Is It Worth Getting Hold of
a Collapsible Fishing Rod?

A collapsible fishing rod is just the thing for those unexpected opportunities we all get to wet a line from time to time - and catch a few fish.

The required feature of a good collapsible rod is that it can be made short enough to fit conveniently in a ruck sack, car trunk (Brits, that's the car boot), cockpit locker of a boat or overhead locker of an aircraft - and all without compromising its functionality.

They're also known as travel rods, holiday rods ( for fairly obvious reasons) and telescopic fishing rods.

They come in two basic formats - multi-section rods and telescopic rods. Let's take a look at them in turn ...

Multi-Section Travel Rods

These are made up of a number of short sections, each around 2ft (600mm) long, so a 12ft surfcasting rod will have six pieces, while a boat rod will have no more than four.

Other than the number of sections, these rods are no different than conventionally designed rods, so you can find models that are intended for use with a spinning reel and others for use with a baitcasting reel.

Multipliers (baitcast reels) are used on top of the rod, so the line guides must be sized and spaced such that the line is kept clear of the rod when it takes up its maximum bend.
There's no such problem with a fixed spool reel (spinning reel) as these are used below the rod. Consequently the guides can be spaced further apart, but must be larger - the ones closest to the reel anyway - to accommodate the line as it comes off the spool in curling spirals.

OK, it is possible to use a fixed spool reel on a rod intended for a multiplier, providing you're happy with shorter casts than you'd otherwise achieve - but not the other way round, as if you use a multiplier reel on a rod intended for a fixed spool reel, the line will rub against the blank, damaging both rod and line.

Click Here to see three Great Multi-Section Rods for
Spinning, Boat Fishing and Surf Fishing ...

Whatever your tackle dealer may tell you, a collapsible rod of either type - multi-section or telescopic - is generally not quite as robust as a normally constructed rod and must be used with reasonable care. But if the choice is going fishing with a collapsible fishing rod or not going fishing at all, any indecision is likely to be short-lived for most of us.

Telescopic Fishing Rods

These collapsible fishing rods can reduce to the shortest possible length is they're constructed with the minimum number of rod rings, which means they're usually designed for use with spinning reels rather than baitcast reels.

A Telescopic Fishing Rod
more details...

One of the things I particularly like about telescopic fishing rods is that they can be stored ready for instant use with the reel in place and the line threaded through the rod guides with the rod in 'collapsed' mode - highly convenient when you want to get at the fish in a hurry.

A Collapsible Fishing Rod Tale

Some years ago I worked for an international company involved in oilfield-related construction works, as a result of which I got to travel extensively - Saudi Arabia, Libya, Nigeria, Indonesia, Venezuela ...

Needless to say a collapsible fishing rod always found its way into my travel baggage.

One such posting saw me not too far from Al Quraiyah Beach in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, where a stone jetty had been constructed out into the Arabian Gulf. A wonderful refuge for all kinds of small fish, and a favourite haunt of marauding predators. The jetty terminated in a broadened knuckle, and it was to here I was drawn ~ a telescopic fishing rod clutched expectantly in a sun-tanned hand.

An impressive shoal of baitfish had been herded into the crook of the knuckle, with several grey shadowy predators circling below and outside them. Every so often the shoal would erupt as the baitfish were attacked from below.

Keen to get into them before the shoal was totally decimated and their tormentors moved on, I attached a bare treble hook to the end of my line and jagged it through the remnants of the baitfish shoal. Pretty soon I foul-hooked one and cast it to the far side of the shoal, where the hapless creature spiraled erratically.

I didn't have to wait long. A dark shape accelerated out of the gloom and hit it hard. On the light collapsible fishing rod the ensuing fight was spectacular. I caught several more after that, all trevally jacks between 15lb and 20lb.

Simple fishing, wonderful sport.

How many times have you said “I wish I had my rod with me” when an unexpected fishing opportunity presents itself?

Plenty, I’ll bet, but with a collapsible fishing rod to hand you’ll never have to say it again.

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