Pescador on the Fly El Rey G6 Packable Fly Rod for Home or the Road

The term “travel fly rod” conjures dreamlike images of adventurous, peripatetic anglers jetting off to exotic, far-flung destinations, whether across the country or around the world. Yes, a compact rod makes those trips easier. But traveling to fly fish doesn’t necessarily have to mean Slovenia or New Zealand—or even Montana.

Indeed, a high-quality, easily packable, multi-piece fly rod is a huge advantage for trips closer to home, too, whether you’re camping with the family or day-hiking to explore a remote “blue-line” stream in the next county. Travel rods are typically lightweight; take up little space in a suitcase, duffel, or backpack; and are less likely than two-piece rods to get broken during your wanderings.

But many fly fishers felt that early versions of multi-piece graphite fly rods suffered from inferior casting and fish-fighting performance, at least compared to their two-piece counterparts. The many ferrules needed to connect the sections sometimes created “dead spots” that hampered casting. As a result, multi-piece rods were often relegated to backup status, carried along on trips in case something bad were to happen to the primary rod, or if a spare was needed. Many people tolerated the inconvenience of a two-piece rod in order to get the superior performance. But now with lightweight ferules and improvements in design and performance, a few extra ferrules are well worth the convenience of a packable rod.

New for 2025, Pescador on the Fly has created the El Rey (Spanish for “The King”) G6 Packable Fly Rod series. Disassembled, these super-handy, six-piece rods fit into a sturdy, protective carbon fiber rod tube that takes up very little room: The El Rey G6 rod tube is only 21½" long. And with an MSRP of around $600, G6 rods won’t break the bank.

$600 | pescadoronthefly.com

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