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

[Silent Ocelot]

defund the police, **** happens.

All I need is sheriff Sammy Colt

 

[falcon]

I was waking down the short trail from a very popular parking area on the Beaverkill. I saw 2 fly rods about 30ft off the trail in the woods. Two guys were in the pool about 300 ft down. I asked if they knew about the rods. Yup they are ours. They must have more faith in people than I do. The rods with reels looked to be nice stuff.

 

[Silent Ocelot]

I think ditching a rod in the woods is a bad idea in general. Too many variables to control, ESPECIALLY in the darkness. Knowing me I'd either lose or step on the rod on my way out.

I think the solution to the two rod thing, something I experimented with and didn't really care for, is to break down and stow the nymphing rod before you start your dry fly fishing.

Once while doing a little bush-whacking on the Tully (if that is even possible) (ok, try walking back to the path when leaving refrigerator hole in the dark without a headlamp) I placed my rod and back pack down to speed up my navigation through the brush. I had the idea of making it to the path and then returning for said gear. I was basically going to walk straight through the woods. Turns out I deviated in my walk to the path and was unable to backtrack and retrieve my gear. I think I ditched my sling and rod separately for some reason. I think I initially put the rod down thinking I could manage but later ditched the pack too. I looked around for the gear for a bit before having my friend drive me to Dick's Sporting Goods outside of Reading to buy a flashlight with his money because my wallet was still in my sling pack. We did end up finding the items. Interesting fact was this may have been 9/11 of 2019, a bit of symbolism maybe (two items lost)? Needless to say, headlamps are a necessity for me or any late evening/night fisher.

I once (very temporarily) ditched my LT on a creek mentioned in a recent brookie creek inquiry thread. I was more worried about stumbling and breaking it than I was about theft on this particular creek. Two rods for a small trickle of a creek, very idiotic.

I won't tell people how to fish, that is up to them. I have just found that carrying two rods in general has more been more of a hindrance than a benefit. It would be nice to set up a rod for nymphs and dries since rigging up those setups is different, and I get that, I just don't like having to leave gear around. On say Penns I'd just walk back to the vehicle to get my preferred dry fly rod, give people the impression of a pro golfer grabbing his preferred club from the golf bag.

 

[bdhoover77]

All I need is sheriff Sammy Colt

Not trying to stir the proverbial pot, but I suggest you read up on the law regarding the use of deadly force to protect personal property. It’s not going to be the answer you might be hoping it is.

 

[mt_flyfisher]

I was waking down the short trail from a very popular parking area on the Beaverkill. I saw 2 fly rods about 30ft off the trail in the woods. Two guys were in the pool about 300 ft down. I asked if they knew about the rods. Yup they are ours. They must have more faith in people than I do. The rods with reels looked to be nice stuff.

I saw a guy park his Ferrari along the road beside the Beaverkill one evening, and left it there while he went fishing. I know there isn’t a lot of storage space in Ferraris so it’s questionable if he had enough room in it for even one rod, much less a nymph rod, dry fly rod, etc. etc. together with his other fishing gear.

You’ve also got to be pretty trusting, or have good insurance, to park and leave your Ferrari unattended while you go fishing.

 

[CRB]

Ever come outside to find your car on cinder blocks?

The Forgotten Winchester is a Winchester Model 1873 lever-action centerfire rifle that archaeologists discovered in 2014 leaning against a Juniper tree in Great Basin National Park in Nevada. The gun was manufactured in 1882, but nothing is known of its abandonment. The bottom of its stock was buried in 4-5 inches of accumulated soil and vegetation, and a round of ammunition stored in its buttstock dated between 1887 and 1911, indicating that it had been resting there for many years. A post about the weathered gun on the park's Facebook page captured the public's imagination and went viral because of the mystery of who left the gun propped against the tree and why they never returned for it.[1][2] This gun has become an iconic rifle of the American west

 

[JimKennedy]

Leave the rod. Take the cannoli.

 

[Bamboozle]

Ever come outside to find your car on cinder blocks?

