# Rod bag or case or tube or whatever



## johnsons1480 (Jun 24, 2016)

What are you guys using to transport your rod and reel in the vehicle on the way to your fishing trip? My instinct is to just throw it in my vehicle, but I was wondering if you guys treat your equipment better than I do. Looked at the Simms Bounty hunter, but I'm open to suggestions.


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## Bird (May 10, 2005)

My fly rods are transported in their tubes and reels in cases or in my Simms 2 rod case with reels mounted. Too much money wrapped up to be chunking into the Jeep and going.


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## habanerojooz (Dec 4, 2006)

I just put them in the car. I take good care of my stuff, but a little scratch or ding doesnâ€™t matter to me any more. A small ding kind of personalizes things. Lol. Theyâ€™re expendable items, they get used, enjoy them without stress or worry. There are bigger things in life to worry about. With that said, I have many bait casters from the late 70â€™s and early 80â€™s. Every one of them have scratches and dings. I call them memories. 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## karstopo (Jun 29, 2009)

Right or wrong, most of mine stay assembled for transport. Iâ€™m not one to resale my equipment and I donâ€™t have any of the really high priced models. 

There seems to be two schools of thought in this. Some spend the extra $$ to get heirloom quality gear and spend the extra time and effort to lovingly protect and maintain it and others get lower end gear doing very little if anything to protect and maintain it and use it hard until it no longer works. 

If you are planning to resale your stuff like many do, then Iâ€™d take measures to protect it. 

Iâ€™m hard on gear and all my rods and reels eventually get banged up, but all still function after hundreds or thousands of hours fishing. I donâ€™t want to think about babying my stuff while Iâ€™m on a trip. Thatâ€™s not how I enjoy spending my time being concerned about the gear. 

For me, the gear is a means to an end and isnâ€™t in any way what I put my focus on and I donâ€™t really get very excited or all that pumped about gear. Fish and my experiences with them are the exciting thing, not the gear so much.


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## johnsons1480 (Jun 24, 2016)

Thanks guys. I have an Expedition with a rod rack that I put together, and I don't think I can carry anything longer than 7'6" assembled. The rod is too short in 4 pieces to work, but I think 2 pieces would work. I could leave it strung up that way. 

I bought reel covers and rod socks when I first started fishing, and I quit using them almost immediately. I'm thinking if I buy a rod and reel case, I will end up not using it.


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## Redfish5496 (Jun 27, 2016)

*Rod case*

I would have to agree with BIRD on this....

I have 2 of the SIMMS Rod cases.... I had rather take few extra minutes to put my Sage or Scott rods together THAN TO FIND OUT they were damage by accident and not have a fun day on the water.... FTU carries a good selection...

[email protected] CARY MARCUS
I-10 near GESSNER.....10303 KATY FRWY. ANDY PACKMORE

TIGHT LINES
CAPT. J:dance::texasflag


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## Outearly (Nov 17, 2009)

I agree with rod tubes for storage and transportation, with one warning:

A rod tube is pretty small and compact. Leave it laying around and it might get stuck leaning in a corner in the back of a closet, maybe stuck in the attic during a house cleanup. Might make you think you've lost a couple of expensive rods for a week or so until you search that last square inch of your house.

Ask me how I know....


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## Worm Drowner (Sep 9, 2010)

Unless my rods are being used, they stay in their rod tubes and my reels stay in their covers. I keep my gear on a shelf in my garage. I tend to be protective of my fly gear and my guns.


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## Kewlbreeze (Mar 15, 2019)

Well, years ago, I was a field tester for Allstar Rods (yes, they made flyrods - I still have one or two). I took them to the jungles of Venezuela for big Peacock bass (Lake Camatagua) and to Los Roques for Bonefish and tarpon (had a grand slam there one day - granted the permit was only 3 lbs - but it still counts don't it????), Mexico for tarpon, bonefish and snook Alaska for big salmon, Oregon for steelhead and salmon and trout, Washington, California, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Idaho, Arkansas, Florida, Mississippi, and Texas. I purposely treated these rods bad - broke a few and lost pieces to one very nice 7 wt. I also took my Loomis rods on those trips and I treated them carefully - but used them hard. My goal was to break the Allstars and see where they were weak....I did break some (mostly getting in & out of pangas) and landed a LOT of fish with them - they were good rods and I still use some of them. 

I own Orivs/Loomis/Allstar/Scott/Reddington/Cabelas/Powell and some others I cannot think of right now....I can tell you that I am very careful transporting them cause I want them to be workable when I get to my fishing location - nothing worse than finding an unsolvable problem when I get to my location. and BTW - I own 4 piece, 3 piece and 2 piece rods - my favorite are the 2 piece - they cast better IMHO.

I take average care of my gear and I expect them to work - no excuses. I own several different types of reels - Lampson, Orvis, Penn (the most beautiful and best drag system ever on those two Penns - but boy - are they heavy - but tough as toenails). I owe some Scientific Angler reels for Tarpon - They are really an under rated reel - I have caught many tarpon on those two reels and they are tough. I installed a thing called a Tarpon Tamer on the Scientific Angler reels and I can stop a freight train with that. Not sure they make those anymore. 

