Integral to many of my adventures, is a way to pack a fly rod around by bike. While there are a number of ways to do this, especially using a rear rack, my favorite employs a little creativity.Fly rods come in many lengths and number of pieces that affect they overall packed length. This day in age, 4 piece rods seem to be the norm and their reduced packed length make them a great choice to bike fishing. Simply strapping a rod tube to the rear rack is definitely an option, but I often reserve the rack for panniers filled with waders, camping gear, and food. Other times I prefer not to use a rack all together. In these circumstances, I've found that strapping the rod to one of the front fork legs an excellent option. Integral to fly rod fork leg mounting, is a modified water bottle cage. I've found that the diameter of many rod tubes if very close to a standard water bottle. The trick is to find a water bottle cage that snugly holds the rod tube. I've found a number of plastic cages at bike shops and used gear stores that work well. Cutting off the bottom support of the cage allows the rod tube to slide easily between to two side supports.
The next step is mounting the cage on the fork leg. Many touring specific forks like ones made by Surly or Salsa have built in rack braze-ons that make this a breeze. Simply thread a couple m4 bolts through the cage and go. If you don't have a fork with threaded bolt holes, a few hose clamps with padding works as well. Toe cage straps or Voile straps work great for securing the rod tube to the fork leg. I've found this system to be very sturdy and holds my 5wt all the way to a 13' 8wt spey rod. Give it a shot on your next bike fishing adventure.
