If you find a rod hidden in the woods....

[discomidge]

What do you do?

1 - leave it
2 - steal it
3 - fish it

There I was, happily catching fish in the dark, when I saw 3 guys all shining their lights on the spot where I left my nymph rod hidden in the woods. It was maybe 20-30' off the trail. Because they were from Tennessee, they didn't know where they were going and were trying to bushwhack back to a trail and stumbled upon it. I hustled out of the stream, leaving fish biting which kinda made me mad, and went and got it back from them. They said they had grabbed my rod because they were gonna return it to the lot, which might be true (I actually kind of believe them FWIW), but why? Seems to me that if someone intentionally left a rod hidden in the woods, they'd be back for it. And that returning it to the lot would make it less likely for the owner to find and more likely for it to be stolen. And this was over a mile away from a road. They claimed they didn't see me fishing 100' from it, which was total BS. I watched them all evening, hoping they didn't decide to to move to where the fish were. And headlamps are pretty obvious at 10pm.

I guess the lesson I learned is that I have to do a better job hiding my nymph rod, but that even if I do, it's not safe from bushwhacking aliens.

 

[hooker-of-men]

Sorry that you have a nymphing rod. Better luck next time.

 

[discomidge]

Sorry that you have a nymphing rod. Better luck next time.

Dude try nymphing! When it comes to getting through the afternoon, it's slightly better than a nap in my book.

 

[5footfenwick]

Always leave the rod. But tie on a hopper to a hopper with a dropper just to confuse the owner. Nymphing is just another form of fishing. No one is judging. Us lip tuggers all gotta stick together. It’s a sport of us vs. the fish, not us vs. each other.

 

[troutbert]

Don't leave fly rods in the woods.

If you really feel you need 2 or more fly rods out on the stream, figure out a way to carry them.

But you don't need that. Use one good fly rod for dries, nymphs, streamers.

 

[mt_flyfisher]

And what were they going to do with the rod after they returned it to the parking lot?

Unless you were there when they got back to the lot, I don’t think it would be a good idea to just leave it in the lot for the next guy who came along to pick it up. So I’d leave it in the woods. If I happened to come back the next day or two and it was still there I’d assume it was lost, and I’d take it and try to find the owner.

Many years ago, I put my EF Payne bamboo rod and Hardy reel on the top of a friend’s car in the parking area near the Poe Paddy tunnel on Penns while we took off our waders. It was late at night, we were probably tired, and I forgot to about my rod and reel being on top of the car before we drove away. We got all the way back to State College before I remembered that I had left it on top of the car. I drove back the next morning, but the rod was long gone.

Perhaps 30 years ago, I did something similar to that with my Sage SP rod and Abel reel in a parking lot on the WB of the Delaware. That time I had only driven a couple miles down the road before I remembered. But by the time I returned, which couldn’t have been more than 10 minutes later, both my rod and reel, and 2 other guys who had been parked near me in the lot, were long gone, never to be seen again.

John

p.s. Actually, if you can’t carry the second rod with you while fishing I think I’d leave it on the bank near near to where I was fishing in the stream.

 

[discomidge]

And what were they going to do with the rod after they returned it to the parking lot?

Unless you were there when they got back to the lot, I don’t think it would be a good idea to just leave it in the lot for the next guy who came along to pick it up. So I’d leave it in the woods. If I happened to come back the next day or two and it was still there I’d assume it was lost, and I’d take it and try to find the owner.

Many years ago, I put my EF Payne bamboo rod and Hardy reel on the top of a friend’s car in the parking area near the Poe Paddy tunnel on Penns while we took off our waders. It was late at night, we were probably tired, and I forgot to about my rod and reel being on top of the car before we drove away. We got all the way back to State College before I remembered that I had left it on top of the car. I drove back the next morning, but the rod was long gone.

