[wetswinger]

Started using a basket on the beach this Fall and have a tough time getting "on reel" when I got a larger fish on, in close, and a bunch of line in the basket. The reel line is underneath all the other. Lost a Fatty trying to control the line and get "on reel" at the same time. End up with a birds nest..What am I doing wrong?

 

[Nick Clayton]

Why does the fish need to be on the reel? If it's close, and hasn't earned the reel, then I don't see much point in forcing the issue.

Fish that need to be on the reel tend to end up that way one way or another on their own. If they are just gonna run at me and wallow around in the shallows I'd just take it to 'em and not worry about it.

 

[Scott Salzer]

I very seldom put a fish on the reel. Now, if they make a nice run, I will
try and recover some line, but I never bring them to the net on the reel - including the tackle busting chums.

 

[wetswinger]

Ok. I would get on the reel quick to keep from stepping all over the line before using the basket. Just need a bit more experience..The basket has made casting a lot easier. I've been putting the rod in my armpit and using a two hand strip lately. Had a hard time getting the line in one handed even after trying various ways of positioning the basket. Ah, live and learn.

 

[Nick Clayton]

One thing you can do to eat up line in a hurry is to use your feet. By backing up the beach while feeding line you can quickly make up for a lot of slack

 

[Bob Triggs]

One good trick. After you lay out your line, make sure you have a foot or two of line hanging out of the side of the basket, before you begin stripping the fly. This will make it easier to reduce tangles when you are playing a fish, landing, casting, shooting line, etc. If you strip all of the line into the basket, with the line coming of the spool completely trapped under the pile of line, when you raise your casting hand to hook a fish, or make a cast, the line won't play out, it will often tangle.

 

[VIUcutthroat]

What kind of basket are you using? The ones I’ve used that tangle least are the hard plastic ones with the solid fingers inside, and no holes in the bottom. I’ve tried a bunch of others that are much easier to tote around, collapse, etc., but those all allow or cause major tangles.

 

[Mark Mercer]

Just strip em in or let em run and till you can get em on the reel if it's a pig. You can also spin your reel by slapping the bottom of it to pick up line faster, I do it quit often if I feel I need to put them on the reel.

 

[jasmillo]

I cannot remember the last time an SRC was on my reel. Really not necessary in most cases. I think the last time was when I hooked up right after the cast.

I have had a lot of salmon on the reel this year - not all but a lot of them. I have only had one issue with a tangle causing an issue. I had to handline in a pretty decent coho. I use a basket similar to the one @VIUcutthroat describes. In the few other scenarios where small tangles occurred, they were easily shaken or pulled out as I was fighting the fish.

I have found that most tangles coming out of a stripping basket although annoying, especially to casting, are easy to untangle with one hand even while fight a fish with the other...

 

[gt]

'on the reel' is a skill everyone who fly fishes should master. tangled line? stretch it before you start fishing. the line has a memory and unless you stretch that line each and every time, you are going to end up with a mess in your basket.

 

[Stonefish]

Besides the no holes in your basket already mentioned, add just a bit of water into your basket while fishing.
This will keep your line wet and help reduce tangles.
SF

 

[jasmillo]

'on the reel' is a skill everyone who fly fishes should master. tangled line? stretch it before you start fishing. the line has a memory and unless you stretch that line each and every time, you are going to end up with a mess in your basket.

Not necessary in most cases for trout. If you try to get most trout you catch on the reel, your probably causing unneeded stress on the fish.

 

[VIUcutthroat]

Not necessary in most cases for trout. If you try to get most trout you catch on the reel, your probably causing unneeded stress on the fish.

While I totally agree this isn't necessary for almost all trout (except the one in our dreams!), it is good to practise this firedrill prior to a decent coho or Chinook taking hold. If the fish is in close, just land it.

 

[jasmillo]

While I totally agree this isn't necessary for almost all trout (except the one in our dreams!), it is good to practise this firedrill prior to a decent coho or Chinook taking hold. If the fish is in close, just land it.

Very true, good point.

