Well, it’s that time of year! Although there are plenty of great winter fishing destinations, the fact is the majority of ‘angling travel’ in the world takes place over the next three or four months.
For most of us the ‘angling’ part is a lot more enjoyable than the actual ‘travel’ part. So let’s help our fellow anglers out – we know that many of you have picked up some really helpful travel tips over the years, and we’d love for you to share them.
Share Your Best Travel Tips
Leave us a comment below with your best travel tips! Here are just a few example topics.
- Favorite pieces of luggage. Why?
- Rods – in your checked bag or not? What else gets checked and what goes in the carry on?
- What are your secret techniques for getting upgraded to first class?
- Reading, sleeping, working, movies – best use of time on the plane?
- How do you get over jet lag?
We’ll get the ball rolling with one example – we think earplugs
So, what are your best travel tips? Leave a comment and help your fellow anglers out!
If you’re viewing this in a newsletter or a reader, click here to visit this page on our web site, see our readers’ tips, and add your own.
Shoot you beat to the ear plugs! I use Hearos Extreme which knock out 33 db worth of annoying sound. I also pack eye shades and a lightweight microfiber blanket. I mean who wants to “borrow” a loaner?
I’ve been packing my gear, flies, and rod tubes in a non-descript lighweight grey rolling duffel by Columbia on trips to Alasks, Belize, Hawaii, and the Bahamas. It weighs less that half of one of those fancy “flyfishing” travel bags by (fill in favorite brand here) thus leaving more space for what is really important……and without drawing unwated attention to your stuff. Wife and I usually split our stuff up in case on of our bags is lost. Always carry my reels and cameras on in my boat bag or backpack. I also pack a small flexible tripod called a Gorillapod which is great for taking pics if you’re off wading solo and need a quick photo of yourself and that double-digit bone! lastly, I pack a soft plastic camping laundry bucket and a small bottle of Woolite. Beats wearing your clothes into the shower :)!
Fantastic input, Glenn – thanks so much!
– Always carry on flies and reels. The TSA has a page on their site stating that flies and fragile gear can be carried on… Print and carry a copy incase those 6/0 musky flies raise eyebrows.
– tie stuff together- 1 carry on and 1 personal item is usually the limit. but if you are able to lash rod tubes, camera cases. whatever to your pack … you can get away with more.
– Ship ahead- the USPS flat rate boxes are great. Boots, waders , knifes, extra lines, ect. mail them ahead of tie to your hotel or lodge. For really out of the way spots or LONG trips, have the fedex office (usually at the airport) hold your package. I did 4 weeks on the road with lots of flights with only carry ons. Each stop had a package of fresh clothes waiting for me, and I shipped any dirty stuff back. At $50-ish per checked bag for each leg of the trip, I saved a bunch of $$$.
– sunglasses, hoodie, and hat- while you might look like the unibomber, all planes are cold any time of the year… and with that combo you can block all the light and get some sleep.
– Don’t ask questions- If you ask “is this too big for a carry on” the automatic answer will be “yes”. Once you make it past the ticketing counter, you’re golden. TSA doesn’t know/care about the size restrictions per plane/airline and once you get to the boarding gate, the worst is that you may have to gate-check.
– Be nice and friendly- it could equal free beers, upgraded seat, or allowing you to store that spey rod tube in the first-class coat closet.
First- to point out the obvious- leave yourself enough time for travel (getting to the airport, connections etc). It sucks when something happens and you’re pressed for time.
Second- I found that I’ve taken waders and boots and a rain coat in my carry on. I figure a guide may have an extra rod, but the waders they may have, could be leaky.
Thirdly- double, triple check the gear your taking. It sucks when you think you’ve packed your favorite reel, only to remember that you took it out of your bag to re-line it and forgot to put it back in.
Lastly- most importantly, remember to have fun. You’ve paid a lot of money to go on the trip, so don’t let uncontrollables ruin your trip. Some times, the fishing / weather can be horrible, and you can’t control that, but there’s more to a destination fishing trip than the fishing. Check out the local landscape, go sight seeing, meet the locals, relax, and have fun, because what ever happens- it’s a pretty safe bet to say- it beats sitting in a cubicle all day
In my experience, carry-on flies/hooks not OK on Air Canada once inside BC. On Pacific Coastal, flies/hooks are A-OK.
Rob, ditto on the flies regardless of what TSA’s website says. Why take a chance of getting stopped in line, right? We split those up between passenegers too.
We’re leaving in a week for a 10 day trip around Montana. Flying United. Anyone had recent experience with this carrier as to carrying rod tubes on board or is it better to check them with the rest of our gear?
Thanks in advance-
One word: checklist
If you don’t have a checklist, you’ll forget something.
If you don’t have a checklist, you can’t update it for the next trip.
