Emmrod Packrod

My goal was to find a fishing rod that was packable, lightweight, functional, and durable. Emmrod delivered!

This company started out with an eye towards providing kayakers and canoeists with a way to fish without having to deal with an awkward and cumbersome full-sized rod. They provide a number of configurations for virtually any type of reel and rods ranging from fly rods all the way up to heavy duty rods, all of which are made from stainless steel with a set of coils midway down the length of the rod. It's my understanding that the varying number of coils affects how much weight each setup can handle.

These little rods break down for storage by twisting the steel coil out of the handle, and the two pieces then nest together and will easily fit inside most packs. Mine breaks down to 14", but is 25" when assembled, and will mimic the action and functionality of a medium-heavy action pole. 

It came with a closed-face spinning rod (got it on Amazon for around $80), but I put an Abu Garcia Black Max baitcaster on it. I've pulled large catfish out of ponds, and I had a lot of fun surf fishing the Outer Banks with it (my sub-par angling skills didn't shine that day, but I at least caught a buzz courtesy of some local micro-brews before I went home).

The whole kit and caboodle weighs in at about 8 oz., is easy to get the hang of since it casts much like your standard rod and reel, works great for "shooting" your lure into small spaces, and is just a phenomenal piece of gear.

I've seen too many higher priced compact fishing kits break under load or not hold up well over time, but this one seems to be one that I'll have for as long as I'm able to cast a line. One of my favorite pieces of gear, and a great way to put something a little more substantial in your stomach after a long day on the trail!

Compact and durable rod.

I have in part to disagree with Jeff Willett. I have both an Emmrod Packrod and a Tenkara rod, and I like both, but they are two different beasts. 

Tenkara are great for streams, rivers, small ponds, mountain lakes, mainly for trouts in shallow water (less than 3 m deep). Yes, no reel is fun and you don't have another mechanical piece of equipment, but the tip of the Tenkara is quite fragile and you must pay attention for not breaking it. It is for fishing with weak lines too, and not all the fishes can be caught that way.

Emmrod is another thing. You cannot cast flies, but you can fish with heavy lures, such as spoon or spinnerbaits, and it is almost impossible to break the road. Plus, if you are on a boat and the fishes are deep, you need to fish near the bottom (almost impossible with the Tenkara again, if you need to go more than 2 m deep). I caught some pikes with it. It will be challenging to do with a Tenkara (even if you can control nice fishes with it, it remains mainly a rod for trouts). 

So, if you fish with flies, go for the Tenkara. If you need a compact rod with a reel, go for the Emmrod (or you can have both).