Build a Stripping Basket
I’m a self-taught fly fisherman. My first fly rod I bought from a sporting goods store I worked at in Winthrop, ME. I was given a brief casting lesson from the fly-fishing associate, and I was off. On the river, I struggled with line control, mending, and casting. Everything that a new fly fisherman struggles with at first. I did get better and was able to catch my first brook trout out of the Presumpscot River near Windham, ME. I picked up books like Orvis’s Guide to Fly Fishing by Tom Rosenbauer and Inshore Fly Fishing by Lou Tabory. As Time passed, I got better at mending and casting, but I still struggled with line control especially when I was more mobile. There are a couple of solutions to this problem. For boaters, a launch pad is in my opinion the best. I built something similar for my kayak casting platform check out Kayak Anglers Issue 53 coming out later this year. For those on foot, you can loop your line in your hand or use a stripping basket. A stripping basket is just as it sounds as you strip your line in you put the line into the basket. Most examples have a belt so that you can secure it around your waist. They also come with plastic or silicon “fingers” to help keep the line from tangling as you cast.
Stripping basket you can find on amazon for 30$
One problem, stripping baskets start at $30 on Amazon and quickly go up from there to almost 100$. They can get even more expensive elsewhere and while I am all for supporting local fishing shops. I could not wrap my head around paying $30+ for what was basically a piece of Tupperware strapped to my waist. It occurred to me while going through my tackle and wondering when the gremlins came and took the cover of one of my storage bins that I should make one. I already had the “fingers” from the casting platform I made I just needed a belt, epoxy (which I hoard for other projects), and a drill bit. Here is how I built my stripping basket.
What you will need
16 qt Storage Bin-you can “try them on” at Walmart or any place that sells them.
Drill bits 3/8” and 3/16”-adjust the smaller bit up or down to create a snug fit for the bottle dryer pieces.
Drill
Sharpy
Ruler
Some of the things you will need to make a stripping basket.
Making your stripping basket:
To begin I removed all branding stickers from the 16qt storage bin.
Inside the storage bin there is a low spot in the mold that creates a “foot” for the bin. In each corner, I eyeballed roughly the middle of the channel and put a mark with the sharpy.
This step may vary slightly depending on what storage bin you decide to go with. Within the above-mentioned groove on my storage bin is a flat spot. Mark the middle the top middle of this flat spot. Starting on the left edge I marked every 2”.
If you are using the same store bin as me. From the first set of marks measure down 1 ½” then repeat step 3 but the first mark should be 1” off the edge of the flat spot. Alternate between each row. I was able to fit 4 rows in my basket.
Each mark you made represents a hole that you need to drill. The Marks in the groove which are for water drainage need to be 3/8” and the holes on the flat should be 3/16” (make sure your “grass” fits snugly.).
After Marking and drilling out all the holes
From the Bamboo Yard Bottle Drier clip at the base of the “grass”, these will become your line control fingers.
Follow the instructions on the epoxy and mix up a small batch. Keep in mind this does not require a lot of epoxy.
Pro Tip: Keep Isopropyl alcohol handy it will remove excess epoxy from places you don’t want.
Flip your storge bin upside down so the bottom is facing up. Apply epoxy to the grass and drop them into the holes. Adjust them as needed so that they are straight up and down in relation to the bottom. Let it cure for 24 hrs. (I know it’s 5 minute but full cure is usually 24 hours or so)
Once cured I used the stiffeners on the long edge to determine where to cut the 2” slot for the belt. Determine where you want them and cut them out.
Measure the belt and cut it to length. If you are still growing like I am leave extra length so you can adjust the fit.
Pro Tip make sure you fuse the ends of the cut piece so it does not unravel.
Feed it through the slots you created and follow the instructions to attach the buckle, clips, and d-rings.
All that is left is to slap some cool stickers on your stripping basket and go fishing.
Finished and ready to fish!
Conclusion
Was it worth it? There are some pros to making your stripping basket. Mainly it allows for a customized fit and finish. I previously owned a packable stripping basket like this one. One of my biggest issues with it and ultimately the reason I never really used it was because it didn’t fit me that well. While the build cost wasn’t prohibitive, it is not a huge savings either. If I did not have all the materials except for the belt I probably would have gone with Aventik Fly Line Basket from Amazon. If you build it from scratch, it costs about the same.
So, if you’re past the bottle phase and have most of the materials this is a worthwhile build. It is something to work on centered around fishing and as far as I am concerned that generally makes it worth it. Let me know what you think.
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