Extending a Rod Tube that is too short

[arpie]

Hi guys

Michelle has kindly loaned me her Jarvis Walker 1.9m Rod Tube - and then I realised that pretty well all the rods I am taking are 2 piece & way shorter than even 1.5m ..... and I had a rod tube that was just over 1m - that was too short for most of my rods!!

Hmmmm Dilemma!!! I know what I can do ...... I removed the plastic base that was stitched onto the Rod Tube and grabbed some big Fish Oil Capsule plastic jars that looked 'just the right fit' ........ I very nearly just put ONE on & thought I'd better check the 'new length' with the rods in the bag before gluing it all in place - Lucky that I did really, as the one container STILL didn't make it long enough for one of the rods I was taking to NZ with me!

SO ..... I grabbed a 2nd Fish Oil Capsule Jar & the threaded area fit very nicely into the other jar that I had already cut the threaded area from (it needed a bit of tape around the thread to make it 'snugger') and we just used Grip Gel/Ados to do this. We left that over night to set (with another jar shoved inside the bag, to ensure a good tight bond) and next day, repeated the process, gluing the 'two jars' onto the remainder of the Rod Tube!!

I wrapped Red Cloth Tape all round the jars (they still had the labels on them! ) and this will also make it much easier to recognise on the Airport Carousel too!

Voila!! The 2 jars added 18cm to the length of the Rod Tube and it will be much easier to lug around than the 1.9m one.

I COULD leave the reels on the rods too - but will probably have them in my check in bag!

It is now 1.22m long (4ft to us oldies!) and my 4 rods fit in it just nicely, with a little head room to spare! I will put some bubble wrap in the top & bottom for cushioning.

SO .... if you have a shorter Rod Tube and don't use it much ........ just lengthen it!!

cheers

Roberta

I think I will now put that red tape around both handles of our Check In bags as well - for easier identification on the Airport Carousel, too!

Edited September 21, 2012 by Roberta

[hottyscotty]

Is that a soft case? I can tell you from experience, it won't survive the journey. I use hard plastic and you can tell its been knocked around hard. Bubble wrap won't help

[framedtrash]

agree with scotty

would be better off using a piece of PVC tubing then a softcase

[mimyo]

Nice work Roberta, but if that's a soft case you're running a big risk to your rods. Cap a PVC pipe and have the rods taped together and the ends stuffed with rags for 100% peace of mind.

Have a great trip.

Hope you brain them monster kings and snapper!

PS.. Bring your reels in your carry on but check in your spools just to be safe. They don't like fishing line in your carry on...

[hottyscotty]

Yea. I still don't understand that fishing line thing. Yet they will happily let me carry power cords and keep my shoe laces on

[arpie]

Hi guys

It is hard plastic on 3 sides - just the zip area is 'soft' and I can reinforce that side as well ..... tho I DO have a big PVC Tube that I can cut down & put a new cap on. hmmmm, Plan B, coming up! Thanks for the suggestions, guys. Tho sometimes, I think it is a bit of a competition = the tougher the box, the more they throw it around to try & bust it!

Yeah - ridiculous isn't it, that they are scared of fishing line! Hmmm, I must remember to remove my '20-in-one-tool' that lives in my handbag, along with a folding knife (not a switch knife) that I use for cutting oranges, and a couple of other things that they could class as 'dangerous'! When I flew to WA in 2010, the folding knife wasn't picked up on going over, but was picked up when coming back ...... but they gave it back to me when we landed back in NSW!

Still love that video of the guy who's guitar was busted by United Airlines in the US - nearly 13,000,000 have watched it & his 'job' now is fully due to the airplay it got round the world! Also goes round the world now on speaking engagements! United tried to pay him to remove the video but wouldn't pay for the guitar!

cheers

Roberta

[Jewhunter]

Be careful with any bought rod tubes Roberta.

I've heard that even the expensive ones can end up crushed!

Best bet is pvc tube. Depending on what size you use will give you different options.

Avoid 90 mm stormwater pipe as it is too soft. Go 100mm sewer & then glue an end cap

on one end & have a screw cap on the other.

A couple of thick sponges either end of the tube really helps.

Tape your rods together as well.

Good luck on your trip. I know you will do well!

Cheers,

Grant.

[arpie]

Thanks for that Grant - is there any way of telling sewer from regular Stormwater pipe? The one I have, I inherited from a guy who used to go fly to the NT & Tinnaroo a lot - then he MOVED to Tinnaroo, so didn't need it any more, so passed it on to me! It hasn't been used yet...... by me!!

I am really excited about this trip, Grant (in case you can't tell!) 10 Days & I'm there! It could become a regular occurrence, when the comps are on over there - just duck over for a long weekend! The Kiwis have been doing them for a lot longer than we have & are very organised - and you don't have to go out as far to get onto good fish as you may do here. Much more competition over there for every bait/SP/lure with most lures getting slammed as they go down! Many yakkers over there still only use bait, but I think I will stick with the SPs & inchiku/engutsu jigs. It'll be fun trying, anyhow! VERY TRYING!! Just hope I don't get pulled over by a monster fish! The yaks we are being provided with are VERY stable & I'll be fishing with 2 others (one, another lady), so we'll be keeping an eye out for each other too. I just hope the Aussies can aCquit themselves well! The area we've chosen to fish (dependent on the wind/weather) is usually very calm & safe! No waves to smash thru or get bowled over when coming back in. And the rocks/reef isn't too far out!!

cheerio

Roberta

[arpie]

This looks a good one - tho not sure if you are allowed to padlock them these days? Anyone travelled overseas using something similar recently? He used the Coach Bolt with a hole drilled in the narrow end to fit the padlock thru, once it was put thru the hole in the lid

Roberta

Edited September 24, 2012 by Roberta

[framedtrash]

no issues with padlocks

but if customs wants to have a look in the tube they will just cut the padlock off

[helliconia]

I packed some rods in a similar tube for a trip to Queensland a few years back. I didn't bother padlocking it though, I just gaffer taped the screw on end up and it arrived fine.