Fishing is a refreshing experience. You love fishing whenever you get free time. On a long vacation, you may plan to fish far away from your home. You may feel that the change of scenario will give you a new fishing experience that you have never experienced before. 

However, going to another place may mean traveling to another state or country on air. And, here you see a challenge emerging out. How do you carry fishing equipment on a plane? Don’t worry. In this article, we will let you know 8 useful tips for traveling with fishing gear. Stay with us.

1. Pack Fishing Equipment

The first challenge is packing your fishing rod. The good news most airliners will not prevent you from carrying the rod on board. However, the rules related to this issue vary from one company to another. Some companies for example may require you to verify the rod first before permitting it to their plane. There are also a few airliners who don’t charge extra for carrying a fishing rod.

After the fishing rod, the next important fishing equipment that comes into the scene is the fishing reel. Since this equipment has no dangerous part in it, it has no security issue at the airport. You can easily carry it in your hand luggage. If you feel that your current reel needs to change, here is a good collection of different brands of fishing reels. When it comes to carrying other fishing equipment like lures, flies, large hooks, or knives-these are all sharp items. So the best thing is to check with the airline authority that you chose to travel before packing them in your luggage.

2. Pick an Airline Company

Choose an airliner that travels to your destination. Get as much information as possible about it before your arrival at the airport with your fishing gear. Particularly, how will they look after your gear? Some airline companies allow 4-piece fishing rod and expensive lures on your hand luggage. Some companies also follow security procedures that require inspecting your fishing gear first before giving no security issue clearance. To avoid any embarrassment at the airport with your fishing gear, prior information regarding what you can carry will be pretty useful. 

3. Weight Allowance

Each Airliner offers a different weight allowance to its passengers. For example, Virgin and Qantas offer 23 kg, Jetstar 20 kg, Ryan air 20 kg, etc. It means you need to pay extra fees if you exceed the weight allowance of a particular airliner. If you exceed, for example, Ryanair’s weight allowance 20 kg, you need to pay 10 pounds for each excess 1 kg.

So, pack your luggage carefully. Leave heavy equipment like fillet knives, big pliers, knife jigs and sinkers at home. Also, leave additional clothing. Keep in mind that less weight means less hassle-free journey.

 4. Hidden Cost
When you purchase a ticket, check for some hidden costs like SMS itineraries, meal vouchers, and insurance. These are the costs that may not include explicitly with the plane ticket. 

5. Equipment Insurance
You never know what might happen on a fishing trip particularly if the trip involves going further from your known territory. A few bizarre accidents might happen in your trips like your fishing kayak or fishing boat may turn over resulting in the loss of all of your valuable fishing equipment. To compensate for your loss, fishing insurance is a good idea. It will provide you peace of mind, that if anything happens unexpectedly, no financial loss at least.  

6. Vaccinations

Not all international destination has the same situation in terms of diseases. Some areas may be infested with mosquitoes that are good carriers of malaria and dengue. You will definitely not enjoy a fever on a foreign fishing trip. To avoid getting sick on your trip, visit your GP prior to your departure. He knows well what needs to stab on your arm to keep you fever-free while you are catching fish on abroad. 

7. Obtain License Before Your Fishing Trip

You may know well that fishing requires taking permission by obtaining a license from the local authority. As you are going to a foreign country, do some research on your destination. What fishing policy the place follows. How to obtain or buy a fishing license from the authority of your destination? Keep in mind that fishing without permission is exorbitant. So, who wants to face such hassle. So stay legal. If required, get an ID card and fishing license before start fishing in your new waterbody. 

8. Hire fishing gear (if required)

This is a tricky tip. Sometimes you may feel that carrying fishing gear is too cumbersome. However, the good news is your chosen fishing destination has some good fishing equipment rental facilities. It is not uncommon that many fishing spots offer to hire fishing rod, reels, or other equipment for a certain time. So hiring fishing equipment is another option for you. This will be useful if your plan is to enjoy fishing only a few hours outside of your country while you are on a tour.