Travel fly rods can also be called multi-piece fly rods. They are designed for today’s traveling fly fisherman just as the terminology implies. Years ago fly rods were one piece. Then the standard eight-foot fly rod was made in two pieces. When they were broken down they fit into a four-foot fly rod case and were very awkward to transport.
Today’s fly rod technology has eliminated the flexing problems in the ferrules (joints). This allows today’s nine-foot fly rods to break down and fit in a thirty-inch case. This allows for ease of packing into a carryon size bag.
The fly fisherman of today is just as likely to be carrying a pontoon boat on his shoulders as flying into remote areas in a float plane or driving in his own vehicle to his fly fishing destination. With the travel fly rods you can even backpack in to remote waters.
Early in the history of fly rods, split bamboo was the most common material used for a fly rod. You still can get a custom split bamboo fly rod. With advances in science and technology, fiberglass became the material of choice for fly rods. And with continued advancements to make fly rods lighter and stronger, graphite and boron fibers are used. Because of the stronger materials, many of the better fly rod manufacturers will replace a broken fly rod for only the cost of shipping, due to their durability.
Sometimes when the rods are put together the joints become stuck. There are a few methods of getting them unstuck so you can break the rod down. A piece of ice placed on the upper part of the stuck joint while running the bigger part of the joint under warm water is very effective. It is extremely important not to bend the sections while you are attempting to get them apart.
The travel rods made today are far superior to the rods made a few decades ago. They come in a wide range of actions (flexibility), from slow to ultra fast depending on the fly fisherman’s preference. The prices also range from inexpensive to several hundreds of dollars, again depending on the fisherman’s preference.
If you are looking for fly rods to go anywhere you can go then multi-piece or travel fly rods are what you need. In the next few years we can expect to see even more advancements in materials and production techniques to make the fly rods of the future even stronger and lighter.