Actually remembered one of my dumbest moments on the water from this year when rereading this thread. I hooked a coho this summer and did not have my reel completely secured because I had rinsed it after the previous trip. Had to handline that guy in too. Luckily he was on the smaller side.

The best part was a young kid fishing next to me on the beach laughing as I struggled to get the reel on the rod and then just give up and drop it in my basket. Little prick....but totally justified considering. We both had a laugh once I released the fish.

 

[Squamishpoacher]

I very seldom put a fish on the reel. Now, if they make a nice run, I will
try and recover some line, but I never bring them to the net on the reel - including the tackle busting chums.

I agree with Scott here. It took me a very long time to learn that I didn't have to get a fish on the reel. I lost way too many thinking it necessary. When a fish runs I'll let him put himself on the reel. If he comes at me I can strip much faster than I can reel up the slack being created.

I sold my stripping basket and now use a stripping tray called Flexi-Stripper. It's out of Denmark. I like it a lot better.

 

[mtskibum16]

If the fish doesn't earn the reel don't worry about it. The only time I might force the issue is if there's only a little line in the basket (shortly after a cast), and I might slap the reel a couple times for the reel. When I first started salmon fishing I lost a lot of fish trying to force them on the reel...just pay attention to catching the fish, and not spooling up line for no reason.

There's really no way around your issue if you want to spool up the line though. The line you are trying to spool is under layers of line you stripped on top, and forcing it out will often lead to tangles.

 

[Salt and Barley]

I agree with Scott here. It took me a very long time to learn that I didn't have to get a fish on the reel. I lost way too many thinking it necessary. When a fish runs I'll let him put himself on the reel. If he comes at me I can strip much faster than I can reel up the slack being created.

I sold my stripping basket and now use a stripping tray called Flexi-Stripper. It's out of Denmark. I like it a lot better.

Flexi-Stripper looks cool, especially for the boat. I built a platform on the back of my little Whaler that's a combination battery/fuel tank cover and I also use to cast off of if I'm solo. A basket isn't in the cards on the deck or elsewhere if it's just me as space is tight. Looks like it's worth checking out. Maybe I can convince my wife I need it like she needs a new piece of Danish furniture!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[gt]

Not necessary in most cases for trout. If you try to get most trout you catch on the reel, your probably causing unneeded stress on the fish.

stress?? not really, if you practice doing this, it is quick and easy. those of you who never fish for aggressive saltwater fishes probably don't care about this technique, but if you are planning on some adventure, you should be practicing at every opportunity. oh, and the other thing, you should be reeling with your dominant hand!

 

[Buzzy]

oh, and the other thing, you should be reeling with your dominant hand!

I remember reading a book in which the author suggested if you didn't reel with your dominant hand you were doing it wrong. At the time, I was reeling with my dominant hand but that mean switching the rod to my less dominant hand to hold the rod while fighting fish. I live in Central WA (used to live in Sequim) so we don't have aggressive saltwater fish but we do have some tough fish that pull hard and can be quite heavy. I'm not strong enough to hold my rod in my non-dominant hand when the catching is really good. And I think there's a chance to make a mistake when transferring the rod from one hand to the next. I respooled all my reels so I cast with dominant hand (right hand) and reel left handed.

But I hear you.

 

[jasmillo]

stress?? not really, if you practice doing this, it is quick and easy. those of you who never fish for aggressive saltwater fishes probably don't care about this technique, but if you are planning on some adventure, you should be practicing at every opportunity. oh, and the other thing, you should be reeling with your dominant hand!

For most anglers, I think making an attempt to get an SRC on the reel will cause unneeded stress to the fish. In most cases they can get the fish to the net and released more quickly without getting the fish on the reel.

I am not arguing it's not an important skill to practice for some species. It absolutely is. I just don't think it's necessary for SRC and I don't think that is the species you should practice on.

As far as the dominant hand thing, I have heard that before and have always been curious. I do not do that and it feels very odd to reel with my right hand or fight a fish with my left arm. Curious what the reasoning is for this as I am definitely willing to give it a shot if I am putting myself at a disadvantage.