Are you wondering if you should buy a fly rod roof rack? 

Whether you’re just starting to explore the idea or need that final push to feel good about the purchase, you’ve come to the right place.

In this post, I’m going to reveal 9 angler-approved reasons why you should absolutely go ahead and buy yourself a fly rod roof rack.

Key Takeaways:

• Should you buy a fly rod roof rack? Yes. Not only will it allow you to pre-assemble and rig your rod (or rods) before you leave on your next fly fishing trip, but it will also keep your fly rod well-protected and at the ready. A fly rod roof rack will save you time, give you peace of mind, and drastically reduce the hassle-factor of fly fishing.
• Our #1 Pick: The Yakima DoubleHaul – Well-designed. Sturdy. Sleek. Mounts without any tools. If Batman was an angler, this is the rod rack he would choose for the Batmobile.

Fly Rod Roof Rack: A Must-Own For Anglers

Although it could be said about most any enjoyable hobby or sporting pursuit, the more fly fishing you do, the more you want to do a lot more of it. This means more trips to various bodies of water, near and far, which, over time, creates the ever-increasing need for more and better equipment. 

This, of course, results in the parallel need to get your expensive fly fishing tools to the water in more protected and efficient ways. 

Enter the roof-mounted fly rod holder as one of the best fly fishing inventions of our time and, in Fly Fishing Fix’s humble opinion, an essential fly fishing equipment must-own.

What makes it so essential, you ask? 

And why should you drop your hard-earned money on one?

Here’s our take:

Reason 1: Pre-trip Prep Peace of Mind 

Most any pleasure trip comes with the excitement of anticipation. As we go about our normal work-a-day lives, having a fun, relaxing and exciting excursion ahead is good for the soul. 

What may not be good for the soul is the anxiety that can, and often does, accompany that wonderful anticipation. We tend to worry about the various details of the trip: packing all the right stuff, how the weather will turn out, the various day-to-day costs, the transportation logistics, equipment, food & drink, supplies, flies… you name it. 

Although I envy those who don’t sweat such things–those who can take it as it comes and roll with the punches–I am definitely not one of them.

As chill as we fly fishers like to think we are, I bet many in this audience are more like me in this regard. I like doing what I can to minimize those things that often turn into vacation-harmers, especially if I can take one out of play altogether.

Pre-trip fly rod assembly is one such thing, that is, unless an already-assembled rod will be a vehicle-packing nuisance or, as such, a fly rod fracture waiting to happen. (More on that later.) 

That’s where the fly rod roof rack comes in. 

Since I’m not the chillax type, “mounting my roof rack” is one of my favorite pre-trip checklist items because I know that, “assemble all rods & reels” will follow, and that, once complete, I can slide each of them into my spiffy roof-mounted rod holder in near-ready condition. (I will usually prep my rod, reel, line, leader and tippet at least down to my lead fly so that I can keep my line hooked in place for the road trip ahead.)   

Having your rods assembled, sheathed and locked-up in your cozy, protective roof rack, pre-trip, removes a lot of that sleep-depriving angst that can get in the way of that exciting anticipation period. 

Now if the weather will just cooperate!

Reason 2: River Readiness

Speaking of angst, is there anything more capable of producing fly fisher anxiety than finding oneself at the river’s edge parking area, assembling rod and rig as a hatch is underway?

Add a little wind, some pesky biting insects, sweat-inducing heat (or dexterity-reducing cold) and your wonderful fly fishing day will be off to a rather shaky and frustrating start. 

Perhaps even worse, throw in the fact that your better-at-assembling-their-rods buddies might already be on the water successfully working that sexy run you wanted and… Oh, the horror!

At that point, you might just wish you hadn’t put off purchasing that sweet fly rod roof-mounted holder you’d been thinking about. 

Here’s a better vision: 

Pull up and park, riverside, as an early-day sunbeam reflects off the surface of that tasty deep pool you’ve been dreaming about.

Finish your coffee while you pull on your waders.

Don your pack or vest, then unsheath your river-ready rod from your enviable roof-mounted rod rack, make your way down the bank, maybe add a hatch-matching dropper to your hopper, wade in peacefully and start casting to that pod of hefty, hungry rainbows at the top of the run. 

