Travel

Choosing a travel rod

I've always found good travel rods somewhat hard to come by. Options are constantly limited, although today's market - and those available - is improving considerably.

Travel length

Travel rods come in varying packed lengths, so I'd always check the travel length against the bag or case you're taking before choosing one.

Sections and feel

Every joint is a potential weak point. More sections also put a little more weight towards the tip, so they can feel heavier in the hand than the actual rod weight suggests. The balance is usually slightly forwards.

Some vibration that tells you about a bite is lost at every joint too. A two piece gives enough sensitivity for most fishing, although a good travel rod can be near indistinguishable from a two piece in use.

A joint can create a flat spot where the blank does not bend evenly, particularly on budget travel rods. High quality rods tend not to have flat spots though, and if you're looking for perfection, quality rods will try to work around it.

On the whole, travel rods do take more pressure through the top couple of sections. The top section especially is short, so it experiences more load and often more damage than a two piece rod, which distributes that load more easily.

Multi piece or telescopic

I'd go for a multi piece rod over a telescopic in almost every case. If a telescopic section breaks, unless you're a rod builder or know one, the whole rod is usually gone. With a multi piece rod it is at least easy to order a single, short replacement section.

Keep the joints out of the sand where possible, and rinse the rod afterwards. Sand and grit in the joints wears the material away over time.

Further reading

• Rod build: joints, tips and guides