Has anyone had any bad experiences recently with travelling with their Fly Fishing Gear on an airplane?
I have heard different stories on aluminum rod tubes, vests with scissors or forceps removed but the fly boxes were okay.
I would like to take my rods, fly vest, and reels on the plane with me as if they were to get lost…or “disappear” then I am out several thousand dollars.
Joe
shipping by UPS in advance of your trip is one of the better options. it eliminates most of the “guess” work and cranky “TSA and airline” workers who got up on the wrong side of the bed.
i did fly from connecticut to montana and checked most of my fly fishing equipment and carried on my 4 pc fly rods with no problems. but that was about 5 years ago and i’m sure things have changed since then. i wouldnt bother printing out the the list of things that are safe for flying and shoving them in the face of a TSA worker. it wont get those items on the plane.
my fly rods were in the original cordura covered rod tubes and not in aluminum ones. maybe that made a difference. i dont know. i also was not beligerent with any TSA or airline workers.
Just got back from out West. All my rod tubes now are PVC so I can’t say how TSA will deal with aluminum (although I did see a few in the terminals at Bozeman and Denver), but you’ll probably want to make sure you don’t try to carry on a 9’ 2pc. Reels were no problem. Flies? who knows? - if you read TSA’s rules you’d think you could bring flies in carry-on but I’ve seen folks get turned back at Dulles and BWI even when they presented a printed copy of the rules, while a guy in the next line over walked through with no problem. No rhyme or reason to their actions so I just pack them in checked luggage to avoid the hassle, although I understand the concern over losing that kind of investment - I’d hate to think how many hours I’ve put into filling my fly boxes. Normand’s suggesting of mailing is good if you have an adress you can mail to, although I’ve had issues with UPS/USPS as well - a rod I shipped back from Montana a few years ago spent the better part of a week in Duluth before I could convince them that it’s final destination was actually Virginia.
Regards,
Scott
I flew to Key West this past February and had no problems. My 4 pc rod was in a factory pvc covered rod tube. In my carry on I had a pair of 6" needle nose pliers and a pair of combo scissors forceps. They took out the needle nose pliers and measured them to make sure they were not longer than 6". I think TSA and most airlines have seen enough fishing/fly fishing rods, that it is no big deal to them.
Dave
I am flyingg to Alaska in September so I am also interested in the answers to this question.
I have flown to South America before and carried on my rod, reels and waders and the rest went into my luggage. Had no problems.
Not sure what to expect going north with the carry ons. I am sure they are accustomed to fishing gear in Alaska.
Went to Colorado from NY last year…no problem. Took the gear on as a carry on.
FWIW, I recently (July 4) flew from California to Florida with no checked baggage at all. I put my reel and flies in my carry-on and hand-carried my 3wt in a rod sock. Never got questioned and never had a problem. Technically, and I checked, flies are allowed in your carry-on by TSA. I did make sure however, to not have any kind of nippers or hemo’s with me at all. It was a small price to pay for the convenience.
John
5 years ago a TSA agent would not let me take my reels on board because the fly line could possibly be used as a garrote. Seriously.
Lately I’ve taken my 4 piece rods in an Abel case on board, but check everything else. It’s just not worth having to deal with a TSA agent with a chip on her shoulder.
Thanks for all of the input everyone. Looks like I will take my rods and vest without foreceps and use the canvas covered tubes instead of the aluminum ones.
MONTANA…ONLY 29 days and counting…
So everyone had to take out the laces in their shoes also?
Don’t give those TSA clowns any ideas.
Regards,
Scott
Good point Scott, they got you and you cannot argue with them as they can delay your trip for any stupid reason. I would hate to get to the gate just to have a couple of fly reels checked…and possibly never see them again.
I checked the TSA web site and they actually recommend that you put delicate items like flies in the carry on luggage and not check them. Fishing rods were also ok.
I’ve read and heard the horror stories. Personally, I’ve flown from CVG to Cody twice and from CVG to Portland 1 with fly rods and reels as carry on with no problems at all. In fact, on each trip, at least one TSA person wished my son and I good luck fishing.
Just my experience. I reckon it all depends on who you get and what airport. They have always been professional with me.
Although I find bashing TSA cheap, affordable entertainment, I’m sure there are a number of diligent, hardworking, conscientious folks who work for the agency. Unfortunately those aren’t the people I often see doing baggage/passenger screening at Dulles; many of them seem to delight in frustrating passengers with random, arbitrary decisions on contents of carry-on items that often conflict with their own written guidelines and since they have time on their side and you (we) have a plane to catch right now, they often come out the victors, fair or not. Having said that, the screeners at Kalispell, Missoula and Bozeman airports have always treated fellow fishermen and passengers with a lot more courtesy and respect.
Regards,
Scott