Taking my first fly-in trip this summer (with a guy and his group that I met here on WC - kinda cool!) and I'm wondering who out there takes their best rods on a trip like this?

Fly-in trips are for your finest gear. If you are going on a trip of a lifetime don't leave anything to chance. :yum:
Spare rods and reels are important too. You just don't want to waste any precious time on the water with faulty equipment.
Personally, I leave camp in the morning with 5 poles rigged up with various presentations. Northern pole with a swivel tied for spoons and heavier lures. Crossover pole with a swivel tied, for crankbait. 3 or 4 walleye rods with different presentations or colors tied on.
When I snag up or have a bite off :sad: I grab the next rod ready.

Keek, have a wonderful 1st trip this summer. Where are you flying in to? Who are you going with?
We've got all winter to focus on gear. And we will. :raisin:

I would, but my best combo's are only worth $250. Would I take a $1000+ combo? Not sure, but I probably would.

If you think you're going to constantly worry about your rods getting damaged, I wouldn't bring them because this is the time to enjoy yourself and not spend time worrying. Just make sure whatever you bring is reliable, as already mentioned.

Regardless, make sure you have a good case for transporting your rods.

I take 2 piece poles with good reels. Easy to load on plane, break the poles down put in a short tube. Put the reels in with your clothes keeps them safe. $40 rods, $70 reels, 5 poles total. 2 pike,2 walleye, and one spare. My fish catching ability is just a good as the guy with the high end pole and I am not near as worried about breaking one.

If I didn't buy it for that, what the heck did I buy it for?

Bring your best gear all around. Why else do you own it?

If you are taking a fly-in trip, you might as well take the gear that you know you can count on! Chances are you will be out in the bush with no local bait and tackle store around the corner. Leaving your trusty/lucky rod-n-reel at home would get under my skin and I would be second guessing what the heck I was thinking when your plan B gear fails you! The weather, the bite are going to be out of our control, the gear we take, that is on us! Take the gear that you will help yout trip!

Well said all, it would kill me sitting there on a trip of a lifetime jiggin with a generic rod knowing that Mr. Lommis is sitting at home...

I AM HAPPY TO REPORT THAT EVERYTIME I GO FISHING I TAKE MY BEST RODS WITH ME. I HAVE 7 POLES THAT ARE ALL BERKLEY CHERRYWOODS IN BAIT CASTING AND SPINNING IN DIFFERENT LENGTHS. TWO OF THE BEST ONES ARE PROBABLY CLOSE TO 40 YEARS OLD AND I BOUGHT BOTH OF THEM FOR UNDER $20.00 PROBABLY CLOSER TO $17.00. THESE POLES HAVE NEVER FAILED ME FROM PANFISHING TO WALLEYE AND PIKE FISHING IN NORTHERN ONTARIO. I HAVE EVEN GIVEN ONE TO MY GRANDSON TO USE AND HOPEFULLY HE WILL BE USING IT LONG AFTER I AM DONE FISHING. I AM NOT CHEAP I JUST LIKE THE WAY THEY FEEL AND THE SERVICE THEY HAVE GIVEN ME OVER THE YEARS. :raisin:

Everybody seems to be on the same page. Thank you all for sharing your thoughts. I've decided to bring my favorites which except for one (Berkley Amp 6' ML) are my most expensive.

We're headed to Lac Hebert with Air Tamarac in early July.

So now the question - what make of rod tube?

flyin or :driver:

We fly in the last 85 miles from Clova, Quebec as I understand it.

Also - Looking for a rod tube that will hold 7' rods. Ideas?

Hello Keek The guys on hear are giving you very good advice, I always bring my best equipment.We are going to have a great Time. Most fishermen would call this a fishing trip of a lifetime.I will send you my list of must have's Ron:cheers:

I've got both the "Cabelas soft Advanced Anglers Pro Rod bag" and Plano 6508 Telescoping rod case. Use both and probably prefer the plano hardcase. I usually take 11 or 12 rods for me and my boys.:bangin:
We sometimes can be hard on em. I'm the worst.

