Airline Restrictions Pose Problems For Anglers

This is the time of year when many Inland Northwest anglers, anxious to get away from the dreary winter weather, travel to New Zealand, South America, Christmas Island and other parts of the world to fish for everything from bonefish to tarpon.

Some will learn that a few airlines won’t permit them to take expensive travel rods as part of their carry-on luggage. And many who invested in specially designed carry-on bags for fishermen will have to check those bags and hope their equipment reaches their destinations.

For fly fishers, in some cases, new rules for carry-on bags could be a pain in the neck. Many bought $250 to $600 travel rods so they could take one or two rods, as well as basic fishing tackle, on board. They don’t trust the airlines to deliver rods at their destinations.

Some anglers have arrived in Venezuela, Belize, New Zealand and other countries only to learn that their rods were sent to countries thousands of miles from their destinations. They’ve had to borrow or rent rods so they could fish.

One Spokane fly fisher who fishes in two or three different countries every year sold nearly all his two-piece graphite rods and changed over to travel rods so he’d be sure to have a rod when he arrived at his destination. He’s got to wonder whether he’ll be able to take a travel rod or two on a plane with him.

So far, a check with airlines indicated, some airlines have been trying to accommodate their passengers.

Representatives of United Airlines and Northwest Airlines told me anglers who have travel rods that are short enough to fit in the overhead bins can take them aboard as part of their carry-on baggage. An Alaska Airlines representative said anglers who have expensive rods “might” be allowed to take them aboard.

Like other airlines, Alaska has adopted new rules for carry-on baggage. A passenger is allowed to take aboard a plane two bags that conform to sizing boxes at airports.

The Alaska Airlines representative said that an angler who doesn’t want to check a couple of $500 rods should ask at the airlines desk for permission to take them aboard as carry-on baggage.

“If the plane isn’t full,” he said, “the passenger may be allowed to carry the poles on the plane.”

Spokespersons for other airlines were more positive. They said travel rods that are in tubes not much more than 30 inches long will be allowed to take them as part of their carry-on baggage.

The bottom line is that anglers should check with the airline that sold them the ticket before assuming they’ll be allowed to take their travel rods aboard a plane.

Travel rods come in three and four sections. Those that have three sections may be too long to fit in an overhead bin. Tubes that hold the four-piece rods are 28-32 inches long, at least 4 inches longer than the maximum length of a carry-on bag. It’s possible, though, that a tube containing one or two four-piece rods could fit crossways in a 24-inch-long carry-on bag.

My four-piece travel rods fit in 32-inch-long tubes, making it nearly impossible for me to put them in a standard carry-on bag. I’ll have to hope any airline on which I might travel will permit me to put one or two rods in tubes in the overhead compartment.

Every airline has its own rules for carry-on bags. Most allow a passenger to carry on two bags. However, Northwest Airlines allows a passenger to take only one bag measuring 9x14x22 inches on board. But a representative said that an angler would be permitted to carry on a travel rod or two.

Speaking of dimensions, Alaska Airlines limits the size of a bag to 10x17x24 inches. TWA permits travelers to carry on two pieces of baggage “not to exceed 62 linear inches.” Southwest permits passengers to carry on two bags measuring no more than 10x16x24 inches. Continental limits the number of carry-on bags to two, the first not to exceed 62 inches and the second not to exceed 55 inches.

Several years ago, I bought an expensive carry-on bag designed especially for traveling fishermen. Besides several compartments, it has internal tubes for travel rods. But I no longer can use it as a carry-on bag. It’s slightly more than 32 inches long.

Anyone interested in buying a wonderful bag that’s been to Alaska, Belize, Venezuela, Christmas Island and New Zealand a few times?