best travel fly rod
Chris Maxcer

Best Travel Fly Rod 2020: The Ultimate Guide

- Buying Guide -

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The best travel fly rods come in 6- or 8-piece sections. The most important reason to choose a travel fly rod is portability. If you want a fly rod to easily fit into a duffel bag, carryon luggage, backpack, or even a fly fishing sling pack, a travel fly rod is for you.

While most fly rods are already very lightweight, travel fly rods excel with backpackers because they are so easy to stow into a backpack. Once you invest in a true backpacking fly rod, hauling a 4-piece fly rod in the mountains seems mildly annoying.

Still, 4-piece fly rods that are 9′ long are already very portable — travel fly rods just take portability to a whole new level. Because the ferrels overlap, the standard section length of a 9′ 4-piece fly rod is around 28 inches. On the other hand, a 6-piece fly rod has sections that are only 18 inches long. That’s a huge gain in portability, and it just gets better with 7-piece or even 8-piece travel rods.

travel fly rods
The cases of a standard 4-piece, 9′ Mystic Reaper fly rod, followed by the 6-piece Cabela’s Stowaway 6 and the 8-piece ECHO TRIP travel fly rods.

Best Travel Fly Rods: How Well Do They Cast?

Because of improvements in ferrel technology, travel fly rods are getting closer to the smooth performance found in 4-piece rods. Travel rods are not as fantastic as the best 4-piece fly rods, but they’re surprisingly good. I’ve found that with a firmer casting motion, travel rods will perform remarkably well. For instance, I was able to cast large October caddis flies with a 9’ 5-weight Cabela’s Stowaway 6 with good distance and decent accuracy. Read my full Cabela’s Stowaway 6 review for more detail. At the other end of the travel rod spectrum, I was able to cast heavily weighted steelhead nymphs and egg patterns with a 9’ 8-weight ECHO TRIP.

Both rods performed even better when I used smaller flies.

Don’t expect any travel rod to be liquid smooth, but they’ll get the job done and let you focus on the fishing. As it turns out, I personally learned a lesson the hard way: Always Take the Rod.

Best Travel Fly Rods: The Manufacturers

best backpacking fly rod
That is not the best backpacking fly rod poking out of the day pack.

There are three major contenders for the best travel fly rod that will fit most people’s budgets: Cabela’s, Echo, and Orvis — and we’ll get into these options in detail below. However, this isn’t the full story.

L.L.Bean has a travel fly/spin fishing rod combo — noted below — but the company no longer makes a dedicated travel fly rod. On the upside, the L.L.Bean outfit comes with two complete rods and reels, so technically you could choose the L.L.Bean option for the fly rod . . . and gain an extra spinning rod whether you want it or not.

Hardy makes a drool-worthy high-end travel fly rod in 6 pieces, but the price-to-value ratio is a tough sell unless you’ve got the budget to buy the “best” high-end travel fly rod.

Redington makes a 3-weight and a 5-weight 6-piece version of its Classic Trout rod, but it’s sometimes hard to find because most stores stock the 4-piece versions.

Let’s take a closer look.

Best Travel Fly Rod: Cabela’s Stowaway 6

best travel fly rod cabelas
The Cabela’s Stowaway 6 travel rod has a great price-to-value ratio.

There is a lot to like about the Cabela’s Stowaway 6 fly rod, starting with the wide variety of configurations. Cabela’s makes an ultralight 8’6″ 3-weight as well as a 7’6″ 4-weight. There is also an 8’6″ 4-weight, which is a super versatile combination for smaller streams, as well as the most common 9′ 5w. In addition, you can pick up a 9′ 6w or 9′ 8w.

As for fit and finish, the Stowaway 6 is great. The cork and guides are good. While the varnish is a bit thicker than you see on truly high-end rods, it all comes together in a package that’s better than its price range would imply. The woven graphite reel seat looks fantastic in the sun. We’re big fans.

The action is medium fast, with a stiff butt section and relatively soft tip.

Meanwhile, Cabela’s offers two different Stowaway 6 Rod and Reel and Fly Line combinations if you’re looking for a travel fly rod and reel outfit. The Stowaway 6 Fly Rod with the Prestige Plus Fly Reel Combo is the most affordable, and the reel is pretty good overall. For an upgraded reel with a smoother drag and better build, Cabela’s offers the Stowaway 6 with the RLS+ Fly Reel, which also comes with upgraded fly line. Both are great, can’t-go-wrong options. Highly recommended.

Best Travel Fly Rod: ECHO TRIP

best travel fly fishing rod echo
The ECHO TRIP travel fly rod comes in a mind-blowing 8 pieces.

The ECHO TRIP takes portability to a whole new level with its new ultraportable 8-piece backpacking, travel, and backseat fly rod. ECHO builds the TRIP in just three configurations, which covers 80% of the size and weight interest in this space. ECHO makes a 9’ 5w and a 9’ 6w, both of which are a rich green color. ECHO’s 9’ 8w has a fighting butt and is a dark blue, and ECHO also markets this rod for saltwater use.

The action is medium fast, and for a rod that has 8 pieces that are just 15 inches or so in length, the ECHO TRIP casts surprisingly well. As with all of these travel fly rods, you’re going to get your best results with a firm and intentional casting motion. Casting and overall action is similar to 6-piece rods — the TRIP just gets you a form factor that pushes the portability factor even farther. So cool.

ECHO doesn’t offer the TRIP in a combo package, but the ECHO ION Reel is a very good, very affordable reel.

