A weft filament is inserted as a pick in a weft direction into a shed formed between groups of warp filaments extending and generally traveling in a warp direction, and is beaten into the warp filaments by a comb to form a woven textile. A defective pick is removed from the warp filaments by a system comprising at least one stripping nozzle directed generally upstream in the warp direction and connected to a supply that feeds compressed gas to the nozzle so the gas is expelled therefrom as a jet directed generally upstream in the warp direction over the defective pick to dislodge same from the warp filaments. The defective pick is then withdrawn in the weft direction from the shed after it is dislodged from the warp filaments by the nozzle.