Transporting Fishing Poles

Try an Architects tube for carrying blueprints -grey soft tube with end caps. Also cardboard mailers cylinders or triangular. PVC is usually sized for water pressures, so the wall thickness may be too heavy. 25 years ago there were aluminum tubes for $ bamboo rods. Post what you find today.

Google for Clear Plastic Protector Tube – or something similar

This is a Uline.com product. 3" diameter, 48" long. Other smaller sizes are available. The minimum order is 25, but you can be sure someone has singles.

Cheap, strong, light.

I carry my rods in cloth rod bags – long skinny things with a long skinny pocket for each section. Sometimes they come with a rod (like Tenkara), but when they don't, I make them myself.

With all the sections bundled snugly together, I've never had any problems with breakage, etc.

I bought this: http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_36819____SearchResults the 2.5 x 38 (actual 41.25) inch size. Holds my 2-piece Fenwick spinning rods, a 5' ULA and a 6' LA. About $20

Bailey

thanks for the ideas guys – gives me something to chew on

Check this out….
Cheep, light weight and provides protection to your rod.

http://www.1000bulbs.com/T5-Polycarbonate-Tube-Sleeves/

The "brain trust" that resides on BPL is amazing!

Those polycarbonate lighting tube protectors are nice for fishing rod protection.

I found some in a Big Box store, in 4 foot and 8 foot lengths. I bought two 4' ones.

Was either Lowes, Home Depot or WalMart, forgot which.

I've switched to carrying my 2 piece 7 foot fly rod with no protection at all. No, I'm not doing off trail hikes this way.

I find that having it just strapped to my pack makes it much faster to get out and fish small creeks that I pass (that I would pass up if I had to unpack the rod and rig it) and I also find that knowing that it's unprotected makes me much more mindful of where I and how I take the pack off, and that's not a bad thing.

+1 for the lightbulb tube. These tubes are light and adequately durable. They won't resist being stepped on, but for normal squishing encountered in your pack they will be fine. Mine is about 18" long and I think it's 1 to 1.5oz including the end caps. The caps are a lot of the weight so a 3 or 4 foot section would only be 2-3 oz.

I guess I hadn't considered packing my rod and reel separately, but it makes sense. I'll have to think through how much a pain that is to have to unpack that much to throw a line in the water.

Problem with the light bulb tube is it won't fit the guides on a spinning rod, in most cases anyway.I do use one for fly rods however and for that it's great.But its easy to string fly line fast.

For my spinning I use a piece of pipe insulation(the black foam thats split down the middle)for 3/4 pipe.You can leave your line strung with something tied to the end(I use a small swivel and attach a short leader,the swivel acting like a split shot)Fold the rod on its self and put the foam over the two pieces and secure each end with a rubber band.The reel foot just has the foam slip around it's still on the rod.

Its real fast once you practice a couple of times and gets you on the water when you want.I have a couple 2' sections of 4lb test with some lures or hooks already made up and wrapped around another piece of foam in my pocket.Since its mostly skinny water I carry 3 or 4 leaders tied with what I want and they are small any way.For bigger water I carry a box for lures and such.

Been doing this a since I started doing float plane trips as weight is always critical,fore going hard sided cases for some time.We bush wack a lot with this set up after drop off and haven't had a problem yet.