You owe a big part of the afore-described zen moment to your brand new, worth-every-dime, fly rod roof rack.

Nuff said?

Reason 3: Packing Multiple Rods With Different Rigs

When it comes to people who have been swallowed up by a fly fishing obsession, they have at least one universal thing in common: the compelling need to own more and better equipment as their skills and knowledge of the sport grow.

Because, like potato chips, having just one simply won’t do, most every fly fishing practitioner’s must-have equipment list includes more rods.

At this point, the distant observer or pre-obsessed beginner might ask, “Why would you need more than one rod?” 

The answer? 

At the heart of this need to own more rods is the acquired understanding that different fly fishing techniques and conditions demand different tools.

Thus, if one owns a range of rods to accommodate various situations, it follows that it would be a good idea to have more than one of said rods assembled, rigged and ready for what is likely to be encountered on the day (or days) of fly fishing ahead.

And what better way to be prepared than to do just that? Which, again, is where the fly rod roof rack comes in.

Expanding on reasons 1 and 2 above, if one river-ready rod is a good thing, two river-ready rods (featuring different rod/reel configurations and rigs) is a great thing.

And if two river-ready rods is a great thing, it stands that three or even four river-ready rods is a stupendous thing, especially if they await their use while stored and locked in a protective and nearby rod holder!

Reason 4: Protection of Your Treasured (and Expensive) Rods and Reels

Speaking of protecting your fly rod investments, I’m always amazed to see a collection of jumbled rods sticking out, tip first, from a pickup truck’s bed or out the back window of a smaller type of vehicle. 

It’s madness, I tell you! 

Granted, fly rods are generally durable and flexible, but I’ve rarely gone on a fly fishing trip that didn’t require travel on old, rutted, potholed highways and denture-rattling, wash-boardy dirt roads. 

Do the words, “boing” and “ka-shmash” mean anything to you people?

Considering the significant amount of hard-earned dough a fly fishing devotee has put into his or her rod and reel collection, it baffles me why anyone would feel comfortable treating them in such a cavalier manner. 

Would you leave your new car out as a hail storm threatens, or simply pull it into your garage or carport? No, I’m not suggesting that the cost of a few fly rods is comparable to the cost of a new car, but… Wait, now that I think of it, maybe I am! 

Nevertheless, even the least expensive fly rod and reel deserves to be cared for. Treat them right and they will serve you well for many years to come.

And one of the best ways to protect them is, you guessed it, a reliable, well constructed roof-mounted fly rod holder.

Reason 5: Lock-Em-Up Safely

Unfortunately, and I sure wish I didn’t have to write these words, riverside theft is not uncommon in certain areas.

A lone vehicle parked at the side of a river, often loaded with an inviting array of pricy equipment, is an attractive target for a smash-and-grab. 

This is especially true because its owner is usually standing in the middle of a river somewhere nearby, but most often out-of-sight, deafened by the river’s rush and, even if able to see or hear something happening to said vehicle, thigh deep in river current and unable to do much about it.

Of course, one of the most inviting items to swipe is a nice fly rod that, whether assembled or still tubed, might have been left in clear view for our brazen bandit.

Locking your vehicle should be standard practice, even in the most remote locations, but having your extra rods and reels locked in your fly rod roof rack, out of sight and difficult to get to, will make them far less likely to walk away in the hands of an opportunistic marauder. 

By the way, it’s important to know that all good fly rod roof racks feature locking mechanisms themselves so, not only can you lock your rods and reels in them, you can (and should) lock the roof rack to its rooftop mount.

Most of the above applies to campsites and fishing lodges as well.

Reason 6: No More Tangled Rods

Unlike our devil-may-care friends discussed earlier, you were oh-so careful when you and your fishing buddies loaded your assembled and rigged (but still loose) rods into the back of your vehicle or truck bed for the trip.

Nevertheless, as soon as you weren’t looking, the rod-tangling gremlins crept out of their evil dens and went to work. 

Assisted by a coupla swerves, a pothole or two, and that last mile or so of washboard dirt road, those little jerks have completed their diabolical magic.

So, instead of jumping out, wadering up and getting out on the water for some fly fishing joy, you find yourselves frustratingly delayed while you untangle the puzzling mess your set of rods has become.

