reviews

Rod Mounts

Reviewed by Scott Richmond

Vac Rac Combi by SporTube. Available at many fly shops and online stores.

ome fishing venues are for road warriors, anglers who drive access roads or highways that hug a river bank. You park in a pull-out and climb down the bank to spend ten minutes or two hours fishing a favorite run. Then it's back up the bank and move onto the next pull-out. Think of the North Umpqua, the Deschutes near Maupin, or the Clearwater.

On a trip like that, you don't want to spend time re-assembling your rod at each stop--especially if it's a long two-hander and you've taped the ferules. So clever folks invented rod carriers that fasten to your vehicle. One goes on the hood, and one on the roof. Elastic cords hold the rods.

These accessories have been around awhile. I bought my first one over 15 years ago. It used a magnetic base. Other versions have a vacuum mount.

So why not make a rod carrier that uses both magnetic and vacuum principles? I recently bought a Vac Rac Combi, made by SporTube, and I'm pretty happy with it. It has a big, flexible base that gives a better grip on the car for two reasons: it molds around your vehicle's contours to give a bigger gripping surface; and it uses both magnetic attraction and a vacuum seal to stay in place. The manufacturer claims 200 lbs of adhesion strenth.

Astute readers are asking, "If it grips so well, how to you get it off!?" Each mount has a little wing that you pull up to break the seal, so they remove easily even though they grip well. When you aren't using your rod mounts, put the two bases together so they don't pick up dirt and grime that could scratch your vehicle's finish. Then give the bases a quick wipe-off before putting them on your vehicle. If its raining, move the mounts slightly on the wet car surface to get some of the water out from under them.

Warning!

There are several caveats when using one of these devices.

1. First, don't drive under low-hanging trees or into your garage unless you want a 15-piece rod.
2. Second, don't drive 75 mph down I-5 for four hours with your rods waving in the breeze. Rod mounts are intended for short hops.
3. Third, put a cover over the reel, especially if it's raining. You really don't want a pot-load of road grime getting into your reel just before you hook the steelhead of a lifetime.
4. Fourth, put them in your vehicle when you're fishing. Otherwise they might be kidnapped.

Bottom Line: My pick for car-mounted rod carrier. Reviewer Rating: 4

Scott Richmond is Westfly's creator and Executive Director. He is the author of eight books on Oregon fly fishing, including Fishing Oregon's Deschutes River (second edition).

Uploaded 12/16/2005.

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Vac Rac Combi rod mount. The wide base gives a better grip.

Depending on reel size, you can put one or two rods on each side of the rod mount