[neversink]

I have been using Orvis stripping basket for nearly 6 years, and pretty much satisfied except on 2 things.

1. Packing:
it's just a box with spikes unfriendly for backpackers, no matter how many Patagonia stickers you put on it.

2. Single hand stripping:
bit uncomfortable when adjusting basket positions, when you mix short and long strokes.

When I look outside the box, I see leaf bucket type which looks to me is trouble moving about and I see collapsable mesh type which looks not so strong against ever blowing wind.

What is your say on this? Any good recommendation for an alternative?

[Joni]

I like mine. The William Joseph. It is mesh, but you push the basket in and it is a belt. Great for crawling into remote places. Maybe not the most user friendly as far as cones not being in the bottom to keep line straight, but perfect for rivers and streams. Now, salt water fishing I think the Orvis is kewl. I guess cause on rivers I MAY have 70' of line out on rare occasions but salt water you want as much as you can get.

[randyflycaster]

For making long casts I love the hard Orvis stripping basket. I use the William Joseph when I'm on small rivers.

Randy

[Fly2Fish]

I'm with Joni. Although my fly-fishing with a stripping basket is limited to rivers and small lakes, IMHO the only thing the William Joseph lacks is spikes for helping to separate the line. I don't find this too much to give up in consideration for its extremely user-friendly packability, an important factor for me not only because I have to pack it for flying, but also because when I'm on the water and don't need it, it isn't in the way like the cumbersome Orvis is - it just collapses into its belt which also holds other useful items (water bottle, spare waistpack, etc.).

Just my 2c . . .

[neversink]

Guys,

Thanks for the insightful replies!

So, Orvis (or LL Bean, if you like) hard material basket is one destinctive school when William Joseph is another. I'm picking up WJ this weekend, and give it a try with both shooting line sytem and with full-line system.

[Lars Mat]

I have tried almost everything in stripping baskets and nothing beats the Orvis, LLBean, Linekurv.dk type as an allround basket.
WJ is comfortable but collapses in the wind as you remark and is no good when wading deep.
The Flexistripper is no good with a lot af line and wind.
The streched mesh baskets are never any good.
My point of view is a danish saltwater fishers view, and that means many cast with as much line as possible. The best way to avoid problems with the shooting line is to make short casts - but who wants to make short casts

[Rip Tide]

Lars
I don't think the LLBean basket is still being sold.
I've noticed there's a lot of people looking for used ones

I agree that the mesh baskets are no good.
I've gone the short cast, floating line, route for the most part myself, but when I use a basket, it's this homemade one.

[Joni]

Originally Posted by Rip Tide

Lars
I don't think the LLBean basket is still being sold.
I've noticed there's a lot of people looking for used ones

I agree that the mesh baskets are no good.
I've gone the short cast, floating line, route for the most part myself, but when I use a basket, it's this homemade one.

NICE! good job! Thanks

[MikeG]

I am new to fly fishing but when needed, I use a mesh basket and when I strip into it some how my line does not tangle. It neatly forms into circles. I am not a fan of stripping baskets but when fishing from boats and on rocks it is quite helpful.

That is my two cents from a newbie.

[Joni]

Mike G, I use a mesh one also. It suits my area. I don't fish waist deep and I don't fish the surf, but rather crawl at times through brush. The mesh one by WJ is perfect for my needs, but I can see where the hard plastic have a place.