Calling all travelers, calling all travelers.
In these strange times, all but the most essential travel has been put on hold. The need for social distancing has closed or many fishing lodges, restaurants, and borders, while substantially reducing airline flights.
We agree that you should always put safety first, but if you are thinking of planning a trip my suggestion is to get on the books now. At Anglers Inn, for example, many trips were not canceled, but rather postponed. The new dates in the future could be when you were thinking of traveling. If you wait too long to get on the books, you may find yourself without a room at the inn.
I am crossing my fingers that our June Anglers Inn El Salto trip will go off as planned, but in case it does not I have already reserved dates for the June of 2021, and have also blocked out rooms for November 2020.
I know you have a lot of things on your minds right now, but if you are thinking of booking a trip to Anglers Inn, don’t delay. Contact me at ladyangler@anglersinn.com or 703-932-6299 and let’s get you on the schedule so you don’t miss out on the catch of a lifetime.
We continue to monitor airline-friendly rods (many of them from outside the U.S.). I won’t put out specific recommendations unless and until I have real-life experience with them, but my knowledge is growing every day as I put them through their paces. In the meantime, here are four notes and finds that may help you in the near term.
Wisconsin’s St. Croix Rods is one of the few American companies that has shown a long term commitment to travel series at various price points, and for a wide range of situations. My friend Jesse Simpkins at St. Croix set me up to talk to two of his engineers: Jason Brunner, Director Operations; and Gavin Falk, Engineering Supervisor.
After my near travel rod calamity returning home from Mexico in November, I started a semi-obsessive search for the “ultimate fishing travel bag,” one that would securely accommodate enough clothing and tackle for a week of fishing, plus a 33-inch rod tube – without being considered “oversized” by the airlines.
As I’ve tirelessly researched the Japanese travel rod market, I’ve continued to unearth new brands and products – some exceptionally purposeful, some decidedly odd.
I’ve already written more than I ever thought possible not only about multi-piece fishing rods, but also about how to get them from Point A to Point Z. Whether you’re backpacking, flying, driving or riding a mule, if you arrive at your fishing destination with broken sticks it can be an absolute disaster. For most of us, a standard, non-descript, one-color tube or case will suffice, but if you like a little bit of style in your carrying mechanism – and you’re willing to spend a few extra dollars – there are higher-end options available.
In my search for travel rods able to handle swimbaits that I came across the Cast Division Beaststick, a 6’9” rod made specifically “for the most brutal fishing you can get all over the world.” After watching a number of their videos, I acquired one, and I’ve been testing it out over the past few weeks.
Part of our collective prejudice against rods with two or more pieces no doubt stems from childhood memories of ferrules that underperformed. If you had one of those old school bargain basement combos, then at some point you likely had one come apart at an inopportune time – either while making a cast or fighting a fish.
If you’re going to the Andamans or Christmas Island or the Galapagos, there’s not a Tackle Warehouse next to your your lodging, and some outfitters require you to bring your own gear. You’ll need more than one rod, too, not just because you might be using varying techniques, but also because otherwise if you break your rod early in the trip you may be out of luck.
Within their US market, they only offer a limited number of travel options – specifically the Ike Signature Series Travel Casting and Spinning rods. While that selection may initially seem limited, the four-piece rods come with two different tip sections to provide two different actions. At $149.95, that’s a remarkably good deal. If you go to Abu-Garcia’s Japanese page, however, there are a wealth of multi-piece options.
Tackle Warehouse has historically been diligent about stocking premium products, including a long list of multi-piece rods ideal for travelers at any budget. That has included sticks from Megabass. Recently they added the Megabass Valkyrie World Expedition travel rods – two spinning rods and six casting rods including several lengths and strengths that are otherwise hard to find in multi-piece tools.