Quick question, I am flying to Flordia and didn’t want to check my travel rods. Can anyone tell me if I can carry them on are they forbide. Thansk for the help-
Fred
fred
i have been carrying on travel rods for 2 years. (six flights a year) and have not had a problem so far. we usually fly american airlines.
good luck, enjoy
mike
fbc,
Check with the airline, it seems that they are all different. Those kind of surprises aren’t usually good ones.
Don
Fred.
I took a 4 piece to San Diego on Delta. I called before hand and through broken English the airline rep told me that I could not carry a fishing rod on. The local fly shop said that they had just made a trip to Idaho and didn’t have a problem. I decided to try anyway and never had one problem. Both the airline and TSA passed it without question. YMMV.
Dan
Fred,
Carry on is THE best way to go. If you only have a 2 pc, … check before hand to make sure. Get it in writing and you’ll have less hassles. 3-5 pc, … usually no probs. I pack the reels and flies in check in as there is less hassle since 9-11.
Then again, I usually fly with at least a 303 or 308, so my bags get checked pretty closely. (bush planes).
Christopher Chin
Jonquiere Quebec
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Thanks for the advice. I was planning on taking 2 4 piece rods and reels. I’ll carry them and check the flys and other gear.
I never fly with rods. I allways send them insured to my hotel or to where I am staying. The hotel will keep them for you, and they are waiting for me when I arrive. Before I leave I send them back home.
Rods are offically permitted as either carry on or checked baggage according to the following TSA regulations. But the carrier has final say as to whether something will be permitted for reasons of space. (fitting into overhead compartments, etc.)
Copy the following link and paste it into your browser window then print it out to show the airport screeners if asked. Don’t forget to be polite.
[url=http://www.tsa.gov/public/display?content=090005198005feca:d2f3a]http://www.tsa.gov/public/display?content=090005198005feca[/url:d2f3a]
Jim Stocks
Tyler, TX
I just returned from traveling. I carried on my 4pc and they didnt have a problem with it. The airline was United I also stopped to ask if reels with line were o.k. and they said yes. You just cant take your fly boxes on the plane they must be checked. You can also go to TSA for all of their dos and donts for carry on luggage.
Seege
I wonder if there is more likely to be a problem if they are carried in a homemade tube like pvc???
Respect Your Elders!
Duck,
IMHO, … not because of regs, … just human nature, … a homemade Rod case will get more of a look over than a factory one.
Funny that flies are check in only and rods aren’t. … Image the pilote where a hijacker uses a box of midges to threaten them, … "Control, … this guy is serious, … the #22’s aren’t de-barbed! " 
A joke … and in no way meant to take away from the seriousness of airliner safety
Christopher Chin
Jonquiere Quebec
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Some airlines have denied carry on rods in almuminum cases but accepted them in PVC tubes, even homemade ones. This has happened to members of the same group on the same flight.
As someone said the airline always has to final choice.
I have found domestic Southwest, United, Delta, Northwest,and American to be ok, either from direct experience from friends experiences.
Every Southwest plane I have been on has overhead compartments long enought for 2pc 9ft rods and these have been allowed.
fbc…
The rod won’t give you as much of a headache as the reels will. Flys are definately check-in but reels are supposed to be OK according to TSA. What the TSA regulations fail to mention is that some airlines consider reels OK but there can be no line on them. (Can be used to strangle people, you know.) Taking the line AND the backing off of a reel and then re-spooling the whole thing upon arriving at you destination can be a pain in the butt. Especially on salt-water reels that typically hold from 250 to 500 yards of backing. What I have found that works is to put your reel body in your carry on and your reel spool with line in your check-in luggage. After all, who wants to steal half a reel?
The only guidelines are that there are no guidelines. Forget what the TSA website says. If you check it out, you’ll see that TSA recommends that you CARRY ON your flies, as they are fragile. I printed that out and gave it to the TSA screeners at the airport and they said, “I don’t care what the website says, NO fish hooks will get by us as carry on.” I didn’t have any but wanted to show them the info off the website. Even their supervisor said NO WAY to flies as carry on.
I have seen rods without tubes both accepted AND rejected as carry on. I have seen rods in metal tubes accepted AND rejected as carry on. Personally, I think that metal rod tubes should not be allowed as they are no different than carrying on a baseball bat. I have seen fly reels accepted AND rejected as carry on. There simply is NO set of rules that all airlines follow.
Chances are they WILL allow your rods and reels BUT be ready to check them at the airport if they say no.
The important thing is to WATCH them as they go through your stuff. They have broken 2 pairs of Action Optics on me now due to their bumbling and incompetence. IT took 15 months to be compensated the first time so I’m not even going to bother this time around. They also dropped by bag once which contained my $2,800 Toshiba notebook computer and $2,500 in camera gear. The 20-something pierced, tattooed TSA screener simply “oops.”
Jeff - AKA Dr. Fish
If it has fins and swims than I must chase it!