Part 1

It’s the trip you’ve dreamed about ever since you saw somebody else do it on a television fishing show.  Now you’re finally going to get to do it yourself.

The adventure you’ve signed on for is a trip into the Amazon to fish for peacock bass.  You’ve talked to friends who have been there.  All of them say the same thing---the way those fish hit and fight almost defies description.

Here's a guy who knows the importance of taking care of your rods when air travel is involved.  Bruce Holt, the executive director of G.Loomis Rods, fishes all over the world.  Here he's pictured with a beautiful peacock bass from the Amazon.  When you make a long trip to the Amazon or anywhere else you want to be darn sure your rods get there with you.

If all you had to do was climb on a plane and go, there wouldn’t be much of a problem.  But that’s not how it works.  You’ve got to bring your rods, reels and tackle.  Therein, friends, lies a passel of potential problems.  Getting fishing tackle from here to there never was easy.  With the security and restrictions in place today throughout the world it’s even more difficult.  As someone who has done a million plus miles of air travel, I feel qualified to share some thoughts about it.

Traveling by air these days is a big enough pain by itself without having to worry about the tackle you want to bring along.  I know anglers who never carry fishing gear.  They fish with guides when they reach their destinations and depend on these guides to provide adequate tackle.         

That approach may work all right sometimes here in the United States.  If you travel out of the country, it's another story.  If, for example, you go to Mexico to sample the tremendous fishing in that country, you'd darn well better bring your own gear.  Don't expect Mexican guides to provide the kind of tackle you're accustomed to using.  They often won't have it.

For that matter, I'd rather have my own tackle wherever my travels take me.  Part of the fun of fishing is having familiar equipment to work with.  Using familiar gear also means more fish in the boat.  I for darn sure want a selection of Stan’s Spin spinnerbaits if I’m off on a bass fishing adventure.  No knowledgeable trout angler is going anywhere without an assortment of Mack’s Lure Wedding Ring spinners.  Experienced walleye fishermen, and an ever increasing number of other anglers, will feel that way about packing a variety of sizes and colors of Smile Blades.

Let's look at some of the other things it's well to remember next time you travel with tackle starting with rod cases.  Some commercially made rod cases, for example, aren’t all that trustworthy.  It's not difficult to build your own out of plastic pipe.  That way you can make it the length you require.  You can obtain everything you need at a plumbing supply store.  Get substantial pipe.  Don't waste time with thin walled stuff that won't take a pounding.

This durable rod case that can be extended to accommodate long rods has served me well for years.  If your rod case comes with straps, be sure to remove them before they are checked as luggage.

Don't put fancy straps or handles on your rod tube.  If you must have them, use the kind that can be unsnapped and put in a bag while the rod case is being transported.  The airlines will figure a way to bust anything on the exterior of the tube.  Worse, those straps make it easier for the case to get caught on something as it is moved from place to place.  Then it’s your case itself that may get busted.

When you check in at the airline ticket counter, ask the attendant if their conveyor belt can handle the case without damage.  Conveyors are bad news.  I've had more than one rod case---and the rods inside---ruined by them.  The clerk may grumble a little, but don't hesitate to ask for special handling of your rods.

Some years ago I stuffed my two best fly rods, four casting rods and a spinning rod into a homemade rod case and headed for Argentina.  The plastic I used in that rod tube was so strong you could have whacked it with a sledgehammer without undue damage.  Even so, when I went to pick up my rod case at the baggage area in Buenos Aires I darn near cried.  There was my heavy-duty rod case bent almost double.  Only one rod, the spinning rod that was the least valuable of the bunch, survived.  All the rest were broken beyond repair.

I had looked forward to that trip with so much anticipation.  Not having anything to fish with was not a good way to start.  I did manage to borrow a rod and reel from some friends, but losing my own equipment was a big time bummer.

Another way around the traveling rod problem, depending on the kind of gear you’ll need where you’re going, is to get sectionalized rods that you can take aboard a plane as a part of your carry-on luggage.  I did this often prior to 9/11.   

It’s not nearly as easy to use the carry-on cases today as it was prior to that terrorism attack.  Sometimes the airlines won’t let you do it.  Here in this country most airports now can check rod cases without you having to open them for inspection.   That’s sometimes not true in other countries, Mexico is an example.  On more than one occasion I’ve had to open my bags as well as my rod case both going in and coming out.

Be prepared for tight security and close inspection of anything you want to take on board.  Be just as certain your rods are securely packed in event they have to go as luggage. 

In my next column I’ll share some additional thoughts regarding tackle & travel.  Watch for it beginning November 1st.

-To Be Continued-