carry on baggage; fishing reels & line; rules?

[rick_k]

Have heard some recent reports of directions to remove line from reels or check them, and have been doing some research on this, best I have been able to come up with is this fact sheet including advice to ring the airline before travelling:

http://www.dotars.gov.au/transport/security/aviation/factsheet/fact14.aspx

Can anyone do any better, as this is pretty vague?

Is there a cheap light device for winding line off three or four reels, then allowing it to be wound back on under tension, that could go into the checked baggage? An old 7" alvey is not that light ;D

If so, are they going to decide that the reel itself is a problem?

What I really want is a document I can show to the poor bugger on the security counter. What I don't want is expensive reels at the mercy of baggage handlers

[hooknose]

If you can kill/ disable someone with ANYTHING in your baggage they are not likely to want to let it on board(hand luggage). Save yourself the drama and pack it away in lockable, good quality, non descript baggage( ie dont have tackle logos etc visible for the baggage handlers to see) pain in the butt I know but we have our terrorist friends to thank for all this.

[rick_k]

the problem with hiding it in a nondescript bag is the rod tube with the same tag on it?

[blaze]

questioned the airline when on my last trip as I had a bit of excess, was told that fishing reels were not to be taken as carry on baggage as they would be deemed a weapon.
cheers
blaze

[TheSaint]

Mate only way you will be able to travel on a airline with reels & rods is if you check them in as baggage. Security will tell you this if you try to take them on in your carry-on as they will find them with the X-ray machine..

If you don't want them to be at the 'mercy' of baggage handlers packed them better & ask for a fragile sticker to be put on you bag.. Simple!

Plus another thing that cause damage to loads in aircraft is Movement of flight..

[rick_k]

Blaze and Saint, I suspect the problem is that the rules (see link) say no fishing rods in carry on, but a minority of the counter jockeys wrongly equate fishing rod with fishing line. A non fisher could easily do that.

Saint, you haven't been able to take rods as carry on since that clown took sharpened sticks onto a plane from Melbourne a few years back. Reels and line have been something else. Most of the time.

I flew Bris Syd Uluru Alice Darwin Bris a couple of years back and had a very brief problem with reels with line on in Alice, but absolutely no probs anywhere else.

Either way, I believe I am entitled to know the rules in black and white- currently the rules in black and white say no fishing rods in carry on, but check with the airline............ what crap. The same security gate serves Virgin, Qantas etc etc etc so one rule fits all.

Once I know the rules, if necessary I can ring the guide, the chamber of commerce and the airline, and my MP and say I am not flying because your (useless) rules make the trip not worthwhile. Or I can ring them and say 'thanks for your common sense approach to this risk. I feel much safer flying and I can still enjoy my holiday.'

It is not good enough to be at the whim of some individual, particularly after you have checked in the rest of the baggage.

The thing that gives me the irrits is I could carry more mono or braid on me than I know what to do with and I believe they would not pick it up. The nail file/scissors stuff is just spin to make it look like 'strong' measures are being taken to prevent terrorist attacks. I strongly suspect the problems with fishing line are from ignorance/poor trainingon the part of the security counter jockeys.

I have never (yet) had stuff stolen from checked baggage. Because I carried all the good stuff.

I have had rod tubes smashed, including heavy rods smashed through the butt. I was on the plane; it was a smooth flight. I suspect a'don't give a sh!t' type put the 7' rod tube sideways across a baggage trolley and drove through a 4' doorway. I have sat in the lounge and seen luggage fall off trolleys on the tarmac in the rain and left behind,

I don't believe the damage to my rod tube and rods was movement in flight.

If we check reels, and they are squashed or stolen, you won't have them for the trip of a lifetime. We then need to prove that they were in the baggage if you are going to claim; not that that will make them available to you on said trip. I wonder how my wife and I would prove we had a Certate 4000 with fancy braid, a Penn 850 with Fireline, an HRF with Western Tuffline, 2 x Jack Erskine tuned ABU 6500s also with Braid, a Calcutta 200, also with Braid and the Jack treatment, a C700 with the Erskine treatment and 500m of 20lb platypus super 100 (or is it platinum?) and a 4500 baitrunner with mono in my checked baggage?

In dollars that looks like $650 + $300 + 2x $300 + $400 + $400 + $250 or thereabouts, roughly $2500. Add in a few trays of lures at $15 per lure....

I think I will have a pre printed form, without the dollars, but with condition listed, and ask the poor bugger at the check in counter to look at the reels and sign it. Which they will probably refuse to do on the basis that it is 'contrary to policy'. Rods will be a problem as they need to be packed carefully into the tube.

Common sense would go a long way here. Clear published rules consistently applied would not necessarily be as good, but would be a start

[Noelm]

been on planes lots of times with fishing gear, rods in tubes, easy, reels in baggage (NOT carry on) and no knives unless it can be proven that it is with fishing gear and looks (Xray) like a fishing knife, done!

