The Perfect Doomsday Preppers Fly Fishing Rod

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doomesday-prepper-fishing-tip

Are you missing any of these items in your bugout bag?

“One thing that I find totally hilarious and at the same time agitating as hell, is it appears that not a damn one of those survivalists or doomsday preppers on TV, as far as I can tell, knows the first thing about how to fish.”

I’m a sucker for the Discovery and National Geographic channels, more specifically all the survival shows, and yes, even the Doomsday Preppers spin-offs. I don’t think this country is in serious risk in the immediate future of total economic collapse and widespread turmoil, but I’m also not dense enough either to completely rule out that at some point, we may experience and have to weather some level of difficult times down the road. Quite frankly, if I had to choose whether to be somewhat prepared if the SHTF (Natural disaster for example) or go walking around in never, never land thinking all I need is my credit card and my iPhone, there’s no question, I’d rather be the dude prepared. Before you go off stereotyping me as crazy and deranged, I’d like you to know that I haven’t dropped two grand on a pallet of freeze dried food, and I don’t plan on buying an underground bunker. That being said, I have made the decision to keep a few extra resources around the house that would provide me some comfort, God forbid, I did find myself in a position to need them. After all, I do have a wife and three kids to think about. Ten years ago, when I was still a young bachelor, all I worried about was how much Hamburger Helper I had in the pantry, that my pickup had enough gas for me to make the 45-minute round trip drive to the beer store, and where I was going to hit the water next with my fly rod. A lot has changed since those bachelor days, minus one thing. I always have my fishing gear close by my side.

One thing that I find totally hilarious and at the same time agitating as hell, is it appears that not a damn one of those survivalists or preppers on TV, as far as I can tell, know the first thing about how to fish. Nor do any of them think it’s a good idea to at least own a small assortment of fishing gear to use as a viable means for harvesting food during an emergency. I don’t know about you, but living off the land scavenging on edible plants and insects, doesn’t seem all that appetizing, nor filling for that matter, and hunting can often be hit or miss depending on where you’re located. In my opinion, being a competent fisherman has to be one of the most valuable skills a person could have in their survival arsenal, in the event one finds themselves in a doomsday like scenario. If you follow Gink & Gasoline, you likely have this area covered forwards and backwards, but I would like to suggest that you think about purchasing a couple travel fishing rods that you or a loved one could stow away in a vehicle or could easily pack in a bag with other vital equipment if you had to hit the road immediately.

travel-fly-rod-orvis

The Frequent Flyer travel fly rod by Orvis, is small enough to fit in a hand bag or day pack, and something I’m seriously considering purchasing in the near future. More specifically, the 8 weight, 9′ 7-piece fly rod. It’s the perfect compact travel fly rod that would perform well for a wide range of fishing situations, and have enough power to handle a variety of species in both freshwater and saltwater. There’s been quite a few companies over the years that have tinkered with the niche travel rod market. Many have come and gone, while others manufacture and sell versions, that in my opinion, fail to meet the quality standards that would provide me the comfort to use them in the field for extended periods. I’m happy to see that Orvis added the Frequent Flyer travel fly rod series to their product line. It serves the traveler well that likes to take an extra day to fish in between business meetings, and it’s perfect for someone like me, that wants to round out my survival preparation gear list. Don’t get me wrong, your traditional 4-piece fly rod will get the job done, it’s just hard to argue how convenient a 7-piece fly rod would be when your limited to how much you can carry on the move.

At some point I’m going to load a fly box full of some of my most productive and durable flies. Fly patterns like copper johns, wiggle minnows and other bullet proof flies that incorporate UV cured resins and other durable materials will be the mainstay. They’ll carry the durability to catch countless fish without showing much sign of wear and tear. Heck, that would make a great follow up post, wouldn’t it? That’s my doomsday prepper fishing gear tip for the today. I couldn’t help myself and I had to share it with all of you.

Keep it Reel,

Come fish with us in the Bahamas!

Kent Klewein
Gink & Gasoline
www.ginkandgasoline.com
hookups@ginkandgasoline.com
 
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20 thoughts on “The Perfect Doomsday Preppers Fly Fishing Rod

  1. “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime”
    One of my favorite fishing quotes. Being able to fish, and catch fish, would surely be vital in any survival situation (unless you found yourself smack in the middle of the Sahara desert…then you’re just screwed). Having a smaller, packable rod as an option just simplifies things in a survival scenario. My best bud actually owns two of these rods and I’ve fished with the 8wt. It’s very versatile and has plenty of backbone, without feeling like a broomstick. Definitely a smart buy if you need a packable rod.

    • Justin,

      Thanks for providing your experience and opinions of the Frequent Flyer. That will be very helpful for anyone that’s reading this post and interested in purchasing one. If the SHTF, you’re welcome to head my way. Your outdoorsman and medical skills would be a huge asset. 🙂 Thanks for the comment.

      Kent

  2. This message is not ment to offend anyone. This is just me sharing what I felt lead to tell you today inspired by this topic. There is a Man who died for you, who did so to take away fears of the unknown and to save you. He did so because He loves you. You may know this person. Jesus is his name. If you do not know him, I encourage you to know him and his word found in the Bible! This by far is the most important preparation in your life. So while your polishing up your guns, stocking up, and prepareing for the end, maybe you could read John 3:16. Its a good truth to start at. Again, I hope know one is offended. My prayers are with you all and God Bless.

