3D Printed Stripping Basket- The Introduction

I've always wanted to try using a stripping basket when fly fishing with streamers but I've refused to commit money towards something that I might not like.  Most of the baskets that I have looked at have run from $40-$100 dollars.  They all look like they will solve the problem of getting fly line wrapped around different objects but they also look cumbersome.  In my opinion, they also look silly.  I am willing to try a stripping basket if it keeps line from wrapping around plants, my feet, and everything else in return for looking a little silly.

So what is a guy to do if he wants to try a stripping basket but is...let's be nice and call it frugal?  Fine, I'm cheap when it comes to things like this.  Anyway, let me ask that question again.  What is a guy to do if he wants a stripping basket but also has 3D printing capabilities?  Yep, you guessed it.  I 3D printed a stripping basket!

Everything that I needed for this project was free!  I found a wading belt that I bought on a trip a long time ago (I left mine at home on that particular occasion).  I also found a free file online that I downloaded and sent to my 3D printer.  I chose to use red filament with the printer because it's a color that I had a lot of and I didn't want to waste any of my material on something that might not get used very much.  I am also hopeful that all of my fly lines will show up against a red background since none of my fly lines are red.  I'm also a Kansas City Chiefs fan so many I'll throw some arrowhead stickers on it as a result.

Overall, I like how things look but I'm more concerned about functionality more than anything.  My wading belt fit perfectly through the loops so that made life easier.  There are spikes in the basket to prevent tangling and allow line to be pulled freely by larger fish.  The basket that I printed also has a groove to fit a fly rod into when changing flies, which might be useful.  While everything seems ready to go, I might end up drilling some holes in the bottom of the basket.  Fly line holds a little bit of water and I'm concerned about pooling in the basket as a result.  Some drain holes would fix that problem but I'm not going to take that step if I don't need to.

I'm going to play around with the basket a little in my backyard and then test it out on the water.  I will be sure to post about this accessory after some field testing.  I will be brutally honest because I don't want to lead you astray if you are considering getting one for yourself.  Until then, good luck on the water and I hope you have a great weekend.