Make a checklist, take it on the trip, update it after the trip, look it over in the off-season to whet your appetite.
Checklists are good.
Bring a mesh laundry bag on trips (go to Wally World) to separate dirty clothing from your clean stuff. Keeps the clean sock count honest. If you’re headed to AK West this summer, you probably won’t be used to 20 hours of daylight. Although the guides do a damn good job of tuckering you out, a sleep mask really helps you sleep in the land of the midnight sun.
-TL
A unique way to organize as well as get more on an airline without extra fees is to use a golf hard case. Airlines don’t charge more for them. We can get 4-5 stuffed gym bags in one. It also makes a good way to separate items you may need for a couple of days before you go into your camp. We had each of our kids put their two day overnight stuff in one so they didn’t have to dig through their regular bag. If you need to then go on a small plane, you can pull the soft bags out of the golf bag and leave the golf bag with either the airline or a hotel. Works well for us
Per Ryan’s United Airlines rod tube inquiry – If you have multi piece rods you can bring them on board. If you have several rods get a rod tube sack. You can go fancy or cheap, but the organization is great, and most of the tune carriers have a pouch or two for flies, reels, etc. Two piece rods sometimes will get stopped on all airlines as they won’t fit into the overhead. In the old days the flight attendants would let you put them in their locker, but lately they have stopped being so nice. I typically send my rods in my drop bottom roller bag, and carry 1 4 piece rod with reral and a box of flies.
If you know where you are staying the advice to send ahead is great. I ship UPS or Fed-X to my destinations (including guns) so I know everything will be there. I usually fly Delta and get 1 bag free so I travel with 1 carry on and 1 roller bag as it makes arrival and departure easier.
Iv’e used cheap bags and expensive bags. and they all will be abused, but I have found that the top of the line bags such as Boyt holds up much better to the abuse. They add a few extra pounds, but they don’t need replacing as often. If you only travel once a year you might try a Sierra Designs bag. They are kinda middle of the road between economy and top notch. Travel 1st class when you can as you get an extra 20lbs of luggage (at least with Delta). 1st class is also great if you need to bring back a box of salmon from Alaska West. 1 bag for clothes and one bag for fish – BOTH FREE!!!
Also check the weather that is expected at your destionation – nothing like leaving the sunny south in 98 degree heat and arrive with the tempeture close to freezeing and you have on shorts and a short sleeve shirt.
Ear plugs – Ipod – anything to drown out cabin noise – I read, but if you want to entertain yourself just do what you prefer. Just be aware that you are close to others so don’t be a part of the problem – entertain yourself.
Have a safe trip – see you in Montana in a few weeks!
Excuse the spell check omission
TSA will allow you to carry on your reels on your flight to Costa Rica, but airport security in Costa Rica won’t let you carry on fly line (or backing?) for your trip home. Best to remove the spool and put it in your checked bag for the return trip. Go figure. My reel was scrutinized two times by security at the airport in Liberia before boarding.
An old saying, but true. Take half the baggage and twice the money.
ZipLock bags for anything that might leak or spill. (Reuse to keep hankies dry on wet days for cleaning glasses.) Always bring a rain jacket.
Coppertone Sport Spray doesn’t sting the eyes when you get hot and sweaty. Neutrogena high SPF sunscreen for noses, ears, backs of hands, inside of forearms that always seem to burn no matter how much you put on…Wear your flats wading boots on your trip to a bonefish destination to save weight in checked luggage. Put the heaviest stuff that TSA doesn’t mind in your roll-a-board to keep you under 50 pounds in your checked luggage. Bring a good book in case you get weathered-out for a day or two. Pack a fly swatter, particularly for buggy AK, CAN or Andros Middle Bight in June…Use a camping gear compression bag for shorts, socks, underwear, t-shirts and anything else you don’t care if it is wrinkled; it is a GREAT space saver.
Bose Quiet Comfort headphones make international flights almost a pleasure.
For the life of me I can’t see why you’d ever come here to fish but flying out from the UK there are restrictions on what you can carry on. All rods, reels and flies have to be checked. Reels are ok without fly-line though, as with Sean. I always use an ordinary hard suitcase when travelling, fishing duffels draw too much attention (especially in Cuba).
My tip for vertically challenged fishermen, when deep wading the flats is to get a William Joseph Creel that slides up into your upper back region and stays dry with no casting restriction. Very useful bit of kit.
Continental/United have taken me all over the place and are pleasant to deal with.
I will second the comment about the Bose noise canceling headphones !!
I could not imagine flying without them, having traveled from the west coast of the states to the Seychelles 6 times now let me say i know what long flights are like. also it does seem to be easier to get your reels and lines on carry on here in the states, than on your destinations return flight, other countries tend to take the time and look through everything!!
