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

[Swattie87]

Yeah, if on a trip (away from the house for a few days), I’ll take several rods. Typically a big one, a small one, and something in between. To cover bases, and to have a reasonable backup should I break one somehow.

I’ll be in State College for a long weekend coming up, and though I don’t anticipate doing much small stream fishing with the current conditions, I’m taking 3 rods:

1. 10’ 5wt
2. 8’6” 5wt
3. 7’6 3wt

I’ll probably fish the middle one most, with the conditions I’m likely to encounter, but I have some options if need be. Once away from the car though, it’ll just be that one rod for the day, or until I’m back at the car for some reason.

I also typically take my backup pair of waders on multi-day trips too. I have repair gear for my starting pair, but it typically takes 24 hours or so for repairs to set and cure, and having your old backup pair (that may leak a little, but nothing catastrophic) is better than losing a day fishing on a trip.

 

[jifigz]

Yeah, if on a trip (away from the house for a few days), I’ll take several rods. Typically a big one, a small one, and something in between. To cover bases, and to have a reasonable backup should I break one somehow.

I’ll be in State College for a long weekend coming up, and though I don’t anticipate doing much small stream fishing with the current conditions, I’m taking 3 rods:

1. 10’ 5wt
2. 8’6” 5wt
3. 7’6 3wt

I’ll probably fish the middle one most, with the conditions I’m likely to encounter, but I have some options if need be. Once away from the car though, it’ll just be that one rod for the day, or until I’m back at the car for some reason.

I also typically take my backup pair of waders on multi-day trips too. I have repair gear for my starting pair, but it typically takes 24 hours or so for repairs to set and cure, and having your old backup pair (that may leak a little, but nothing catastrophic) is better than losing a day fishing on a trip.

You and I are different, Swattie. You're taking 3's and 5's.....I work in rod numbers 4 and 6. I have never owned a 5 weight and I don't intend to start anytime soon. Just give me my 4 and 6 weights.

Edit. I've never owned an odd number weight rod.

 

[Millsertime]

It's rare that I don't have 2 rods with me on the stream and it's even more rare if I'm not fishing with both simultaneously. I regularly catch a trout on both rods at same time. Tough to reel in both.

 

[Nocktavius]

It's rare that I don't have 2 rods with me on the stream and it's even more rare if I'm not fishing with both simultaneously. I regularly catch a trout on both rods at same time. Tough to reel in both.

you rig em with a bell like the cat fisherman do? Slap on a strike indicator and a green weenie and crack a beert or 6

 

[hooker-of-men]

It's rare that I don't have 2 rods with me on the stream and it's even more rare if I'm not fishing with both simultaneously. I regularly catch a trout on both rods at same time. Tough to reel in both.

Bass Pro hookset usually tosses em onto the bank for me. No need to even reel in. My cyclic rate is through the roof.

 

[DomR]

It's rare that I don't have 2 rods with me on the stream and it's even more rare if I'm not fishing with both simultaneously. I regularly catch a trout on both rods at same time. Tough to reel in both.

Vintage automatic reels cure that though they are murder on rod tips.

 

[troutbert]

Coming soon: The Backpack Rod Rack.

You heard it here first.

 

[Swattie87]

You and I are different, Swattie. You're taking 3's and 5's.....I work in rod numbers 4 and 6. I have never owned a 5 weight and I don't intend to start anytime soon. Just give me my 4 and 6 weights.

Edit. I've never owned an odd number weight rod.

Yeah. The specific rods and weights matter little, as long as you have your bases covered, as I’m sure we both do.

I also have a 7’ 4wt, and a 9’ 6wt, that easily could have been in the lineup for this trip. Just what I felt like taking.

 

[Bamboozle]

That's just nuts. I own many fly rods. When I head out for the day of fishing I take one rod. No way I'd carry two.

When I go on a trip I'll take a few rods to choose from but only select one to fish the the desired water body.

I wonder if the carrying rigged fly rods thing was born from watching the Bassmaster Classic or just laziness...

What's next, a separate rod for different patterns or sizes of the same bug?

Having got that dig in...

When fishing locally I typical bring two rods with me differing in line weight just in case the conditions warrant a heavier line or if tragedy befalls choice #1.

On overnight trips I bring a slew of rods with me to cover different moods, water or situations but I will still only take two or possibly three with me in the car.

I never, ever take more than one rod TO the body of water I'm fishing UNLESS I am in a boat or my float tube where I use a two rod holder.

I don't know when fishing became a race but I actually enjoy slowing things down to puff on my cigar or take a slug of whiskey from my flask while I while I observe the water as I change rigs.

I do two things to make it a bit easier to swap from a dry fly/midge set-up to nymphs or streamers.

First, if I want to try a nymph while fishing dries, I wont do anything but swap flies regardless how lousy my long fine dry fly leader casts with a beadhead or streamer. Only IF I catch a fish or they seem REALLY interested will I change rigs.

Second, I utilize a loop-to-loop connection between my fly line & leader. If I decide a swap is in order, it isn't a huge hassle to switch to a shorter stouter leader. When I fish small "blue lines" I always use a really short leader so I never swap anything but flies.

My method may not work for everyone but it works for me and as a result I don't have to hide rods.

 

[6xAdams(Jones)]

I’m taking 3 rods:

1. 10’ 5wt
2. 8’6” 5wt
3. 7’6 3wt

Reduce the lengths of #1 by a foot and #2 by six inches and you match the collection that I take with me every time I travel to PA from March through October. If I want distance over finesse, I can always overline #1.

