have found that line management tools makes casting easier in certain situations. If you choose to use them or to still languish in the past is up to each of us individually. It's not about image(that too is up to the individual) but effeciency. Got to go, have to go find some moss for my creel basket.

[Steve S.]

I've heard Steve S grumble about his fly line getting caught up in the grass many times.

 

10-4, or is that 420?

[Jim J]

420

[ronk]

All the above comments are those of the individual angler, not neccesarily that of the ISA. Just because someone chooses to remain in the stone age that is their prerogitive. Fishermen casted for years without the graphite rod we now all own. Fishermen toiled to cast with level line before the invention of tapered lines that we all use. Fishermen struggled with cat gut leaders before the creation of monofiliment that makes up all our leaders. Now fishermen have found that line management tools makes casting easier in certain situations. If you choose to use them or to still languish in the past is up to each of us individually. It's not about image(that too is up to the individual) but effeciency. Got to go, have to go find some moss for my creel basket.

In all my years of ffing & among the 100's of flyfishermen including quite a few professional guides I've observed over those years as well as in reading casting articles from the likes of Lefty Kreh, Lee Wulff et al you're the only who advocates the routine use of a basket per the examples you cite in your post.I now realize all of us were in the stone age Oh Enlightened One.

[asherman]

I have a Cortland stripping basket that I bought to use for fishing from small boats in Canada. The basket works well for that application, where it helps a lot in preventing the fly line from getting tangled in various parts of the boat. I have not used the basket as much as I should in other still water situations, such as bank fishing. When I have used it for pond fishing, it has worked well to keep the line from getting tangled in rocks and weeds. When I'm fishing in public waters such as parks or forest preserves, it makes me look more nerdy than I look already.

 

I do possess the skill of coiling retrieved line in my left hand and I do that when I don't have a stripping basket, but it does not work as well as a stripping basket.

[ronk]

For anyone interested I'd be happy to demonstrate how to cast at distance with hand coiled line at the next cast & compare outting.It is well worth the practice it takes to do it well.Flyfishing is more difficult.Those unwilling to practice it should stay with spinfishing.

[Jim Kast]

For anyone interested I'd be happy to demonstrate how to cast at distance with hand coiled line at the next cast & compare outting.It is well worth the practice it takes to do it well.Flyfishing is more difficult.Those unwilling to practice it should stay with spinfishing.

Ouch.... talk about hitting below the wading belt!!!!

[Jim J]

HA

[Guest]

ronk, you're funny when you get rattled. I'm going over to Bressler's 52 Flavors Ice Cream and tell them that they're completely wrong for making 51 flavor other than your favorite because no one else is entitled to an opinion other than you. Lighten up dude, it's only fishing and it's a different animal to each of us. There is no right or wrong, just what works for each of us individually.

[Rob G]

You know after all this discussion, I find myself wanting to run out and try using one of those line baskets, but only because I'm a bad boy

[Mike G]

For the record, Bob Clouser and Lefty Kreh both recommend stripping baskets. You will find Clouser's thoughts on pages 116 and 125 of his book Fly Fishing for Smallmouth. On page 116 he recommmends them for distance casting. The discussion on page 125 is more generic. He points out the value of a basket for controling slack both in a boat and while wading. To find out what Lefty sez, I Googled "Lefty Kreh stripping basket." Lefty endorses stripping baskets almost to a fault. He favors those that hang on the angler's side instead of the beer vendor model that started this discussion. Of course, since most of Lefty's endorsements are made in a salt water context, we could say that salt water fly fishing is so different from fresh water fly fishing that the recommendation does not apply. That would be absurd.

 

When I first started fly fishing, I wore a geeky kreel which I abandoned long ago. Now that side mount stripping basket might fill the place of the kreel. That geekiness, to me, is the basket's only shortcoming-a minor one at that. What Clouser and Kreh say, however, is not going to affect my opinion on the basket. It already has the recommendation of several experienced ISA anglers right in this thread with one notable exception.

[Steve S.]

It already has the recommendation of several experienced ISA anglers right in this thread....

 

I've often thought of getting one myself. I've spoken to Ron about coiling the line in my stripping hand. I still haven't perfected it; he's right - it takes a lot of practice, just like all the other facets of fly fishing.

 

I'm certainly not opposed to a basket as I believe they would help, but my preference lately has been to scale everything down. The basket would seem too bulky to me.

 

I'm down to my sling pack, a few tools, one fly box, a few sink tips, leaders and tippet spools. It's all about comfort and staying functional to me.

[ronk]

For the record, Bob Clouser and Lefty Kreh both recommend stripping baskets. You will find Clouser's thoughts on pages 116 and 125 of his book Fly Fishing for Smallmouth. On page 116 he recommmends them for distance casting. The discussion on page 125 is more generic. He points out the value of a basket for controling slack both in a boat and while wading. To find out what Lefty sez, I Googled "Lefty Kreh stripping basket." Lefty endorses stripping baskets almost to a fault. He favors those that hang on the angler's side instead of the beer vendor model that started this discussion. Of course, since most of Lefty's endorsements are made in a salt water context, we could say that salt water fly fishing is so different from fresh water fly fishing that the recommendation does not apply. That would be absurd.

 

When I first started fly fishing, I wore a geeky kreel which I abandoned long ago. Now that side mount stripping basket might fill the place of the kreel. That geekiness, to me, is the basket's only shortcoming-a minor one at that. What Clouser and Kreh say, however, is not going to affect my opinion on the basket. It already has the recommendation of several experienced ISA anglers right in this thread with one notable exception.

Mike

Thanks for the info. I've never read anything by Clouser.Since Lee Wulff recommended the line coiling technique it can be presumed he didn't use a basket even though it was said of him that he could cast an entire line with just the tip section of a flyrod, and his diminutive wife, Joan, owns a distance casting record of 179' presumably also sans basket.Feats like that have always inspired me to be the best that I can be.In browsing thru Holschag's smallmouth book I saw no mention of baskets though he did recommend lining up for distance which I've been doing going back to the glass rod era.By the way Kreh does not agree with that.While I stand corrected re Kreh it's odd that in his exhaustive 342 page book, Advanced Flyfishing Techniques, he makes no mention of baskets even re saltwater. And in none of the many pics of him(a cupl of which wading salwater flats) or others is there a single basket anywhere to be seen.And in how many of his videos is there a basket? You would think he'd practice what he preached which I can at least give Craig credit for.Re Clouser did he in his recommendation specify what distances he had in mind? Did he go on to recommend shooting heads as well which together with a basket is necessary equipment for distance while facing a raging surf?It's rarely necessary or wise(poor hooksets etc) to cast beyond 60 or 70'.Within those distances the ability to haul & coil line when needed renders nerdy baskets necessary only for the likes of paper boys & grocery shopping.I repeat anyone not able to reach those distances without resorting to a basket should practice to be the best he or she can be or failing that use a heavier wt rod.

[ronk]

ronk, you're funny when you get rattled. I'm going over to Bressler's 52 Flavors Ice Cream and tell them that they're completely wrong for making 51 flavor other than your favorite because no one else is entitled to an opinion other than you. Lighten up dude, it's only fishing and it's a different animal to each of us. There is no right or wrong, just what works for each of us individually.

Saying I was rattled presumes too much.But your right I was guilty of thinking I'm the only one entitled to an opinion when I inferred that anyone disagreeing with me was a stone ager.Oh sorry that was you.