If you travel as I do and love to fish as I do, a good travel rod is always a welcome addition to the luggage, right after the travel-sized mouthwash, deodorant and aspirin, all in a quart-sized plastic bag suitable for inspection.
Bass Pro Shops' Extreme XPS Travel Rod ($69.99; www.basspro.com) fills the bill and fits the airplane overhead bin. The 6-foot-6, medium-action spinning rod takes line from 4- to 12-pound test and handles lures from 1/8 -ounce to 1/2 -ounce.
The rod is nicely outfitted, with Fuji Hardloy Concept guides and a corked "power hump" that keeps the grip from twisting around - a godsend for seniors and folks like me with small hands. The blank extends through the handle. The rod is drilled for the XPS weight balance kit, which is sold separately.
