Just in Case

A few pack rods, reels to match, and a small selection of lures and terminal tackle live in the back of my car. Just in case. Because I never know when I might notice a bridge crossing right-of-way beside an intriguing looking stream or a park with a little lake in it and have some extra time. I don't use them that frequently on trips where fishing wasn't already my objective, but pack rods really don't take up much space in the back of a wagon, and when I do want to make a few casts, I want to be prepared. Plus I'm a step ahead on packing the car for a planned fishing trip, when those rods are right for the task.

I can't claim to be prepared for everything. The rods and reels I regularly tote are pretty light, so I wouldn't cast a weedless bass lure across matted vegetation or cast out in a marshy area where I think the most likely fish to bite would be a redfish. However, if I'm around those kinds of waters, I'm farther from home, and often it's a larger fishing trip, and the back of the car is loaded with all kinds of fishing equipment. The pack rods are more for local outings or for sampling a stream I might pass on the way to some non-fishing destination, and more often than not, fairly light tackle gives me a good option for sampling those types of waters.

I discovered how much I like pack  rods when my then-10-year-old son Asher and I traveled across the country on a tripped dubbed the RebelTroutTrek. We traveled for nearly a month in a Ford Fiesta, so we had loads of gear, and simple pack rods stayed out of the way but were always handy, and though we carried a handful of rods, he and I mostly used one rod each for the entire trip.

The rods I currently carry are Fenwick Eagle Travel Spinning Rods. I've had them for a few years and use them quite a bit in trout or smallmouth streams and on ponds for my regular fishing, and have been happy with their performance. They cast smoothly, despite being three or four pieces (depending on model), and they are priced reasonably for the quality at about $70.

Gazing at the picture as I write this reminds me that my car gear is just lying their awaiting a call to action. I wonder if it will get used before the day is over?!

Like Fishing with an Old Friend

My most recent day astream reminded me a lot of fishing with old friend -- a friend I hadn't seen for a quite some time. You see, in November I broke my favorite trout rod, and I finally replaced it with a new one just like it.

As much as I'd like to tell some grand story of a giant fish or dramatically adverse conditions, the stupid truth is that I stubbed my old one on the ground because I was looking at my phone while walking across a field after fishing. I'd owned the rod, a 5 1/2-foot ultralight Fenwick EliteTech River Runner for a few years, and it had been my absolute go-to for smaller trout streams (and for most bluegill fishing) since Day 1. Even after I had broken off the first eye, it was the ultralight I always reached for when I was headed to a creek.

After breaking the favored Fenwick, I had put the reel on another rod I owned that was the same length and action, and I can't say that it didn't work fine. It did. It wasn't as light, though, and didn't give me the same casting control. Mostly, it just didn't feel right.

I'm pretty sure my trout reel grinned at least a little when I put it on the replacement Fenwick, and I did my best to make both rod and reel happy by taking them to a seriously pretty stream for their inaugural outing together. The rod did it's part, too, pulling a colorful rainbow trout from the first river run I used it to cast to that morning.

I'm happy to have my favorite trout rod back, and you can bet I'll be pretty careful with it, whether I'm climbing out of a river gorges or simply walking across field. Stuff on the phone can wait!