Guys, I felt were were killing Bonecrackers thread on Strip and Feed Research stripping baskets and got way off topic, which I'm guilty of many times. So I wanted to start a new thread to finish any DIY stripping basket ideas, which there are a lot of great ideas for them. Sure, these ideas below doesn't necessarily look ultra cool in those F3 videos, but they are functional for just normal fly fishing outtings, especially if you are on a budget.
To answer the question for the pop-up mesh laundry baskets if they will hold a fly rod and run. If you don't think the weight of one or 2 wet towels is heavy enough in the bottom of it, when it's sitting in your cockpit, you can add extra weight the bottom with a garden hose coiled flat full of sand or even lead weights from an old cast net. The framing of the basket is stiff enough to hold your fly rod. I just take it off the front deck and run with it in the cockpit. You can also cut a disc out of plywood and put an old 5lb bar bell weight on top of it. But I don't think it's necessary.
I like the white with the larger mesh and just cut off the zip top and handles. White seems to be stealthier on the boat, though I have a black one for the jetties that I fish off of, which I just set on the rocks beside me.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Whitmor-Collapsible-Laundry-Hamper-White/13905967
This one looks cool too, haven't tried it out yet, but weighting it down would work well. Plus it folds down as well.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Honey-Can-Do-Canvas-Laundry-Basket-in-White-Green/22439304
One other thing is I've fished with a standard jelly bean shaped stripping basket on the deck and just kicked it around if I wanted to switch positions. The pick it up, set it in the cockpit and place the rod it it, facing/pointing to the rear of the boat and run that way and not had much problems doing so.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Sterilite-1.25-Bushel-Hiphold-Laundry-Basket-White-6-Pack/44785739
or this....
http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=116178
This one below would be a good one since it's shorter, has handles to easily move around with a wider throat. Maid by rubbermaid. I would add some materials to the bottom for non-skid and some weight in the inside to hold it in place. Then take a rubber foam mat cut to fit with large zip ties pushed through it for the fingers.
http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=116202
We had a thread a while back on this subject of DIY stripping baskets and BayStYat
did a cool DIY cutout striping basket you should also check out.
http://www.microskiff.com/threads/stripping-barrel.22387/
So check that thread out.
Btw, I'm going to the Western Antilles in May and was looking for new ideas to pack along a folding stripping basket HEre's what I came up with that folds out of the way. I'm ordering boat and trying out here to see which one works best. I'm planning on adding straps for my waist and possibly my thigh. I'm also adding a thick foam pad with large zip ties pushed through it for the fingers to keep the flyline from tangling in the bottom of the basket.
I like the wide throat of this one to make it easy to throw line in it. But I'm not so sure if it's deep enough to keep the line in the bottom if it's windy.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/45414851
I like the fact that it's deeper so I don't have to worry about my flyline blowing out if it's windy (I'm not crazy about shallow pan stripping baskets when it's windy). Plus I might be able to set my flyrod in it if it's also strapped to my thigh. But I don't want the lenght to get in my way and also concern if the throat is wide enough to not interfere with throwing line in.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/40821800
I'll let you know which one works better.
Ted Haas
To answer the question for the pop-up mesh laundry baskets if they will hold a fly rod and run. If you don't think the weight of one or 2 wet towels is heavy enough in the bottom of it, when it's sitting in your cockpit, you can add extra weight the bottom with a garden hose coiled flat full of sand or even lead weights from an old cast net. The framing of the basket is stiff enough to hold your fly rod. I just take it off the front deck and run with it in the cockpit. You can also cut a disc out of plywood and put an old 5lb bar bell weight on top of it. But I don't think it's necessary.
I like the white with the larger mesh and just cut off the zip top and handles. White seems to be stealthier on the boat, though I have a black one for the jetties that I fish off of, which I just set on the rocks beside me.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Whitmor-Collapsible-Laundry-Hamper-White/13905967
This one looks cool too, haven't tried it out yet, but weighting it down would work well. Plus it folds down as well.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Honey-Can-Do-Canvas-Laundry-Basket-in-White-Green/22439304
One other thing is I've fished with a standard jelly bean shaped stripping basket on the deck and just kicked it around if I wanted to switch positions. The pick it up, set it in the cockpit and place the rod it it, facing/pointing to the rear of the boat and run that way and not had much problems doing so.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Sterilite-1.25-Bushel-Hiphold-Laundry-Basket-White-6-Pack/44785739
or this....
http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=116178
This one below would be a good one since it's shorter, has handles to easily move around with a wider throat. Maid by rubbermaid. I would add some materials to the bottom for non-skid and some weight in the inside to hold it in place. Then take a rubber foam mat cut to fit with large zip ties pushed through it for the fingers.
http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=116202
We had a thread a while back on this subject of DIY stripping baskets and BayStYat
did a cool DIY cutout striping basket you should also check out.
http://www.microskiff.com/threads/stripping-barrel.22387/
So check that thread out.
Btw, I'm going to the Western Antilles in May and was looking for new ideas to pack along a folding stripping basket HEre's what I came up with that folds out of the way. I'm ordering boat and trying out here to see which one works best. I'm planning on adding straps for my waist and possibly my thigh. I'm also adding a thick foam pad with large zip ties pushed through it for the fingers to keep the flyline from tangling in the bottom of the basket.
I like the wide throat of this one to make it easy to throw line in it. But I'm not so sure if it's deep enough to keep the line in the bottom if it's windy.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/45414851
I like the fact that it's deeper so I don't have to worry about my flyline blowing out if it's windy (I'm not crazy about shallow pan stripping baskets when it's windy). Plus I might be able to set my flyrod in it if it's also strapped to my thigh. But I don't want the lenght to get in my way and also concern if the throat is wide enough to not interfere with throwing line in.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/40821800
I'll let you know which one works better.
Ted Haas