Fly Fishing Gear: The BEST Travel Case for Fly Rods, Period.

^{Transparency Note:The gear reviewed in this article was provided to me at no cost for evaluation. The views and assessments presented are entirely my own.}

Fly fishermen have a lot of money tied up in their gear. A low-end fly rod starts at three hundred dollars, with the higher-end rods easily exceeding a thousand. Add to that fly reels at five hundred dollars a pop, and we have committed a good chunk of money into our gear.

Traveling takes on additional complexity when you are bringing along fly rods, reels, flies, fly boxes, and any additional gear you will need for your destination. I don’t like to check in my fly fishing gear for fear of the airlines losing it, and if not losing, then causing some damage. Lose three rods and reels, and there goes three to five thousand dollars of equipment. Add to that the history and sentimental value that each piece of gear represents, and imagine arriving at your fishing destination without any gear. That’s a nightmare waiting to happen.

A Fly Fishing Travel Case to Protect Your Valuable Gear

A solution is a dedicated travel case for all your gear. There are a number of decent travel cases on the market. I’m familiar with most of them from my job working for a fly fishing lodge. I’ve seen homemade tubes to old-school cloth cases (Filson), to well-thought-out cases by companies like Fishpond and Orvis. Some of them were good cases, but none of them — and I’m emphasizing, NONE OF THEM — come close to the quality and build of a Negrini Sea Run Case. 

As a Carry-on or Check-in, it Succeeds in Both.

I recently flew to the Bahamas to fish for bonefish. It was my first time visiting, so not knowing the lay of the land, I overpacked with rods and reels that I might need “just in case.” I packed the Sea Run Case with three rods, four reels, binoculars, polarized sunglasses, and other angling-related odds and ends. At first, I was a little concerned that the case might be too big for carry-on. However, I carried it to ticketing, through TSA, and straight to the plane without a hitch. On the plane, it fit easily into the upper carry-on compartment, and I was never questioned about its size. 

A fellow passenger asked me what kind of musical instrument I was traveling with. My hunch is that’s what the flight crew thought when I boarded the flight. If you do have to check it in, it has three combination locks, is TSA compliant, and is made with double-walled construction and padded interior, making it dang near bombproof.

Fly Fishing Travel Case Made in Italy

The Negrini company has been making luxury cases for shotguns since 1981. It was a natural fit for them to transition from protecting high-end shotguns to high-end fly rods. They even make a travel case called the “Fin and Feather” for Cast and Blast trips, where you will need both your shotgun and fly rod.

The bar has Been set High

The Sea Run Case is above and beyond what I expected in a travel case. It delivers on everything the makers claim, from its quality of build, design, and function to its ease of use, portability, and its ability to fit as a carry-on for flights. Plus, it comes with a lifetime warranty. I’ll say it again, it’s the best dedicated travel case for fly rods and gear on the market.