Wes Drain style stripping basket

Presentation Sinking Line

Date: April 29, 2006 at 12:46:16
From: ken, [pool-70-109-217-38.prvdri.east.verizon.net]
Subject: Wes Drain style stripping basket

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Date: January 30, 2004 at 15:27:22
From: ken, [pool-64-222-32-125.prov.east.verizon.net]
Subject: Wes Drain type stripping basket

Wed Drain was an early steelhead fisherman who is credited with originating or perhaps introducing stripping baskets into fly fishing with sinking lines.

His method was to use a flat pouch rather than a dish washing tub. His line stayed put and did not move and tangle and he could use his hands freely and still cast without tangles because the line stayed put. He fished with long csts in big brawny hard current rivers and he needed to tend his line continuously.

I think that the idea of a envelope style, flat to the belly stripping basket could be a major improvement over the "stick out in front" type of basket in sunk line fishing for the simple reason it is out of the way and does not interfere with your hands. Also the waves will not grab it and fill it up in a jolting way. I have seen people get knocked down and get hit with waves as they struggle to get up with the washtub stripping baskets.

When the line is placed into a envelope style basket it will stay fixed and not tangle but I am sure that it takes some time to learn how to make it work and I am sure is not foolproof. The washtub is not either.

I put that out there as an possible idea to ponder as present day stripping baskets do interfere with line handling in long strips and in the gathering up of large amounts of line in your hand to be mended or fed into drifts or recast into a drift.

Just an idea that may be helpful to someone.

Those early baskets look a lot like a old fashioned envelope style trout creel with an opening at the top. The wash tubs do make fishing a bit awkward.
I think they are best suited for sinking line fishing in trout ponds where everything is pretty sedate and relaxed. They can keep that sinking line off the bottom and away from getting under your feet and the off the sticks and pond bottom debris. I think they are perfect for trout pond fishing and for boat casting.

Just some ideas about fishing with them to mull over.

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