Enthusiast Pack Rods — For the Traveling Angler Who Wants Something Special
We’ve occasionally written about multi-piece travel rods already on this site (including here and here and here) and we’re hoping to eventually become a central resource for all matters related to this category of gear. Because the travel rods we already own are mostly from mainstream manufacturers, we’ve yet to try or fully embrace what we’d characterize as “enthusiast” versions.
We owe a debt of gratitude for the term “enthusiast” to our friends at the Tackle Tour media empire. Even if they didn’t introduce the concept, they certainly popularized it in fishing circles. It’s one of those words that doesn’t quite have a particular meaning: It’s not necessarily about scarcity; you don’t reach enthusiast status when your price tag reaches a certain amount; and a product need not be from a certain country or brand to gain the name. It’s more about a feeling and a sense that the rod, reel or lure is more than just a tool – it’s a piece of art or something remarkably high end and innovative.
Below are some travel rods – mostly from other countries – that we haven’t used, but that seem to fall into the enthusiast category. We’re anxious to check them all out – so much so that a trip to Japan or Singapore or Australia may be in order down the road. Of course this list is not comprehensive, but it should give you a good idea of some starting places that you might not otherwise have found. Another good resource is the Facebook group “Travel Rod Anglers.”
[Friendly advice: Google Translate is your friend on many of these websites]
Japan’s Dranckrazy was indeed inspired by mixing the words for “Drunk” and “Crazy,” and while they produce various conventional categories of products, including apparel, freshwater lures and saltwater lures, their Black Serpent lineup of three travel rods (currently about $360 apiece) were inspired by a Malaysian angler’s world travels. He wanted three- and four-piece models capable of handling species like barramundi. The rods are shorter than many others (5’7”, 6’3” and 6’6”) but they’re all stout.
Don’t let the psychedelic homepage fool you – Feed Lures is dedicated “to providing the best product possible at its price point,” and their catalog leads off with a bunch of heavy-duty poppers, snakehead frogs and stickbaits, but eventually you’ll find their Jungle Pack Rods (Slogan: Bash, Brawl, Bruise), two four-piece models (casting and spinning) created in a joint effort with fellow enthusiast brand Major Craft. They feature an oversized butt “to ensure the trophies are tamed methodically.”
Various message boards led me to Japan’s Fishman, which offers over two dozen three- and four-piece rods in their current catalog. They recommend specific reels for them, too, and offer various tubes, slings, and great clothing. The one that caught my eye was the BC4 8.3XXXH, aimed at “huge monsters that are not ordinary, without giving up even one step.”
Huerco may be Japanese, but I found them on the website of Singapore’s Red Tackle, a high-end shop. Huerco offers over two dozen options, both multi-piece (up to five segments) and telescoping, as well as add-on butt extensions for leverage. Great exotic fish decals, too.
France’s Jabbers may offer the two best names in the world of travel rods – the Wanderlust and the Beast Flogger – both the result of their goal to provide “area-specific solutions for troubles anglers,” in particular monster hunters. Along those same lines, they also sell Stabmother Technical Swimbait Treble Hooks.
Palms is another brand that gets a lot of love in enthusiast circles, like the Tackle Tour forums. As the model name suggests, all of their travel rods are four pieces, and the yellow blanks stand out.
These rods from the France include eight items in their Trinis travel series (plus 12 in the Mitsio saltwater travel lineup), both casting and spinning, from medium action up to XXH, for the “long-haul traveler or sedentary angler who cares about the smallest space for its rods.” They also carry a wide range of reels, lines, lures and accessories.
The Smith Expedition rods stand out at first glance because of their orange camouflage handles. The Japanese manufacturer produced them under the supervision of big fish hunter Kozo Okubo with the intent of chasing peacock bass, snakeheads and other exotics, as well as saltwater species. In the US, they are available through New Jersey’s Saltywater Tackle.
This is another brand that I learned about through Red Tackle and their stated goal is to enhance “[d]urability, portability, required specifications and expandability. What is needed and what is not needed.” I’m particularly impressed that they have a rod named after the “Lau Lau” one of the “goliath catfishes.” Their Late Bloomings flagship rod can be configured for four different lengths depending on your needs.
Valley Hill is another multifaceted company – in addition to lures and terminal tackle, they produce tools and storage solutions – along with both freshwater and saltwater rods. The Buzz Triks RB Packer is a technique-specific series, with five four-piece rods ranging from 6’6” to 6’11” and approximately $155 to $175.
