Stripping basket for fly fishing

[Little_Flatty]

Now I'm stuck at home hiding from the rain like everyone else, I finally finished my stripping basket that I'd been intending to build. For those who have never casted a fly, one of the challenges that you can encounter is when you take line off the reel for casting, it normally just lies on the ground or the water. Trouble is, the line can get tangled or damaged (both of which will hamper your cast) and you often have to wind the line back onto the reel to move a few paces up the shoreline or on the flats. All of these have been a source of frustration for me in my brief fly fishing experience.

The stripping basket solves this problem. I looked into buying one off the shelf but I'd already spent enough money on this fly fishing project and couldn't bring myself to purchase one.

 So I built one. I got my inspiration for this project from here the video below. I think I came out just over $20 AUD completed for the entire project. So for once we can source things cheaper in Oz! (and I had to buy everything to make it - didn't have the stuff lying around).

My version consists of a kid's step stool, some caulking gun nozzles and a cheap tackle belt.

I've had a few practice casts in the backyard using the finished product and it seems to work. Will be nice to give it a try in the field when I can get out with the fly rod again.

By the way, that's a 4ft practice rod in the picture, which I picked up relatively cheaply online. This one is different in that it comes with a realistic fly line which you can practice hauling with, which you can't do with the usual practice rods. The disadvantage of it is that you need lots more space to use it (at a minimum, an average backyard). But it's great for preventing the skills from completely disappearing when life is too busy to get onto the water or the practice field.

[noelm]

It takes a bit of practice to pull the line into the basket, especially after a long time of just letting it fall in the water/onto the ground. It's a great device for fishing around rocks that always seem to snag the line.

[Green Hornet]

Great job @Little_Flattyand half the price of my commercially made one.

The funnels are an interesting idea I’ve never seen before. I’d have thought the line could get caught up on them when casting, but obviously not.

[Little_Flatty]

1 hour ago, noelm said:

It takes a bit of practice to pull the line into the basket, especially after a long time of just letting it fall in the water/onto the ground. It's a great device for fishing around rocks that always seem to snag the line.

Thankfully my fly fishing career has thus far been short, so everything is still foreign to me! So just add stripping line with a basket to the list of things to learn...

1 hour ago, Green Hornet said:

Great job @Little_Flattyand half the price of my commercially made one.

The funnels are an interesting idea I’ve never seen before. I’d have thought the line could get caught up on them when casting, but obviously not.

Sounds like you got a good deal on your commercial basket Pete. A lot of the commercial baskets on the market have spikes or even zip ties to keep the loops separated.

[Green Hornet]

1 hour ago, Little_Flatty said:

Sounds like you got a good deal on your commercial basket Pete. A lot of the commercial baskets on the market have spikes or even zip ties to keep the loops separated.

I’m going by what I paid probably 20 years ago for mine Mike LOL. It has a mesh bottom and no funnels. I get the odd tangle in the line, but nothing to really worry about.

 

[Little_Flatty]

7 minutes ago, Green Hornet said:

I’m going by what I paid probably 20 years ago for mine Mike LOL. It has a mesh bottom and no funnels. I get the odd tangle in the line, but nothing to really worry about.

 

A web CPI calculator suggests that $20 in 2002 is worth $32 today. Still a good deal

It'd be a challenge to get anything much less than $40 today and more often at $50-$60, and that's if you're willing to wait a month or two for free delivery from overseas.

[Rebel]

Next thing your going to tell us you are going Trout fishing.

Jindabyne here I come.

Well done.

Cheers.