  3. In a survival situation, I’m reaching for worms and grubs over a fly though I suppose in a bind (or in the winter) a fly would be a good Plan B. Make sure you have a couple of bare hooks in that fly box and some 6 lb test line. And some powerbait. 😉

    • Steve,

      I bet we’d see a lot less traditionalists when it came to what we tied on the end of our line, huh? LOL You can bet I’d utilize worms and grubs. No need to waist a fly if you’ve got a bare hook and real bait, right? Thanks for the comment.

      Kent

  4. I used to teach a military survival course. I always had a frequent flyer , a box of buggers, some bare hooks, and some 2x in my ruck. It weighs next to nothing, takes up little space, and opens up tons of resources. Fresh fish is always a nice option when the MREs run out, and fly fishing is a good way to take the mind off the fact that you are hungry and freezing your tail off.

    • Chris,

      Did you teach the course while in the Military, or was it independently marketed and taught by yourself? That’s really cool man. Pretty awesome that you used the Frequent Flyer in the survival course. Love you comment….”Fly fishing is a good way to take the mind off the fact that you’re hungry and freezing your tail off.” Thanks for the comment.

      Kent

      • Thanks man,

        I taught in the military. We taught basic field “tips and tricks” for survival, from improvised first aid, to escape and evasion.

        It culminated in an exercise where you had to cross 30 miles in the mountains in 4 days, while in “enemy occupied territory” patrolled by an OPFOR., basically to teach how to live off the land, utilize the local population for intel and support, and how to avoid capture. I got asked about the fly rod a lot. It has a ton of benefits off the water too. I knew i had the rod pieces and at least a hundred yards of strong line for game snares and whatnot, on top of being able to fish

  5. I have fishing line 2 hooks and 2 sinkers wrapped in para cord on my hunting knife, hiking stick and every rifle and shotgun i own.

    • Dan,

      You sound like the kind of friend I want hanging around if the SHTF!. That’s a good idea to secure it under the para cord. Thanks for the tip and commenting on the post. I’m going to try it out.

      Kent

  6. I have the frequent flyer 5-weight and it fits perfectly in the saddlebags on my motorcycle. Despite the 7-piece construction it still casts nicely, would buy again.

    Two potential problems:
    – The nylon outside the rod tube is snug when new, it shrinks over time and eventually the zipper breaks/comes apart, I am on my second rod tube – Orvis will warranty it
    – There are obviously a lot of ferrules,more care must be taken than usual when assembling and disassembling the rod, especially the fragile ferrules up near the tip.

    There are plenty of folks in the US thinking about the SHTF scenario right now, witness the lack of ammo (especially .22LR) available

    • Rob,

      Thanks for taking the time to fill us in on your review of the Frequent Flyer by Orvis. I’d be curious to what Orvis has to say about the shrinkage on the rod tube. Seems like an easy fix if they just add a little extra fabric to the tube. Good tip also to take extra care in making sure all pieces of the rod are snug when fishing to be careful disassembling. Thanks for the comment.

      Kent

  7. I can only say – Yes to what Kent, Chris and Steve Z are saying. Combine all your ideas, in a survival situation, roll casting a worm is probably a high return activity.

    Cool post Kent – Thanks

      • There are two models that have come and gone – the Daiwa Soyokaze (fixed length) and the Daiwa Sagiri (zoomed from 11′ to 13′) – for some reason, Daiwa has stopped production of these two. They folded down to tiny proportions (19″ and 23.5″ respectively) and they had the backbone to fight decent size fish, as well as enough sensitivity to stop and enjoy the fishing itself (if you find yourself having the luxury of doing so in a SHTF situation).

        Now, I have a Suntech Field Master – 3-way zoom to match all but the tiniest headwaters. It has a built in swivel at the tip so the line will not twist as much as on a fixed tip rod.

        For just pulling in meat to eat, I would use a Daiwa Kiyose 43 MF – I’ve pulled in medium sized carp (24″) with this rod – tremendous backbone.

        None of these rods have cork handles. And I haven’t found myself wanting a cork handle after using them (I sold off the ones I had that did have cork – for tenkara-style fishing, the cork was a way to lose sensitivity and also added weight)

        I hope this helps.

  8. I was amazed at the futility of Les Stroud on “Survivorman” trying to get seafood in the tropics!

    If I’m reduced to hunter-gatherer status, I’m going to focus my active efforts on activities that get me the most potential calories, which is hunting or trapping. Fish traps, limb lines, cast nets, etc. are way better subsistence tactics than active fishing with rod, reel, and line.

    • Tbone,

      Lug around a real “cast net” for a while and see how far you get, they are heavy as hell 🙂 No, seriously, It would be a great piece of gear to know how to use and have at the “home base: for catching bait and gamefish as well. I agree that if we’re faced with having to live off the land for an extended period of time, the only way to be able survive indefinitely, especially if you had to take care of a family, is to do what you’re saying, and that means utilize every angle “hunting, fishing, trapping, gathering, gardening, ect). You’re welcome to leave out the fishing pole in your pack if you want, I’ll be packing mine everywhere I go. It’s perfect to get me a meal on the go, while I’m looking for the big meal and on day’s when the fishing is really hot, you could really stock pile some fish. Thanks for the comment. This has been a really fun post. I hope you enjoyed it as well.

      Kent

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