No, but once in NYC I had a hand reach underneath an overhead door open about 6" to try and grab my 20 oz. rip claw hammer.

I bashed said hand with said hammer...

In regards to rod rigging, I just rig my rod dead last after putting the rest of my gear on and having a beer or two. I do the reverse when finished. It's a discipline I've stuck to forever.

In regards to car break-ins, it happens everywhere and it is one of the reasons NOTHING is visible inside my vehicle. I also won't rig up or leave the back of my SUV open if there are people milling around or a lot of traffic going past.

I also purposely don't drive a Lexus, Cayenne or a EQE and my Honda isn't adorned with Simms, Sage or Orvis stickers; although I have considered putting one of those Sig Sauer stickers I have laying around on my car as a deterrent...

Instead I decided to adorn MYSELF with a Sig instead... in the event I catch someone breaking into my car...

Regardless there are a few places I park that make me nervous because they are secluded. At one local creek parking is now at a secluded dead end road created by virtue of a bridge being permanently closed.

I stopped parking there completely after seeing broken auto glass lying on the ground. When I do fish there I park far away on another street which is a pain, but at least I don't worry about my stuff.

 

[Bamboozle]

Not trying to stir the proverbial pot, but I suggest you read up on the law regarding the use of deadly force to protect personal property. It’s not going to be the answer you might be hoping it is.

In what state?

 

[CRB]

If leaving a rod up against a tree you have to be prepared to have it come up missing.
I sure would not want my >$100 rod + reel to come up missing I carry my extra rod in its tube on my back.

 

[wildtrout2]

... I carry my extra rod in its tube on my back.

^ Winner!

 

[troutbert]

Different fly rods for nymphs, dries, streamers etc.

As the old song goes: "I don't think Ray (Bergman) done it this-a-way."

 

[bdhoover77]

In what state?

Most likely any state…well, maybe not Texas, but they are crazy.

 

[redietz]

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

At my age, nothing beats a nap in the afternoon.

And when it comes to nymphing, it may beat a root canal, but not by much.

 

[Mike]

Simple and pragmatic mantra to live by in Pa: people will steal anything. Sad but true. Call it the voice of experience and it didn’t use to be that way except in cities.

 

[Roofin' Trouter]

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.

1- Leave it.
I would leave it alone because its not mine. I was raised to mind my own business and not to touch thing's that aren't mine. If I ever came across a hidden nymph rod in the woods, " why would somebody leave a nice rod here" probably wouldn't cross my mind because you do you.

 

[krayfish2]

Is #4 take it and sell it on the swap forum? 😳

 

[wildtrout2]

1- Leave it.
I would leave it alone because its not mine. I was raised to mind my own business and not to touch thing's that aren't mine.

Best response yet.

 

[Swattie87]

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.

^ This. Final Answer.

Unless I’m on a boat, no way I’m carrying more than one rod. I tend to pick rods that are more middle of the road and jack of all trades as opposed to specialist one trick ponies. There’s merit to both sides, but I prioritize flexibility, and am willing to deal with the compromises that brings. I’d rather be a little bit compromised on what I’m fishing, than carry a second rod around all day, as there are many days I’m away from my vehicle all day without the opportunity to swap rods. YMMV.

For instance, as I’ve gotten better at nymphing, I did come to the conclusion that I wanted a longer rod, when most of what I’d anticipate I’d be doing on a given day in nymphing. But, I still wanted the rod to be able to cast dries and streamers too, if the situation called for a change. I went with a 10’ 5wt for this reason. It probably sacrifices a little nymphing sensitivity versus a lighter nymphing rod, but it’s more versatile.

Sometimes, I plan to fish the main stem of a stream, and head up several smaller tribs to check them out. In that situation I’ll often fish a longer rod, more suited for the main stem, than I would if I was just fishing the tribs for the day. No way I’m carrying two rods on a 5 mile hike each way for the day. Everything is a compromise, just have to decide what compromises work best for you.

 

[blitzinstripes]

I ran into a guy up in the gorge on the Little J back in March that was carrying 5 fully rigged rods!!!