[rick_k]

Noel M, happy for you all has gone well on your trips.

3 years ago the big red Qroo squashed our rod tube. The rods and broken tube survived the coach trip from Uluru to Alice.

Replaced the tube in Alice, and then the airport shuttle in Darwin dropped both our bags, and the new tube, and plenty of other peoples bags onto the road. Luckily we had two days in Darwin before we departed for the wilderness, and all was made good(at my expense at the time).

The big red roo and the Darwin shuttle bus came to the party to make good the damage, so happy there.

The main lesson was to make sure the schedule included at least a day in Darwin to allow for any losses to be replaced. Had we flown out that arvo, I'd have been buggered.

[Noelm]

all has not ALWAYS gone well as far as damage goes, I thought the question was HOW to transport, as far as rod tubes go, best to make your own from sturdy PVC, sure they don't look quite as "glamorous" but are really strong, and many times I have had a big "boot print" on my luggage where someone has used it as a step or something, but as a general travel item, just pack to suit as much bad handling as you possibly can and hope for the best.

[rick_k]

Hey Noel M,

I sort of know how to transport in checked baggage. Except for how to prove what was in my suitcase when I checked it in. Have a look at what Qantas thinks makes a fishing kit.

I wanted to know the rules, or the source of the rules for carry on, within Australia, so I had something to show to the person on the x-ray machine. My experience of them is that they can make very arbitrary decisions about a lot of $$ of toys, that will also affect the trip of a lifetime, if they can't be replaced some time between last flight and first fish.

I believe we are entitled to know the rules so we can comply.

[TheSaint]

Saint, you haven't been able to take rods as carry on since that clown took sharpened sticks onto a plane from Melbourne a few years back.


I never said that..

[rick_k]

Hi Saint,

You didn't.

Sorry, and if what I wrote got up your nose, extra sorry.

I was trying to focus on the reels and line side of things, and what I wrote about carrying on rods added no value to that issue.

The link was that I suspect that the non fishing xray security jockey probably reads 'no fishing rods' as 'no fishing lines' and hence the problem.

Or maybe not.

That's what I am trying to pin down.

Once again, sorry if I offended.

Rick k

[Reef_fisher]

Sounds like it would be easier to post the damn things well before your trip to make sure they are there for your trip.
Doesn't sound like baggage handlers are getting any better. I would have thought it near impossible to bugger a pvc rod tube, obviously not.

[rick_k]

I wonder whether my rod tubes might have survived better if they had a fixed handle that stopped them rolling, rather than webbing, which didn't.

Noel M, sorry you too had some dramas with fishing gear. Be happy to read any of your tips for succesful packing.

My last trip was a shocker; smashed rod tube and broken butts on the flight - 'have you got travel insurance, Sir, we suggest you claim from them ' Thinks , yes I have, but says 'I don't think so' To their credit QANTAS paid.

Replaced rod tube in Alice after the toys survived quite well in the hold of a bus touring the centre.

That rod tube now has a tyre print on it, from where it fell from the unlocked trailer on the Darwin shuttle bus, along with the rest of our luggage. A nice souvenir.

[rick_k]

Hi Reef fisher, can't post anything longer than 1 metre. Couriers will move longer tubes, but it gets pretty exxy unless you have a book of vouchers, or access to some.

[Noelm]

for my reels I always just put them in the middle (as best I can) of my clothing, with the line still on them, never had a drama with line, the rods are always packed tip to butt, if you get what I mean, so you always have a thick butt protecting a tip, I then tape/cable tie them together as well, taking note to keep guides on the inside of the tube, put some old sponge at each end and a bit wrapped around the middle of rods,seal it up,done, tackle box is kept as small as possible and sinkers and cheap stuff are purchased at destination if possible, box is locked (I found a good one for that) and placed inside another bag if possible ,and away you go with fingers crossed and hope it all goes to the same place you do!

[rick k]

just bought a Q domestic ticket.

Sporting equipment is to be checked in, NOT in carry on.
Max liability for all luggage is $1600.

Doesn't take too many toys to exceed $1600.

[Ally Jack]

I took my brand new Tekota 800 on as hand luggage yesterday from brisbane to gladstone. Security had put my back through a couple of times, then asked me to open the box. I had no problem with that, but they had a problem with the little tool that comes with the reel but in the end they let it on.

[rick k]

any line on it, Ally Jack?

[Fishin_Dan]

I travel alot for work, and try to take a rod/reel with me whenever I can. I've never had a problem carrying reels loaded with line in my "Check in" baggage, but not in "carry on". I have taken a small rod tube on as carry on before once, but only the once.

Reels & tackle get packed into my check in baggage wrapped in all my clothes. Reel handles get folded up (or removed) so as to not get broken as easy. Never had a problem with these.

