Best Fishing Rod for a Family Holiday

If you've got children, you'll know exactly how family holiday packing works. You start off thinking there's loads of room in the car or suitcase. Then the buckets appear. Then the beach toys. Then the inflatable unicorn. Then someone decides they need three pairs of trainers, and suddenly you're wondering if a fishing rod is really necessary after all.

For years I'd either leave my fishing gear at home or take something too bulky that spent most of the holiday getting in the way. These days I do things differently. If I'm going away with the family and want a rod that can cover almost anything, I take the Rigged & Ready World Traveller.

Why a Travel Rod Makes Sense

The truth is, most family holidays aren't fishing holidays. You're there to spend time with the family. The fishing tends to happen around everything else — maybe a couple of hours before dinner, an early morning wander before everyone wakes up, or an evening walk down to the harbour while the kids are in kids' club.

Whatever the situation, you want a rod that's ready to go without taking over the whole holiday. That's exactly where the World Traveller comes into its own. You can view it here.

One Rod, Lots of Options

What I like most about the World Traveller is its versatility. The kit includes:

• Six-piece travel rod
• Two interchangeable tips — Regular Tip: 5–20g (0.175–0.7oz); Short Tip: 15–40g (0.5–1.4oz)
• RR3000 reel
• Spare aluminium spool
• Protective travel case

That combination covers a surprising amount of fishing. One day you might be float fishing for mullet under a harbour wall. The next you could be spinning for bass from a rocky point. A few days later you might find yourself fishing a freshwater lake while the family explore a nearby town. The rod doesn't care — it just gets on with it.

How I'd Set Up the Reel

The supplied RR3000 reel comes with a spare spool. For holiday fishing, I'd load them differently.

Spool One — 8lb Monofilament

This setup covers most situations you're likely to encounter:

• Float fishing
• Harbour fishing
• Mullet
• Bream
• Wrasse
• Light sea fishing
• Freshwater coarse fishing

It's forgiving, easy to use and ideal for simple fishing.

Spool Two — 22lb Braid

This immediately opens up:

• Bass fishing
• Pike fishing
• Lure fishing
• Soft plastics
• Spinning from rocks
• Fishing around structure

Two spools. One reel. Loads of options.

Don't Forget Airport Security

One thing worth remembering if you're flying: hooks, lures, forceps, scissors and other terminal tackle normally need to go into your hold luggage. Every airline seems to interpret the rules slightly differently, so it's worth checking before you travel. I've heard enough stories from anglers who've watched their favourite lures disappear into an airport security bin to know it's not worth taking the chance.

Some of My Best Fishing Has Happened on Family Holidays

I genuinely think holiday fishing is underrated. There's something enjoyable about catching unfamiliar fish in unfamiliar places. A few years ago I spent an evening in a Mediterranean harbour with little more than a float rig, some bread paste and a loaf I'd bought from a local bakery. Around me were local anglers fishing with long poles and tiny hooks. Nothing complicated. No expensive tackle. No fancy bait. Within a couple of hours I'd caught species I'd never seen before. That's one of the things I enjoy most about fishing abroad — you never quite know what's going to turn up.

Keep It Simple

A lot of travelling anglers make the mistake of overcomplicating things. In reality, a simple float, a handful of hooks and some bread or flour paste will often catch plenty of fish. Harbours can be brilliant places to fish. Depending on where you are, you could catch:

• Mullet
• Sea bream
• Wrasse
• Garfish
• Scad
• Small bass
• Triggerfish

Most of these fish spend their lives around structures, walls, boats and pontoons — exactly the places most holidaymakers walk past every day without giving them a second glance.

Check the Rules Before You Go

One mistake many anglers make is assuming sea fishing is free everywhere. It isn't. Portugal has licence requirements in many situations. Croatia also requires permits for recreational sea fishing. A quick online search before travelling can save a lot of hassle later.

Watch the Locals

If I arrive somewhere new, one of the first things I do is watch local anglers. It sounds obvious, but they usually know far more than any article you'll read online. Throughout much of the Mediterranean you'll often see locals fishing with poles, whips and simple float rigs — tiny hooks, small baits, simple tactics. They're not fishing like that because they can't afford expensive gear. They're fishing like that because it works. Spend half an hour watching what they're doing, and you'll often learn more than you would from a full evening on YouTube.

Think About a Local Charter

If you're dreaming of bigger fish, bribe your partner and kids, and book a half-day charter. It can be worth researching local charter boats before you travel. Most coastal holiday destinations have charter skippers running half-day or full-day trips. Depending on where you are, you might have the chance to target:

• Bluefin tuna
• Dorado (mahi-mahi)
• Amberjack
• Bonito
• Barracuda
• Shark species

The best bit? Most charters provide everything — rods, reels, tackle, bait and safety equipment are usually included in the price. You simply turn up and fish. Even if you only manage one charter during the entire holiday, it could easily become the fishing highlight of the year.

Want Something With More Casting Power?

The World Traveller is the rod I'd recommend for most family holidays because it's such a good all-rounder. However, if lure fishing is your main focus, it's worth looking at the Rigged & Ready Predator Max.

The Predator Max has a little more power and is better suited to anglers who expect to spend most of their time casting lures, working soft plastics, or targeting larger predatory fish. If your idea of a holiday involves walking rocky coastlines looking for bass rather than sitting in a harbour with a float rod, the Predator Max is definitely worth a look. You can see it here.

Final Thoughts

Fishing probably isn't the reason you're booking the family holiday. But if you're anything like me, you'll struggle to ignore all that water once you arrive. The beauty of the Rigged & Ready World Traveller is that it takes away the usual excuses. It packs down small, doesn't take up much room, and gives you the flexibility to fish almost anywhere.

Whether you're float fishing for mullet in Spain, spinning for bass from a harbour wall in France, catching wrasse in Croatia or sneaking off for an hour before dinner in Cornwall, it's the sort of rod you'll be glad you brought along. And if you don't catch anything? Well, at least you've escaped the inflatable unicorn for a couple of hours.