Also all i can say is a small bottle of Gold Bond is the greatest thing ever!!
l loved Doug Jetts suggestion to fly 1st class so you can bring back Salmon with the extra baggage allowance!! Its cheaper to dump all your rods etc.
I made the fatal mistake of renewing my passport and not renewing my Visa waiver at the same time.My Visa waiver showed my old passport number so it was invalid.I got turned away at the gate by a very unhelpful Condor “lady” in Frankfurt.I have since learnt that with the new type of passport I could have renewed on line in 5 mins! No hard feelings and I hope her “rash”was not too serious.(hope I dont get the same “lady”this year!!).
Final tip-Treat the journey as part of the adventure and take every problem as a challange.Easy to say but I turned into a gibbering wreck!
John Gaynor
So do you guys check your rods or carry on? I have a three piece spey that I would like to take to Alaska this summer but am not sure. I have one of the long fishpond rod tubes and was planning to carry that on with three to four rods in it. Thoughts?
Fed-Ex or UPS them, don’t try pushing your luck with the airlines/TSA.
1 long flights – consider compression stockings to prevent pulmonary emboli and clots in your legs. Consider taking an aspirin a day 3 days before the flight and the day of the flight. Same reason.
2 bring a Kindle or a Nook. Multiple books in one little package.
3 medicines always take on board
4 start staging 3-4 days ahead of time and every time you think of something put it in right away and then write it down. Then keep the list in a spread sheet for future travel
5 charge your camera’s batteries before travel
6 make sure you have enough memory chips for the camera
7 I had a 7 but can’t remember it
8 practice embellishment and luck before the trip
If you ship ahead, buy TWO of the largest cardboard boxes at Office Depot or similar, then cut one down to make a double-walled BEFB (“Big Effing Fish Box”) via a “box within a box” approach. Use fiberglass reinforced tape on the outside to reinforce the box. I’ve had this version last 3 round trips to BC when the single walled versions sometimes aren’t fit for even the round trip.
Headlamp, MP3 player (e.g. Sansa Clip is $50 on Amazon), phones, eyeshades and plenty of reading material for the flight. Pack an empty Nalgene bottle through TSA, then fill in drinking fountain and put in carry on: they seldom water you enough on the long flights, and lots of water definitely helps one arrive in better shape.
Assume your iPhone dies on Day 1 of trip and can’t be used for even address book reference. I print out fishing regs, all fishing-essential phone numbers and emails, and anything else that’s normally phone-resident. Carry these on.
A checklist is a must. Allows you to pack error-free even if brain dead or pressed for time.
And if you are on a long trip or have the money, borrow a tip from Lefty: split your gear and ship your backup waders and boots ahead, and then bring a set in your checked luggage.
One other suggestion: use a pillow to support your neck in flight. I used to dismiss these as for the infirm, but persistent neck pain led me to borrow my wife’s inflatable neck cushion. The neck pain disappeared and my wife had to go buy another cushion. About half full works fine.
Travelling on Alegiant Air – Mesa,AZ. to Great Falls Mt. to fish the Missouri I had TSA make me check my four piece Sage. Fortunatelly I was early and had time to do so. Cost $25. Explanation: “could be used as a club.” As you would expect no problem coming home from MT.
Everyone has had some great suggestions, and several that I need to put into action myself.
I had one of my buddies make a comment to me about flying first class.
I don’t always fly in this manner but:
*Atlanta to Anchorage is a long flight – the extra space is great – the meal and drinks are better than nothing!
* Youv’e purchased several rods and reels at most likely a pretty good expense – extra luggage allowed in 1st class means bring what you want ALL OF YOUR TOYS!!
*Trip cost – you have rods, reels, clothing, camera, guides, lodging, and that list can become endless. So in relation to the total cost of the trip the extra amount for first class is nominal.
* It;s kinda nice to be sitting on the plane with a Bloody Mary in hand when the rest of your fishing companions come aboard the flight.
If you are planning a trip to Andros, or BC, or Alaska West chances are that you have made the plans a long way in advance. Treet your airline ticket the same way.
I flew from Tennessee to Anchorage using frequent flyer points for 45,000 points. My traveling companion waited a few more weeks and the points went to 110,00. Ticket prices are the same way – book as early as you have concrete plans for.
Let’s hear from Andrew! He travels all of the time – he surely has a good idea or two!
Take care – travel smart!
Wow, incredible input everyone – thanks so much for helping out your fellow anglers!
Doug – I got the ball rolling with the ear plug comment…and I can’t come up with anything more you guys haven’t covered. Nice work.
– I am great on detailed lists…not so good on following them. Reminder to myself is ‘Get the list’ and confirm that ALL is done the day before the trip. Ensure that Meds are correct and sufficient.
– My rod case (w/ 3 or 4 spey rods depending on destination), rolling duffel, and Boot Bag…are ALL marked with Orange Duct Tape which I can see from a looooong way away. Put copy of itinerary in each piece.
