Advice On Booking A Guide And Traveling With A Fly Rod

[Kyle]

Hey guys, looking for some advice.

I am going to St. John in September and taking my 8wt TFO since we are staying right on the beach. Obviously we are flying. It is a 4 piece rod. Should I check it as luggage or use it as one of my carry on bags? Have never flown with one before and wanted to hear thoughts on the best way.

Also, I'm booking a guide to fish for tarpon and bonefish for a day. I have never hired a guide before. If anyone has any general advice on guides please advise.

Thanks

Kyle

[Stoneroller]

http://www.basspro.com/Plano®-Jumbo-Airliner-Rod-Case/product/53148/-1007759

if you have this thing, then you can wrap your clothes around the rod and slide the rod and clothes down in the tube. this is pretty much the most bomb proof way to transport rods. if you just have the rod sleeve thing that hold just this one rod, then you'll have to carry it on. make sure to bring some leaders and flies with you in your other carry on if you do, that way if they lose your other luggage, you can still go fishing.

[snagged in outlet 3]

Call your specific airline in advance.

Some you can check some not.

Don't try to carry on needle nose pliers.... Let's just leave it at that.

Pete

[podum]

Use a backpack with a drink holder on the side for your carryon. Slide the rod tube into the drinkholder on the side of the pack. Worked like a charm on my Yellowstone trip.

[bigredbirdfan]

I was suppose to fly fish for tarpon in MX next week. I'm not sure what size tarpon you will target, but they recommend 8-9wt for baby tarpon and 11-12 wt for tarpon.

[rainbow]

We went flyfishing in Colorado and i took my 5wt as a carry on in a one rod case with that has a hard tube. I don't check bags but the wife did so my clippers and hemostats were in her luggage. you can carry on your flies and leaders and vest but no cutting instruments.

I would never check a fly rod. My buddy even carried his two piece on in a case and it fit in the overhead.

[Al Agnew]

Yeah, I've never had any trouble carrying on 4 piece fly rods. If you carry two or three of them, you can use a couple of velcro straps to strap the cases together into one "carry-on", which I often do. I usually carry on my camera bag as one carry-on and the rods strapped together as the other, and nobody has ever complained. If at all possible I put my reels and fly boxes in the camera bag along with the cameras, and check other stuff. That way I know that if luggage gets lost I'll still have my rods, reels, and flies...who cares about clothes?

[Kyle]

Yeah, I've never had any trouble carrying on 4 piece fly rods. If you carry two or three of them, you can use a couple of velcro straps to strap the cases together into one "carry-on", which I often do. I usually carry on my camera bag as one carry-on and the rods strapped together as the other, and nobody has ever complained. If at all possible I put my reels and fly boxes in the camera bag along with the cameras, and check other stuff. That way I know that if luggage gets lost I'll still have my rods, reels, and flies...who cares about clothes?

Al,

Do they give you any trouble about having large flies that contain large hooks? They freak out about pliers, wasn't sure about hooks.

Kyle