I was at Harkness Beach State Park for a social outing yesterday evening. While there, I walked down to the shore to speak with a number of fly fishermen that were gathering toward the evening. While discussing the different fish runs, and accepted patterns, I noticed that the majority of the fishermen, and women, were using line baskets while casting, leading me to discuss this popular accessory.

The purpose of these baskets is to hold the line from lying in the water while stripping it in before recasting due to the fact that allowing the line to float freely in the water, especially in current water such as a river or surf, will inevitably result in a large knot. However, by allowing the line to fall into a basket, the chances of a knot will be drastically reduced. Furthermore, freely floating line has to potential to become entangled in brush, rock, or other objects, both submerged and floating.

In the past, line baskets have been constructed simply of wicker, and although beautiful pieces of craftsmanship, did not hold up to the vigorous beatings that they underwent due to avid fishermen. The biggest problem with these baskets was that due to the constant soaking and drying of the wood, they wicker strips would begin to crack.

Today, line baskets have evolved into ultra-light, highly durable, rubber catch baskets that are not only very functional, but are comfortable to wear. In my own life, these baskets have truly shown themselves to be worth the investment, surviving even the most testing weather of winter, king salmon fishing.

Although there are many different ways of handling your line without the need to support it by a basket, these little twists of the hand can be complicated to learn. I highly recommend such an accessory for any fisherman, regardless of their experience on the water. There will always be circumstances in which one will want such a tool.

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