Bazooka by Flambeau is a good rod case. I'd get at least 6 inch diameter.

Also, if you're considering minnows for bait, get salted minnows instead of live ones. Don't have to worry about minnows dying off ever. They work just as well as the live ones up there.

Other good items to bring that may not be provided by the outfitter include a large sponge and some type of scooping device (for bailing out the boats), a fly swatter for the boat to kill off ankle biters, portable depth finder and jaw grippers.

Hi Keek, we believe in taking the best equipment we have. We use Plano Airliner Rod Cases and have had zero rod damage. They are not waterproof but have worked great for us. Have a great trip.

Thank you,
Larry Mac

Keek - always take your best and some spares. A rod case filled with rods doesn't take up any more room than the same case with 2 or 3 and the weight difference is negligible. I always take extra reels, you never know when one will screw up and Ive seen many guys at the end of the week having to piece together a makeshift "combo" to get by.

Hello Keek The guys on hear are giving you very good advice, I always bring my best equipment.We are going to have a great Time. Most fishermen would call this a fishing trip of a lifetime.I will send you my list of must have's Ron:cheers:

Thanks Ron - me and my two buddies are really looking forward to joining this trip of yours.

I make my own rod holder tubes, PVC pipe in the length and diameter you need, cement a screw off cap on one end and regular end on the other, remember to glue about 4 inches of foam inside each end to protect the rods. Paint the tube with plastic formulated Rustolem. These things are bullet proof and if they get scratched or scraped up, who cares! I also run a thin screw through the the top clean out so it can't be open unless you take the screw out... these are very water proof.

we never use rod tubes, we use foam padded gun cases, you can fit 3 or 4 rods in each one, they protect the rods and pack well into the plane

I will second the make your own from PVC pipe. Its easy and you can make them to your spec's. The foam on each end is a must. I would also take pipefoam wrap and put them around your rods to pevent them from bumping. Cuts down on the number of rods but provides great protection.

I would not recommend PVC rod cases for flyin. They are plenty strong durable etc. but weigh considerably more than the blow mold cases (i.e. - bazooka). Weight is ultimate consideration for a flyin.
Have a great trip.

By the way, you are much more likely to break a rod (or rods) on a flyin trip in small, open boats, loading/unloading etc. Some of the very best rods are also non-forgiving and prone to breakage. If busting your favorite hi end rod would wreck your day then I would recommend bringing a quality rod but perhaps not the ultra hi end. If you are willing to take a calculated risk then go ahead and bring the good stuff. Consider packing rods in rod socks prior to putting in the rod cases to prevent scratching, fretting wear and eyelet damage.

You are going to have a riot.

Taking my first fly-in trip this summer (with a guy and his group that I met here on WC - kinda cool!) and I'm wondering who out there takes their best rods on a trip like this?

I didn't buy great stuff to collect, but to fish.

By the way, you are much more likely to break a rod (or rods) on a flyin trip in small, open boats, loading/unloading etc. Some of the very best rods are also non-forgiving and prone to breakage. If busting your favorite hi end rod would wreck your day then I would recommend bringing a quality rod but perhaps not the ultra hi end. If you are willing to take a calculated risk then go ahead and bring the good stuff. Consider packing rods in rod socks prior to putting in the rod cases to prevent scratching, fretting wear and eyelet damage.

You are going to have a riot.

Thanks for this - I've come to the point where I feel I would rather have my nicer rods break on a trip like this than to be wishing I had them with me while using rods that I don't enjoy as much. I don't have any super high dollar rods, probably my nicest is my St. Croix Legend Tourney jigging rod that I love - so it's going north with me.

And as Pike50plus says - I don't collect this stuff!

Thanks all for your input.