 

[McSneek]

Unless I'm staying local I always have a back up rod in the car. Not going to drive 2+ hours only to break a rod when I fall and have to end my day early. Being prepared came in handy once when I had to go back t the vehicle for the replacement rod after I accidentally turned a 4 piece rod into a 5 piece rod. Take a spare reel too just in case.

 

[coyoterahn]

Unless I'm staying local I always have a back up rod in the car. Not going to drive 2+ hours only to break a rod when I fall and have to end my day early. Being prepared came in handy once when I had to go back t the vehicle for the replacement rod after I accidentally turned a 4 piece rod into a 5 piece rod. Take a spare reel too just in case.

I’m the same whenever I drive more than about 30 minutes to a stream. Although one time while in a hurry to a local stream about 20 minutes away, I got there only to discover that I left my reel lying on my boat in the garage!

I remember one time, about 20 years ago going with a buddy who had a brand new Sage he wanted to try. That is, until he closed it in the back of his blazer. He was an ex-marine. I then learned just how quickly one’s temper can turn!🤬 And maybe always have a backup.😎

 

[tomgamber]

If i find something like that I let it be. If I was that dumb. I'd go back for it.

 

[djs12354]

I think what we are facing here is a Kobayashi Maru situation......

BTW - I would leave it where I found it and see if there might be an owner around. If I saw a potential owner I would say something like: "I saw an item back there as I was coming in. it's in the same spot if it's yours"

 

[ryansheehan]

It's rare that I don't have 2 rods with me on the stream and it's even more rare if I'm not fishing with both simultaneously. I regularly catch a trout on both rods at same time. Tough to reel in both.

Yeah, if on a trip (away from the house for a few days), I’ll take several rods. Typically a big one, a small one, and something in between. To cover bases, and to have a reasonable backup should I break one somehow.

I’ll be in State College for a long weekend coming up, and though I don’t anticipate doing much small stream fishing with the current conditions, I’m taking 3 rods:

1. 10’ 5wt
2. 8’6” 5wt
3. 7’6 3wt

I’ll probably fish the middle one most, with the conditions I’m likely to encounter, but I have some options if need be. Once away from the car though, it’ll just be that one rod for the day, or until I’m back at the car for some reason.

I also typically take my backup pair of waders on multi-day trips too. I have repair gear for my starting pair, but it typically takes 24 hours or so for repairs to set and cure, and having your old backup pair (that may leak a little, but nothing catastrophic) is better than losing a day fishing on a trip.

I'm pretty close to this. I take backup waders but boots as well. I have a couple extra reels and this is the rods that go with me, however I never take more than one at a time on the river. As you can see since I take two 10 foot 4 weights that's my go to stick.

1. 10’ 4wt x2
2. 9' 5wt
3. 8' 3wt

 

[6xAdams(Jones)]

Unless I'm staying local I always have a back up rod in the car. Not going to drive 2+ hours only to break a rod when I fall and have to end my day early. Being prepared came in handy once when I had to go back t the vehicle for the replacement rod after I accidentally turned a 4 piece rod into a 5 piece rod. Take a spare reel too just in case.

Also good to have extra when fishing in a group. One son borrowed my spare reel when he left his at home earlier this year. Several years ago, the same son borrowed Grandpap's extra rod when a creek-bottom rock turned his 8' rod into 7'-10" rod (which Grandpap later repaired).

 

[jeffroey]

I never, ever take more than one rod TO the body of water I'm fishing UNLESS I am in a boat or my float tube where I use a two rod holder.

I most often follow this rule. Like Swatty, if I'm making the trip, I usually have 3-4 rods in the car just in case I decide to fall back to a different stream than the one I initially set out to fish for some reason like another car in the lot, conditions not as expected, etc.

Recently - like the last two summers - I've broken two rods on the stream. One I was still close enough to the car I walked back and grabbed a backup. Maybe cost me 45 mins. The other I was deep enough in it ruined my day of fishing. Finished the majority of my planned loop as a hiker, not a FFer.

Since then, on the really remote ones, I'll lash a spare multipiece onto the bag. For me, that insurance policy is worth the cost in weight for the streams that would just suck if you were on them without a working rod.

 

[Bamboozle]

I keep a cooler full of ice cold beer in the back of my vehicle for refreshment before & after fishing, therefore if I have to walk back to the car for something I don't mind so much...

With that in mind I have only walked back to my car any distance ONE time in my entire life when I broke a Tenkara rod trying to free a snag.

Fortunately I have spare parts for all of my Tenkara rods in my car (next to the beer) so I walked back, "fixed" the rod, (had a beer) and continued fish remembering to NEVER try and free a snag that way again...

The bottom line for me is it's a pain, but not enough of a pain to take a ton of extra gear WITH ME to the stream. I guess with a record of one incident in 1000 years of fishing the risk it worth it to me.

 

[CRB]

I wonder if the carrying rigged fly rods thing was born from watching the Bassmaster Classic or just laziness...

What's next, a separate rod for different patterns or sizes of the same bug?

The golf game moving to fly fishing.

 

[coyoterahn]

I keep a cooler full of ice cold beer in the back of my vehicle for refreshment before & after fishing, therefore if I have to walk back to the car for something I don't mind so much...

If you keep a cooler full of beer in you vehicle when you fish, I’d appreciate knowing what make/model of vehicle you drive and specifically where you fish. I could help you lighten that cooler up a bit! 😎😳