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Part 2
When your fishing adventures require travel by air there are other things to remember besides your rods.
If you read Part 1 of this three part series on air travel you know it dealt mainly with transporting rods. These days you’ve got to be concerned about everything from nail clippers to your toothpaste.
Don’t, for example, hang a Leatherman tool on your belt and try to get through security. It ain’t gonna work. Stick it in your luggage. I recall once flying out of Guadalajara, Mexico. I had some spare camera batteries in my carry-on bag. They wouldn’t let me take them aboard the aircraft. I had no place else to put them because my luggage had already been processed and our flight was soon due to leave. Adios batteries!
How much sense did this make? None! The digital camera I carried had four batteries identical to those I had to give up. I was allowed, as were all the other passengers, to carry our battery loaded cameras with no questions asked. Mine not to reason why----mine but to sigh and fly!
Another time here in the United States I forgot to remove some small scissors I use to trim my beard from time to time. I should say I once used to trim my beard. Just how those teensy scissors could have been considered a weapon I still haven’t figured out, but they were taken away from me at the security checkpoint.
As I’ve mentioned, last time around I talked mostly about hazards of transporting fishing rods by air. This trip let’s take a look at how best to pack some of the other gear you’ll need when you get where you’re going.
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| Here' another good way to transport your reels by air. Get a small but sturdy plastic box to place your reels in. Be sure the box is small enough to fit into your luggage carrier. See next photo. |
It's easy to find small, hard plastic boxes. They provide ideal storage for your reels. If you don’t have the cloth bags that new reels usually come with, simply place your reels inside a wool sock before putting them into the plastic box. I also often use extra socks I'll be wearing on the trip inside the box to provide additional cushioning.
Place the plastic box containing your reels inside one of your large suitcases. When you reach your destination, check all of the screws on your different reels. Sometimes they loosen during air travel. You don't want an important screw dropping out when you're miles back in the boonies.
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Cushion your reels with the socks you'll wear on your trip. I can easily pack four or five reels in the fox you see here and I've been using it for years.
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There are also cushioned type containers made especially for transporting reels. Shimano markets a dandy that zips off the top of one of its tackle packs. Note the illustration that accompanies this story. I’ve used this handy reel carrier on several trips into Mexico and also for one of my trips into the Amazon. It has worked out just fine.
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Be careful when you pack your reels for travel by air. Be sure they have sufficient cushioning to take care for the bumps they are certain to get in your luggage. This padded box marketed by Shimano is one way to go.
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Nothing beats flat sided, satchel style tackle boxes for transporting a variety of lures and angling accessories. If you don't have these flat boxes already, you can find them in any well-stocked tackle store. Such boxes come in all sizes. They are extremely tough. They come with plastic dividers you can use to shape compartments to your specific needs. These boxes can be tipped upside down but in the good ones the tackle remains in the compartment where it was placed even when that happens.
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A flat, satchel style box is a good way to carry your lures if you're flying. Your baits stay separated even if the box is turned up side down and that's certain to happen.
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If you’re carrying made up leaders rigs, or for that matter most any small items like hooks, weights, etc., the Pip’s Boxes marketed by Mack’s Lure come in really handy. These boxes are available in different colors so you won’t have to guess what’s where, provided you remember that chartreuse holds pre-tied leaders and that the red shade has an assortment of hooks.
Sometimes my memory is about as long as my big toe. I find it convenient to simply put a small label on the outside of the box to identify what it contains. The Brother Company markets a dandy little plastic label maker I use to identify the contents of my Pip’s Box containers.
Something else it’s wise to do is to tighten the caps of liquid containers you're packing with things like fish scents, reel oils, etc. If you're concerned that the caps on these containers might loosen, seal them inside a plastic bag.
A word is in order about plastic bags. You’ll probably get along all right with Zip-loc freezer bags. I like something a bit sturdier. I buy heavier 4-mil bags from the G.T. Bag Company in Novato, CA. These dandy little bags are available in a variety of sizes. If you’re interested in taking a look at them, visit the company’s web site at www.GTBAG.com. The company’s toll free number is
1 800 735-3950.
I’ve a few other tips to share with the angler travelling by air. You’ll find them in my final column dealing with the subject beginning Nov. 15
-To Be Continued-
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