A comparison is made between the unsteady parallel fracture model using the double porosity approach and the anisotropic aquifer-water table aquitard system. The presence of a moving water table in the weathered zone (unconfined block), influenced by recharge from rainfall or other sources and leakage to the fracture zone, is discussed. The effect of fracture skin on the block-fracture interface is studied for both double-porosity and aquifer-water table aquitard systems. Typical type curves are presented. It is found that the effect of both fracture skin and water table is to lead to a flat drawdown behaviour for a large time. The applicability of the present model for parameters estimation is illustrated on a field pumping test of 7 days duration.