Traveling with a fishing rod
January 2nd 2008 02:17
Cabela's makes a rod tube anyone can afford.
It never fails, if you go on vacation and don't have a rod with you, you get the opportunity to fish. Traveling with a rod???? It can be done with a lot less hassle than you think.
If you're going very far, whether by car, bus, plane, or train, your best bet is going to be to carry your rod in a rod tube.
A rod tube is basically what the name implies; a tube, often made from plastics or heavy cardboard, into which you can put your fishing rod when traveling. Some have handles or straps for carrying and, like a lot of things, can be fairly inexpensive or cost a few bucks. You can go for something simple that is just long enough for your rod or shop around and get something that is expandable to accommodate anything you get in the future.
When you look for a rod tube, it's imperative to find something that's sturdy so it won't be crushed because I've seen baggage handlers who consider their job an eight hour game of catch. Also, even if you're carrying it in the back of your car, it's too easy for something to get thrown on top of your tube. AND although things may look okay, I've seen rod tips snap off at the first cast due to damage in transit--something a half decent tube probably could have prevented.
Although I've seen tubes that accommodate only one rod, I like a rod tube that can hold 4 or 5 two piece rods. The one thing you can't do is carry your rod with the reel attached. It simply takes too much room. When you get down to it, a rod and reel combo is wider than you think. You MAY find a tube that will fit a narrow set up but, I wouldn't base my purchase on it.
I used to work in a luggage store so, I'm going to let you in on a secret. One key will fit almost any luggage lock. In fact, you don't even need a key. Often, you can perform the old trick of using a hair pin or a paper clip. You can tell a good lock. They have keys with plenty of grooves and ridges. Unfortunately, I also found out that good locks are the ones that get broken. That being said, don't worry a whole lot if your tube will not lock. It may not look great but your best bet to to wrap the loose joint with packing tape or duct tape to make sure it stays closed and alerts you of any tampering. It's also a good idea to pack the tube with a towel or surround the rods with heavy socks to keep things from crashing around on the inside.
When your rod(s) are not in use, whether at home or on the road, it's not a bad idea to store them in a rod tube. It keeps them together and out of the way. More importantly, it's too darned easy to break a rod standing in the corner. I lost a nice fly rod that way!!!!!
A rod tube is basically what the name implies; a tube, often made from plastics or heavy cardboard, into which you can put your fishing rod when traveling. Some have handles or straps for carrying and, like a lot of things, can be fairly inexpensive or cost a few bucks. You can go for something simple that is just long enough for your rod or shop around and get something that is expandable to accommodate anything you get in the future.
When you look for a rod tube, it's imperative to find something that's sturdy so it won't be crushed because I've seen baggage handlers who consider their job an eight hour game of catch. Also, even if you're carrying it in the back of your car, it's too easy for something to get thrown on top of your tube. AND although things may look okay, I've seen rod tips snap off at the first cast due to damage in transit--something a half decent tube probably could have prevented.
Although I've seen tubes that accommodate only one rod, I like a rod tube that can hold 4 or 5 two piece rods. The one thing you can't do is carry your rod with the reel attached. It simply takes too much room. When you get down to it, a rod and reel combo is wider than you think. You MAY find a tube that will fit a narrow set up but, I wouldn't base my purchase on it.
I used to work in a luggage store so, I'm going to let you in on a secret. One key will fit almost any luggage lock. In fact, you don't even need a key. Often, you can perform the old trick of using a hair pin or a paper clip. You can tell a good lock. They have keys with plenty of grooves and ridges. Unfortunately, I also found out that good locks are the ones that get broken. That being said, don't worry a whole lot if your tube will not lock. It may not look great but your best bet to to wrap the loose joint with packing tape or duct tape to make sure it stays closed and alerts you of any tampering. It's also a good idea to pack the tube with a towel or surround the rods with heavy socks to keep things from crashing around on the inside.
When your rod(s) are not in use, whether at home or on the road, it's not a bad idea to store them in a rod tube. It keeps them together and out of the way. More importantly, it's too darned easy to break a rod standing in the corner. I lost a nice fly rod that way!!!!!
As a little bonus for reading this post, I'll let you in on a way to make a sturdy rod tube. These work best with a rod that breaks down into two pieces. All you have to do is take a piece of PVC pipe and cut it to match the longest section of your rod. After that, close up one end with an end cap and use a threaded end cap at the other end. It's as simple as that!
Until next time--watch yourself and watch your line!
*images from cabelas.com
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