Thanks for this - I've come to the point where I feel I would rather have my nicer rods break on a trip like this than to be wishing I had them with me while using rods that I don't enjoy as much. I don't have any super high dollar rods, probably my nicest is my St. Croix Legend Tourney jigging rod that I love - so it's going north with me.

And as Pike50plus says - I don't collect this stuff!

Thanks all for your input.


Hi Keek, IMHO you made a smart choice. Have a great trip

Sincerely,
Larry Mac

Thanks Larry

Throw a rod sock on and put them in PVC. Find some thin wall stuff, it will be plenty good. Use foam in the caps and as mentioned if it packs sloppy use some pipe insulation to take up the slack. If a commercial flight is involved maybe UPS some gear to where the flyin plane leaves from. I would hate to have my luggage lost with EVERYTHING in the suitcases. I know when I went to Alaska I was more worried about my gear making it then anything else.

Have a great trip and bring 2 camera's just in case. :muahaha:

With all my trips aIbring along an extra bath towel or two wrapped around my rods and reels even when we hit our drive-in lake. Like posted earlier, rods get broken on the boat, two in our last trip, one was at the dock, the second one of the teenagers snapped his dads favorite rod trying to battle with a snag! One year at a fly-in my boat buddy stepped on my reel getting out of the boat for an "emergency" stop at a shore lunch spot... but that is another story!:rotfl:

Day in, day out, you go to work, do your job, breakin' rocks. Your best fishing rod does the same, doing it's job in the boat, the best it can, in all weather, all the decent lakes and all the dumpy ones you take it to, never complaining, just doing its level best to put fish in the boat.

Not only should you BRING it to Canada, where the air is clean the fish always bite, the scenery is superb and the eagles are always flying, I say your best rod DESERVES such a trip just as much as you do, and maybe more, since it's the rod that works hard the rest of the year to put fish in the boat.

As a matter of fact, just do your rod doesn't feel bad, perhaps you could consider two trips, maybe one fly-in, and maybe a less expensive drive in trip, just to show that rod how much you appreciate it and everything it does for you the whole rest of the year.

Seriously, though, it's a special time on the water, and you deserve to have your best equipment with you. to make the trip as enjoyable as possible. Otherwise, you'd use the cheap bug dope, the leaky rainsuit, the cheap sunglasses, pack your clothes in trashbags, and use the same 202 Zebco you used as a kid.....

And while I wouldn't offer this to just anybody, if you'd ship me your rod, $60 for the rod's share of gas and minnows, I'd be happy to take it with me for a trip to show it a good time.....

take the best rods on the best trip.

Taking my first fly-in trip this summer (with a guy and his group that I met here on WC - kinda cool!) and I'm wondering who out there takes their best rods on a trip like this?
Not that any of us are out to break our gear. But if it's just going to sit on the shelf at home, you wasted that money. Might as well leave it sitting on the shelf at the store. This goes for $360 rods and $3600 shot guns.

Hi Steve my best rods are only used in Quebec,when I get home I pack them away for the next yrs Trip North. As far as weight, I know we will be over,but its only .75 a pound to fly in the overage. A rod case is a very good Idea. I wrap my reels in my clothes so they don't get damaged. the rest of the gear,:cheers: I bring in my water proof bag

Hi Steve my best rods are only used in Quebec,when I get home I pack them away for the next yrs Trip North. As far as weight, I know we will be over,but its only .75 a pound to fly in the overage. A rod case is a very good Idea. I wrap my reels in my clothes so they don't get damaged. the rest of the gear,:cheers: I bring in my water proof bag

Sounds great Ron, looking forward to pulling in some fish together.

And a big thanks to all those who offered advise and input.

One other piece of free advice: if you are using some type of an outhouse and you think to light a match to counter the smell, don't dispose of the match into the hole. Our buddy did this one year and a few minutes later we noticed smoke emerging from the outhouse. The methane had caught fire. We grabbed a five gallon bucket and were fortunately able to stop the fire before it got out of control. Burning turds is a smell to be avoided.