Home Forums Fishing Freshwater Flying with fishing rod

I was told in Europe recently that it is illegal to take a fishing rod in carry-on luggage or into the passenger cabin of a plane going to the US. I was outbound. I'd flown Seattle to New York to Brussels and when I went through security check in Brussels to go on to Africa, they went a little beserk over the telescoping cheap pack rod in my carry on bag. (That was my only luggage as I gave my checked luggage limit to a medical team that was short of space, then learned I was limited to 7 kilos for carry-on... So I added a day pack book bag as my personal item.)

They let me continue with the fishing rod because I was not heading to the US. They were surprised that US air security had allowed me on the plane with it. On my return I played dumb, carried it on in the same way, and nobody challenged me.

Errata: I watched two baggage handlers at JFK deliberately dropping luggage from as high as they could lift onto a concrete floor, and a few bags they threw as far as they could onto concrete. Maybe if we PAID them to lift luggage higher than needed and made throwing luggage part of the job...

I just went to Oregon with my fly rod as a carry on and there was no trouble. I guess it is just out of state.

They might pay baggage handlers to steal stuff out of your bag to!?

To clarify, apparently the restriction only applies if you are flying into the US from outside somewhere. Flying with a fishing rod within the US doesn't seem to be a problem. SeaTac airport has a constant stream of people carrying fishing rods with or without a case and I know there must be many pack rods inside of hand luggage because so many people fly from there to fish Alaska. Maybe I just hit some nit wit security people in Brussels. Just an FYI if you take a fishing rod abroad and plan to return with it.