Decades ago when my Dad started on my fly fishing journey, he understated the fly line problem re your line will find things to snag on or wrap around.
The good news with the two handed Spey and Switch rods, is the ability to cast from 50' to over a 100'.
The bad news is that leaves a lot of line to try to manage and keep out of trouble.
There is a simple and fairly low cost way to handle your fly line in a Yak, a fishing boat, on the shore or while wading.
Wm Joseph makes a simple to use and great folding belt line management system:
http://robdee.hubpages.com/hub/Gear-Rev ... ing-BasketGear Review - William Joseph Stripping Basket
One thing that every salt water fly angler knows is the importance of line management. My tarpon buddies have told me about hooking a fish and having it run all the while the line gets snagged on a boat cleat or sandal buckle losing the fish. One necessary tool in helping with line management is a good stripping basket but some anglers shy away from them since a lot of the products on the market tend to be bulky and cumbersome. Of course one could make and adequate basket with a bungee cord and small trash can, but these can get in the way too. i wanted something that i could use when i needed it and not have it take up space or get in the way when i didn't need it.
Enter the William Joseph Stripping Basket/Wading Belt!
This product isn't just a stripping basket, but for folks who wear waders in the winter, it doubles as a wading belt.
It tucks away nicely when closed and is a roomy basket to strip into when open and a wire guided rim for easy open and closing.
The basket itself is made of lightweight mesh.
Easily adjustable to fit folks of large or small and featuring the same grooved backing for ventilation found on quality backpacks, the workmanship is top notch and what you would expect from William Joseph. The snap fastener is user friendly but difficult to close behind your back.
Another nice part about this belt/basket is the "daisy chain" utility loops to attach tools to.
Bottom line: i would rate this product 4 out of 5 fish stars. The only things that i don't like about it are that there aren't any "detanglers" at the bottom of the basket that you might find on another product and i found that my line would come out in wads when casting, however, stretching your line before you begin greatly reduces this problem for anything greater than a 6 weight. Also, at $36.00, the price was quite a bit more than your average bulky stripping basket.....but i suppose you can't always put a price limit on small luxuries.
This Hub was last updated on July 26, 2009
Jcanracer wrote:
Nice write-up Aaron, and good points Tom.
Do you guys find the pedals interfering when you're stripping line? you know like the line might tangle with the pedals?
I'm keen to try when I have some disposable income to buy another rod/reel combo. I was mackerel fishing this weekend (report to follow in another thread) and I was thinking to myself, these little guys would be so much fun on an ultralight setup or fly fishing setup.
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