– On the Orange Duct tape for the rod carrier I ‘thank’ the TSA for putting the rods back carefully. (Inside the cover have another Smiley Face). N.B. two of my rods were made non op by those clowns stuffing them back in the carrier and destroying guides on each rod. ‘Nice’ seems to work.
– Use a passport/ticket/reservation carrier so all of your stuff is in one place and easily available.
– Make a currency conversation card for the destination country so one can calculate how much you are paying.
8 )
Sean,
Regarding Costa Rica – I had the same experience with them not letting me bring my reels with line on, had to check them and almost missed my flight b/c I had to exit and go back thru security.
Very interested in where you were fishing in Liberia….I travel there on business and can imagine the looks at the airport you got….
If you are so inclined, please feel free to email me at jvgrant@gmail.com, would love to discuss any fishing you have done there as I have done some scouting (happy to share) but have yet to wet a line…
Cheers,
Jim
-Ear plugs – absolutely
-Eye mask – yep
-Slip on shoes for the security line dance and comfort on the plane
-Bring some tasty chow–granola bars, jerky, etc. No one should have to survive on airline peanuts or pay $10 for a sorry little sandwich
-Carry-on reels and flies; too costly to not have them with you
-iPod/tunes/book
-Soft-sided carry on bag. Roller bags are fine for pavement and most cities, but something you can throw on your back will work better when you get off the grid, onto sand, cobbled streets, in and out of boats, etc.
-Sense of humor. Travel is supposed to be fun, an adventure, and treating it as such helps in the long run. Don’t sweat a layover here or there, annoying guy next to you (earplugs!) or turbulence. It is all part of the journey.
Most important piece of gear? A good camera, always by your side….
–
Carry on your primary rods and reels and check your backups. That way if something gets confiscated or your baggage gets lost, you can still fish. I divide flies, extra lines, etc… the same way. Don’t put all your gear in one bag.
Take a waterproof camera. I drowned a non-waterproof camera on the first day of a 9-day Alaska float trip once. With a waterproof camera you won’t have to worry about it getting wet and you will take a lot more pictures.
A few things:
– carry a digital baggage scale so you can maximize weight in checked baggage w/o running into surprises at the airport. ($20 at suitcase stores and worth every penny)
– know max allowable weights on ALL flights to your destination. Large commercial jet weight allowances are almost always more than smaller charters; especially those that travel long distances.
– I have travelled on smaller planes that had a total weight allowance (eg carry-on plus checked!) that was much less than that allowed on a jet…. and have watched people trying to figure out what to leave behind (in the pilot’s office!). Plane was full and every pound counted!
i use duct tape on rod tubes. i usually tape 3 together and have never had a problem. love the ideas about the golf bag and the compresion bag.
I use a Sharpie to put my initials (in large letters) on my waders, my wading boots and my wading jacket. Since I use the popular brands (Simms & Patagonia), inevitably someone else will have the same model, and at a place like Alaska West where they have a comm0n drying room, this will avoid confusion.
If you do a decent amount of foreign traveling, invest in a Global Entry card from the TSA. Not only does it save a lot (and I mean A LOT) of time at customs upon returning, but you automatically get enrolled in TSA Pre-Check, so if you live near an airport that has Pre-Check, you get to cut the security line, you don’t have to take off you shoes or belt, don’t have to take out your bag of liquids, don’t have to take out your laptop. Nothing beats getting through the security line in less than 30 seconds. When you fly back from ANC in the summer, the security line can be hellishly long, but Ted Stevens now has Pre-Check, which has really saved me a lot of time.
Finally, they say if you travel abroad, you should always carry a copy of the picture page on your passport in case you lose the real thing, but I used to lose that copy, or it would get wet or I would just forget where I stashed it. So now, I email myself a pdf of that page and store it on my gmail account – that way I can always access it so long as I have access to the internet.
I have gotten stuck so often overnight that I now carry my airflow sleeping pad and a sleeping bag liner in my back pack,together both items are only about 3″ in diameter x 11″ long. Probably gets used twice a year only but sure makes for a comfy night, relatively speaking.
I agree with Ehpower.
I have a priced packing list for each of my destinations as the gear and requirements are different. I do mine in a spread sheet. Sheet one is the priced packing sheet. This is linked to sheet 2 which is my Insurance Claim sheet in the event of my baggage being lost in transit. It is surprising how quick the response is when the person on the counter sees the size of the dollars being claimed for six outfits and spares plus flies and all of the other gear. A copy of the list goes to the person who is my contact at home and my “In Case Of Accident” contact and a copy goes in each piece of luggage. That is hand bag, carryon bag and booked luggage. I also carry an electronic copy of the file in my hand luggage. To date I have only had to go to the claims counter once and they took 20 minutes to find my luggage. Cheers