Anybody have any experience and opinions about this? Any tips?

I have a fly fishing trip lined up to the east coast this spring. I normally travel by car and have all of my fly fishing gear packed in a big duffel bag in the back of my SUV, but this time I'll be flying. It will cost at least $35 each way to put it on the plane with me and it will be a hassle to lug around in addition to my suitcase. So I'm thinking about the option of just shipping it both ways via FedEx or UPS.

Thanks for any advice you can offer!