Hooked Up

6 Compact Fishing Rods for the Mobile Outdoorsman

- Dana Benner

Getting to the vicinity of the lake was just one part of the undertaking. Now that you’re within hiking distance, you park your rig, grab your gear and head out on the trail—this time on foot. It’s a little more work, but you don’t mind it. You know that the extra effort you put into getting to your favorite hidden fishing hole is well worth it.

With so much gear already stuffed away in the truck as well as your daypack, the notion of packing and hauling a full-length fishing rod sometimes just isn’t feasible. Luckily for us, modern travel and pack rods are much improved from their ancestors.

When broken down into pieces, these compact fishing rods help make loading and packing in the limited confines of a vehicle much easier. They can be stuffed into a daypack and be deployed when needed. While hiking, they keep your hands free for balance or for hauling fish back when your day is done. Also, with a travel or pack rod stored in your vehicle, you’re never without food when you’re near a body of water.

I have always carried an emergency fishing kit in my pack. You never know when you’ll run across a lake or pond that’s teeming with fish, after all. It is nothing more than some fishing line and a few hooks, but it will do the job. Over the years, I have come to the conclusion that there might be a better and easier way to get most things done. Fishing is no different.

The pack rod is one of those tools that will help you do the job better and easier. The idea of pack rods is nothing new. The 1970s were a time when people were looking to “get back in touch with nature.” More and more people were hiking and camping in wilderness areas—often ill-prepared, but going out, nonetheless. Those who brought fishing gear soon realized how cumbersome it was while trying to hike to some remote pond or stream.