Shop ECHO TRIP travel fly rods at Fishwest.com and get FREE shipping over $89!

Orvis Clearwater Travel Rods

This photo shows the Orvis Clearwater Travel Rod.
The Orvis Clearwater Travel Rod comes with a 25-year guarantee.

With the recent redesign of its popular midrange Clearwater fly rod series, Orvis is offering four models of its new Clearwater 6-Piece Fly Rods. These rods use some of the new rod-building technology and techniques Orvis learned when it developed its high-end Helios 3 rods, but Orvis packages it all up at an affordable price point. Better yet, Orvis stands behind its Clearwater fly rods with a 25-year guarantee. If your fly rod fails — or if you simply break your fly rod — Orvis will repair or replace it. The only downside is that you’ll have to pay a $60 handling fee (which is the new standard for high-end rod repair and replacement guarantees these days).

Meanwhile, what about the six-piece Clearwater rods? Orvis covers the basics by offering a 9′ rod in a 5w, 6w or 8w option. For 8’6″ fans, Orvis also offers a 5w. We’re big fans of the Orvis Clearwater series overall — read our review of the 4-piece Clearwater combo outfit for more detail. Overall, you can expect a thoroughly decent casting experience in a rod that delivers an excellent price-to-value ratio.

 Shop the Orvis Clearwater Travel Rods at Bass Pro Shops and get FREE Shipping!

Best Travel Fly Rod: Hardy Demon Smuggler

Hardy makes some of the very best fly rods in the world, and the Demon Smuggler is aimed at frequent travelers who also want a high-performing rod with fantastic fit and finish. At just under $650, the Hardy Demon Smuggler is the most expensive travel rod on this page by a long shot. It is, however, beautiful and has a truly kickass name.

It is a 6-piece fly rod and Hardy offers an 8’ 4w, 9’ 5w, 9’6w, 9’ 8w, 9’6” 7w, and a 14’6” 10w.

The action is medium fast. The Demon Smuggler comes with a sweet aluminum rod tube.

If you’re in for a Demon Smuggler, pair it with the can’t-go-wrong Hardy Ultralite MTX-S Fly Reel and you’ll end up with an awesome travel combo. Long story short: If you have the budget, nab a Demon Smuggler and don’t look back.

Best Travel Fly Rod: Redington Classic Trout

Redington’s Classic Trout fly rod series is primarily a 4-piece lineup . . . BUT Redington offers two 6-piece versions of this rod — an 8′ 3w and a 9′ 5w. The Classic Trout is a moderate action fly rod, which can be helpful when fishing with tiny flies for skittish trout. On the other hand, we tend to prefer moderate-fast or fast-action fly rods, so choose the 6-piece Redington Classic Trout if you know you want a moderate action. That said, the Classic Trout rod looks great and has a good price-to-value ratio. It has handy alignment dots on each section, and the rod comes with a divided nylon rod tube. (The model 590-6 is the 6-piece 9′ 5w while the 380-6 is the 8′ 3w.)

Best Travel Spin/Fly Combo

Both L.L.Bean and Orvis make a nifty spinning and fly fishing combo. Both are a great value and aimed at those who just want to make sure they always have a rod handy. Better yet, both make for great backup rods as well as superb gifts.

L.L. Bean Spin/Fly Combo Outfit

This photo shows the L.L.Bean Spin/Fly Combo Outfit for fly fishing and spin fishing travel.
The L.L.Bean Spin/Fly Combo Outfit includes two full fishing rods and reels.

The L.L.Bean Spin/Fly Combo Outfit actually includes two separate rods — an 8’6” 5-weight 6-piece fly rod as well as a 6’ medium/light 4-piece spinning rod. Both include basic reels that come preloaded with line. Both rods come in a padded case with foam-molded cutouts for the rod sections and reels. As an added bonus, L.L.Bean includes a small fly box and a small lure box . . . which means you could keep this outfit in your vehicle all in the case and be ready to fish at a moment’s notice.

Orvis Encounter Spin/Fly Combo

This photo shows the Orvis Encounter Spin/Fly combo fishing rod and reel kit.
The Orvis Encounter Spin/Fly combo kit covers the basics.

The Orvis Encounter Spin/Fly Combo comes with two interchangeable butt sections with two reels, one for spin fishing and one for fly fishing. The fly rod is a 7′ 5-weight while the spinning rod is also 7′ and aimed at lightweight gear: 2-6 lb test and 1/16 to 3/16 ounce lures. It comes in a padded case.

So, what’s the #1 best travel fly rod?

There isn’t one, exactly. If you want the highest overall quality and fit and finish, the Hardy Demon Smuggler wins hands down. If you want the best overall value? The Cabela’s Stowaway 6 in the Prestige Plus Combo package generally takes the lead.

If you’re looking for ultimate portability, the ECHO TRIP line comes in 8 pieces — gotta love ECHO for pushing the edge here and still building a highly fishable rod.

On the other hand, Orvis offers a 25-year guarantee with its Clearwater 6-Piece Fly Rods, which offers some peace of mind if you break a tip.

What if you want a backup rod and aren’t looking for fantastic quality or mind-blowing performance? The L.L.Bean Spin/Fly Combo Outfit gives you two rods in one very affordable package.

So the best? That’s really up to what you want and need most. More importantly, the best rod is the one you have available when you’re on the water.

This image shows a YETI Roadie 48 wheeled cooler on a beach with a lake in the background.


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