Gear is critical - so you should take pretty good care - do not baby them - but treat them with respect cause you do not know when you will hook a 100 lb tarpon (I did that in Los Roques on a rod rigged for bonefish....It was an awesome battle for 30 minutes as we were actually in the boat landing area (the tarpon were everywhere that morning) and I just could not resist - he bit a little minnow pattern and I got at least 4 good jumps out of him before he sounded - well, there is no lifting a 100 lb tarpon on a 7 wt rod with a 15 lb flourocarbon tippet....he broke off - but that Penn Reel put a wumping on him. You just never know....a 30 lb redfish will jack your jaw - so your gear has to be ready . 

Not sure what all this meandering is about (other than a stroll down memory lane) but the point is this gear you take out with you may be called on to land a fish of a lifetime. Do you really want to lose a monster fish cause you did not take care to loosen the drag on a reel before you put it away for a few months??? Or you get to a great place to go fishing and pull out your rod to see the tip is missing (been there done that - always care spare rods - I always do!). 

You just never know when that gear will be called on to do the impossible - it will if you give it just a little bit of care and feeding. 

And BTW - I bought some rod/reel/flyline/case combos in 3 wt for fishing in Colorado from Cabelas for around $150 - the reel is ok - it has landed a few large trout - but the rods are pretty darn good. I can cast a 100 ft flyline with those cheap rods without them going out of column. These cheap rods are getting better all the time. 

So I would never just throw a flyrod and reel in the back of a truck/car/jeep and it not be in a case or some sort. How long does it take to break it down and put in it away. Just a few minutes and you get to check to make sure the ferrels are fully engaged (a critical thing I might add - the top section wants to come out and when you load it up and it is just barely in the ferrel - it will snap - been there done that.....) 

So take care of your gear - it will take care of you. 

for what its worth.....
Dennis 
a newbie to the board but a flyfisherman for way over 50 years....


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## Kewlbreeze (Mar 15, 2019)

Oh - I left out some other places - the Bahamas, Canada, New York, Louisiana, Michigan, and some others I cannot remember. Flyfishing has been very very good to me....I have been places I would never have gone due to the lure of flyfishing and its wonders. 

Learn to tie flys, learn to build rods, learn the food sources for the game you are going after - pay attention to tides and currents....there is a world of great stuff that flyfishing will teach you. There is a Proverb in the Bible that says "it is the glory of God to hide the wonders of the earth and it is the duty of Kings to search it out". 

We be Kings!!!

Dennis:texasflag


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## johnsons1480 (Jun 24, 2016)

Kewlbreeze said:


> Oh - I left out some other places - the Bahamas, Canada, New York, Louisiana, Michigan, and some others I cannot remember. Flyfishing has been very very good to me....I have been places I would never have gone due to the lure of flyfishing and its wonders.
> 
> Learn to tie flys, learn to build rods, learn the food sources for the game you are going after - pay attention to tides and currents....there is a world of great stuff that flyfishing will teach you. There is a Proverb in the Bible that says "it is the glory of God to hide the wonders of the earth and it is the duty of Kings to search it out".
> 
> ...


Thanks man. I built this rod, but Iâ€™m on the edge on wether or not I want to tie flies. Got too many hobbies already lol


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## Kewlbreeze (Mar 15, 2019)

fly tying is addictive - and I doubt it will actually save you any money. However, it pains me to pay $2.50 for a tiny bit of fluff and a hook......

I love to tie flys....and I love the feeling I get when I cast a fly I tied to a fish I see and I see him eat - what a wonderful feeling.....like I said - We Be Kings!!!! 

Dennis


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## karstopo (Jun 29, 2009)

I donâ€™t think you have to tie flies to fly fish. Most folks donâ€™t tie their own flies. 

One plus to tying has been I get to customize and do variations and derivatives of recipes that might better fit what I think is needed. And tying gets one thinking about buoyancy and sink rates and then the overall presentation to fish wherever in the water column those fish might be feeding. Tying letâ€™s you select the hooks you like. Some of the commercial ties are on tied on hooks that I think are inferior. Then if you get a pattern you like you can repeat it as much and often as you like and then in that case you will have a better pattern that costs significantly less than a commercial version, if in fact you can find it commercially. Most commercial ties for the saltwater arenâ€™t available in a whole lot of color or weighting variations. I donâ€™t think I could buy a pink over white borski slider with pink grizzly hackle tied on a size 4 Gamakatsu SL-45 with a small red eyed tungsten dumbbell, but thatâ€™s how I like them. 

Tying does take time and it took a while for me to get a handle on controlling the materials in the right amounts and position. 

Fly fishing is my one big hobby so tying fits in pretty nicely with that. I do get busy with other things like gardening. Fly tying is a good rainy day activity.


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## Kewlbreeze (Mar 15, 2019)

learning to tie is just a side benefit to flyfishing - not a mandate.

It is fun like Karstopo says and it can fill times when you would be watching the boob tube. It is not hard to learn - getting the proportions right is the challenge....and buying all the stuff. 

Hobby Lobby carries a bunch of good stuff for way less than the flyshops. 

But once you start - you will feel the hook set! 

Karma

Dennis


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