Rods on the other hand, there's not a lot we can do about. I use to take a 3 piece Shimano rod, but it was slightly longer than my luggage, so had to go in a rod tube. I made one from PVC, and Virgin completely shattered the end of it on one trip. Luckily the rod wasn't damaged. I complained to the airline, and said "You sign it's fragile and therefor not our problem"... I do worry about rods being broken, but unfortunately there's not a lot I can do differently. And the fact that the airlines take no responsibility is ridiculous.

My ultimate idea is to get one of the 5 piece rods that come with their own hard case. These would fit inside my luggage and can be wrapped completely in clothes as well. That should be the best way to do it.

[Ally Jack]

Rick,
Nah, no line, brand spankers picked it up that day.
Robbo.

[rick k]

congrats on the new toy Robbo.

From the press clippings today we should make sure our 'George Bush is the Worlds Greatest Terrorist' is in our checked baggage, rather than on. Some poor slob was refused a flight to London by an aussie airline apparently; other passengers might find it offensive, was the reason quoted

[Custaro]

i travel a bit between bris. and rocky with a rod tube filled with 6 rods, a bag of reels and tackle trays. fly with virgin mostly. never had a drama. I had to leave about 10kg of frozen fish at security desk cause the rules were changed about carrying fish. that worked out fine as they rang my dad and told him it was left behind and he could pick it up rather than it being divided among the staff.

[snipe]

I travel fairly regularly with fishing gear. It is definiteley correct that reels with line on is a no go for carry on baggage - you are best not to take the risk and pack them properly in your checked in baggage at home - well padded, reel handles down, preferaby between tackle trays or the like so they dont get weight pressure from other baggage.

The irony of that stupid rule is the line is deemed a strangling device, however we are all allowed to take laptops and laptop powercords that could do more damage than any fishing line could do. Anyway, the corporate world buys more plane tickets than us crusty fisher folk.

Other tips I can pass on are

* You can take frozen fish in an esky as checked in luggage, no wet ice though. I have taken frozen fish on short 1-2 hours flights on as hand luggage in a wine coler style bag quite a few times - no questions asked

* I use cable ties to lock everything. I often use duct tape to tape entire bags up - its harder for grubby hands to find there way in

* always packs clothes in my rod tube for extra protection. Most times they do not weight your tube so you can get away with a bit of excess baggage in your rod tube

* always pack my rods butt down, not some tip down and some butt down as some people do to make room. It causes end on pressure on tips and can cause breakages

* per the above point, i write 'top' where my tips are with an arrow pointing up , so rods tube is hopefully not put wrong way up and tips are sitting down with all the weight on them

* i dont put any fishing stickers on my bags / tubes etc. I reckon that is just a recipe for disaster for some baggage handling grub up north who wants a free kick

* split your gear in to two bags in case one goes missing - that has paid off for me already when one of my two bags was sent to perth, not hervey bay - but i still had enough gear to fish with until my bags turned up

* use your credit card to get proper insurance

* pray, i always feel good when i see all my gear at the other end

[aussiebasser]

My nephew returned to Melbourne after a recent trip to Awoonga with me. He carried his reel in hand baggage from Melbourne to Brisbane. When returning, he was not permitted to do the same. He'd already booked his baggage in, so had to sit in the airport and remove a coupla hundred metres of braid and chuck it out. He was told that the reel could be used as a weapon, either by swinging it around on the line, or by using the line as a garotte (sp?). The kid was 17, but must have looked bad.
I flew to Cairns on the airline that has yet to be rooooted, carrying a 7' rod tube with a coupla grands worth of rods in it. No problem booking it in at Brissy, in fact the lady there asked where I'd bought it so she could get one for her husband. (Was only a JW cheapy!) On arriving at Cairns airport to fly home, I was told that it was too long to book in, and I would have to leave it behind. A quick chat to the supervisor saw sanity prevail.

[rick k]

thanks, learned heaps, no more reels with line in carry on. Bit worried about the insurance side of things, but QANTAS have come to the party so far.

Snipe, I do butt to tip with my rods in tubes, but with a bit of overlap for the butts, and with the rods bound together with ties; hoping that the butts will take the hard impacts to the ends of the tube.

I have also learned to leave plenty of spare space in the diametre of the rod tubes, to allow the airline/handlers to massage the tube a bit without consequences.

It really comes back to the counter jockeys being properly and consistently trained. In fairness to them, they are often under the pump, and .... well, lets just leave it at that.

[slabjig]

How about travel rods...takes a bit of searching to find good ones...but they're out there...even ones up to taking on smaller pelagics. I recently found a seller on Ebay from Scotland who was posting Greys excursion travel boat rods at prices well below suggested retail. Greys is associated with Hardy tackle which is no slouch in the fishing industry, I purchased two, and they look wonderful. Machined reel seats, 5 piece rods 7 foot long when assembled, and fit in a tube less than 18 inches long, easily placed in the middle of clothing in luggage for protection. I can't wait to find an excuse to give one a try (It's the feaking middle of winter here)