Perhaps 30 years ago, I did something similar to that with my Sage SP rod and Abel reel in a parking lot on the WB of the Delaware. That time I had only driven a couple miles down the road before I remembered. But by the time I returned, which couldn’t have been more than 10 minutes later, both my rod and reel, and 2 other guys who had been parked near me in the lot, were long gone, never to be seen again.

John

p.s. Actually, if you can’t carry the second rod with you while fishing I think I’d leave it on the bank near near to where I was fishing in the stream.

Oof brutal. Sorry. I drove away with a rod on top of my car for the first time this spring. I remembered that I had left it up there when I heard it slide off while going 40mph. Pretty surprised it made it that long. It got a little dinged up, but still fished just fine. All hail fiberglass.

And yeah, if I have 2 rods I usually leave the other on the bank near me. Last night was pretty empty so I figured what the hell. Probably won't do that again. Probably.

 

[discomidge]

Don't leave fly rods in the woods.

If you really feel you need 2 or more fly rods out on the stream, figure out a way to carry them.

But you don't need that. Use one good fly rod for dries, nymphs, streamers.

Sometimes I carry 6 or 7 rods. Euro, indy, wets, close range dries, long range dries, streamers, tenkara, and a couple spinning outfits. Oh and one for chunkin

 

[dryflyguy]

If a leave something that I don't immediately need, I lay it on the bank close to where I'm fishing.
So I can keep my eye on it.

Earlier this spring, I was fishing a spot on the Little J that was pretty brushy. And my net kept getting tangled in it.
I laid it on the bank in the immediately vicinity of where I was fishing.
And went back in the water

Shortly after, a fellow came walking down along that bank toward where my net was laying.
So I kept an eye on him as he turned around and walked back up past where I was fishing.
Sure enough, he had my net in his hand. And I yelled to him about it

Maybe he was gonna ask if it was mine - maybe not.
Anyway, I'm glad I spotted him beforehand

 

[The Novice]

Sometimes I carry 6 or 7 rods. Euro, indy, wets, close range dries, long range dries, streamers, tenkara, and a couple spinning outfits. Oh and one for chunkin

I use a golf bag and bring 12 Rods. I use them to fish Royal Wullfs, the only fly I fish, in 12 different sizes.
I never could figure out that clinch knot….😉

 

[The Novice]

What do you do?

1 - leave it
2 - steal it
3 - fish it

There I was, happily catching fish in the dark, when I saw 3 guys all shining their lights on the spot where I left my nymph rod hidden in the woods. It was maybe 20-30' off the trail. Because they were from Tennessee, they didn't know where they were going and were trying to bushwhack back to a trail and stumbled upon it. I hustled out of the stream, leaving fish biting which kinda made me mad, and went and got it back from them. They said they had grabbed my rod because they were gonna return it to the lot, which might be true (I actually kind of believe them FWIW), but why? Seems to me that if someone intentionally left a rod hidden in the woods, they'd be back for it. And that returning it to the lot would make it less likely for the owner to find and more likely for it to be stolen. And this was over a mile away from a road. They claimed they didn't see me fishing 100' from it, which was total BS. I watched them all evening, hoping they didn't decide to to move to where the fish were. And headlamps are pretty obvious at 10pm.

I guess the lesson I learned is that I have to do a better job hiding my nymph rod, but that even if I do, it's not safe from bushwhacking aliens.

Probably what the Tennessee guys did, assume it was lost and bring it to the parking lot or the nearest fly shop in the hope that the owner would reclaim it.

 

[6xAdams(Jones)]

Since you posted this just after midnight, I expect your questions were keeping you awake...
I'm not too shy about yelling, "Hey, who left this flyrod in the woods?" If I were on my way to the water, I'd ask whoever I saw on the water if it's theirs. If it's obviously hidden, I'll leave it alone. If it looks like it was dropped or discarded (as in broken and not rigged/ready), I'd still look around for anyone to ask about it and take it with me if there's nobody nearby.

 

[Bamboozle]

I learned to never leave ANYTHING on top of a car roof the easy way by reading horror stories like those above...

With that in mind I made a magnetic rod & reel holder to hold my rod & reel upright that sticks to the side of my SUV. I place it on the driver's door because I guess total stupidity IS still possible.... However I always put the rod away first BEFORE any beers and I also do a quick check around the car in case I dropped anything before driving off.

In regards as "hiding" something for later use or retrieval... I've watched too many cowboy movies and realize if I hide it, some other cowpoke or bandit may find it... so I don't.

As far as lying something down for later use... I lived in NYC. When you live there you learn VERY quickly that if you lay something down and blink, it will disappear... so I don't.

In regards to finding a rod in the woods... since I can't be bothered and think it's crazy to carry more than one rod to the stream, I doubt I be particularly enamored with the idea of carrying out two. Threfore unless it was something stupendous I'd leave it where found...

...Although I might be fun to hide it someplace else and see how long it takes another cowboy to find it or see how long it takes for the post "Lost Rod on Death Valley Crick" to pop up on PAFF...

 

[flyeyeeye]

I hid a wading staff (ski pole) out of sight on a SE PA wilderness stream as I fished that day. You would have to go out of your way to see it/find it. When I returned, it was gone. Lesson learned. If you're going to hide something, hide it very, very well.

 

[falcon]

If you put your rod on your vehicle place it across the windshield so you see it before you drive off.

 

[Bamboozle]

If you put your rod on your vehicle place it across the windshield so you see it before you drive off.

Only problem with lying a rod anywhere on top of a car is it blowing off from a gust of wind or sliding off. I've seen it happen to others more than a few times...

...fortunately it never happened to me because I don't lay my rod down on my car.

 

[Silent Ocelot]

As far as lying something down for later use... I lived in NYC. When you live there you learn VERY quickly that if you lay something down and blink, it will disappear... so I don't.

Ever come outside to find your car on cinder blocks?

 

[mt_flyfisher]

I learned to never leave ANYTHING on top of a car roof the easy way by reading horror stories like those above...

With that in mind I made a magnetic rod & reel holder to hold my rod & reel upright that sticks to the side of my SUV. I place it on the driver's door because I guess total stupidity IS still possible.... However I always put the rod away first BEFORE any beers and I also do a quick check around the car in case I dropped anything before driving off.

In regards as "hiding" something for later use or retrieval... I've watched too many cowboy movies and realize if I hide it, some other cowpoke or bandit may find it... so I don't.

As far as lying something down for later use... I lived in NYC. When you live there you learn VERY quickly that if you lay something down and blink, it will disappear... so I don't.

In regards to finding a rod in the woods... since I can't be bothered and think it's crazy to carry more than one rod to the stream, I doubt I be particularly enamored with the idea of carrying out two. Threfore unless it was something stupendous I'd leave it where found...

...Although I might be fun to hide it someplace else and see how long it takes another cowboy to find it or see how long it takes for the post "Lost Rod on Death Valley Crick" to pop up on PAFF...

The safety and security of an underground rod storage vault might be the solution.

With all of the reported traffic along Penns Creek, why not build a subway there?You could have stations every 1/4 mile or so, and it would have personal rod storage vaults running the entire length that you could rent by the hour or day.

 

[mt_flyfisher]

Ever come outside to find your car on cinder blocks?

I’m a member of a couple Pacific Northwest fly fishing forums, and many of the members there often report that they have their vehicles broken into while they’re fishing, as well as at their homes and elsewhere. I guess when you’re soft on crime and want to defund the police, **** happens. Fortunately, that doesn’t seem to happen as frequently in PA, at least not that as often as it apparently happens there.

 

[Silent Ocelot]

Only problem with lying a rod anywhere on top of a car is it blowing off from a gust of wind or sliding off. I've seen it happen to others more than a few times...

...fortunately it never happened to me because I don't lay my rod down on my car.

I'll lay my rod on the top of my car on days with little to no wind. It's just a convenient/safe place to put my rod while I rig up. I understand your apprehension to do so.