Sound familiar?

Of course, this could have all been avoided — now and forever — had you invested in that roof rack we’ve been discussing.

Slide your rigged-up rods into those lovely, padded and protected tubes and know at least two things for sure: 1. Fly rod roof racks are gremlin proof and, 2. You won’t miss that early first hatch detangling your rods. 

By the way, starting your fly fishing day with as few blood-pressure elevating events as possible will undoubtedly set your internal mood to “optimal” for the day ahead.

Reason 7: Payload Freedom

A direct beneficiary of Reason 6 above is the freedom you’ll experience knowing that you don’t have to pack your stuff into your vehicle around breakable rods. 

In the past, to save time at your fly fishing destination, you might have pre-assembled and rigged your rods and then set them carefully atop or around all your other supplies and gear.

You would have done this in a way that you hoped would keep them from tangling (see #6 above) or, worse, breaking. 

Most times, you would have gotten away with this, except that once, when you swerved to avoid that deer in the road and your cooler full of frosties tipped over on your precious wands.

Although most of us bring a tubed spare (or five), it can be said that, among all the sucky things that can happen on a fly fishing trip, arriving to find out your go-to, Billy Baroo rod has been fractured en route may just top the list. 

Add a fly rod roof rack to your vehicle and you can pretty much remove that shiver-inducing possibility from your, “that would really suck” list.  

Reason 8: No Need To Disassemble Your Fly Rod

And since we’re talking about things that might suck on a fly fishing trip, the end of one certainly ranks near the top as well.

If you’re like me, departure day always brings a kernel of sadness.

Sure, you’ve undoubtedly had a great time; caught a bunch of fish; made a lot of fun memories with your buddies; taken in a ton of awe-inspiring natural settings; improved your skills, and more, but the pack-up and drive-away scene isn’t something any of us love.

Within that deflating scene, there’s something about de-rigging and breaking down your rods that puts an exclamation point on your fly fishing trip’s end. 

This may sound weird and, at some level, unbelievable, but since adding my fly rod roof rack, I’ve removed a big component of the inherent trip-is-over sadness.

I’m not kidding!

Sliding my still-rigged rods into my roof rack for the trip home is not just a time-saving hassle reducer, it’s a strangely effective hedge against departure depression.

Reason 9: Fly Rod Roof Racks Look Cool on Your Rig

I think, if we’re being honest with ourselves, we fly fishers kind of enjoy the mystery-laden admiration that many outside observers assign to us.

To them, fly fishing has the aura of a pure and sublime ancient art that its devotees have learned under the tutelage of some oracular Jedi master. 

They say things like:

“I’ve always wanted to learn to fly fish, but I don’t think I have the patience.” 

Or:

 “Wow, you fly fish? I’ve heard it can be really peaceful but that it’s super frustrating and takes years to learn.” 

Stuff like that. 

We’ve all heard it and, yes, we’ve all enjoyed hearing it. There’s an undeniable ego stroke we get out of it.

So, in less sexy vernacular, let’s just call it what it really is: we feel cool being an angler. 

And, among our badges — the faded, sweat-stained hats we wear, the trouty stickers we apply to our vehicles, the scraggly facial hair we often sport, the obscure craft beers we quaff — our roof-mounted fly rod holder may be the most prominent attestation of our fly fishing cool.

And, really, how can you put a price on that? 

If it can make a guy like me feel cool, even if that’s only true in my own mind, imagine what a fly rod roof rack could do for you! 

You’re welcome.

Racking it all up:

Even a cursory reading of the nine inescapable reasons to own a fly rod roof rack outlined above will certainly convince you that it’s high time for you to make the investment in one.

If your hesitation is tied to another’s approval (wife, significant other, imaginary friend… what have you), then it would behoove you to send them the link to this article along with an unabashedly enticing tit-for-tat bargain.

Because, let’s face it, the longer you go without a fly rod roof rack, the longer your life will go on without this essential building block of fly fishing completeness.

Our Long Awaited Recommendations:

Best Fly Rod Roof Rack: The Yakima DoubleHaul.

The Yakima DoubleHaul is as sturdy as it is sleek. Well-designed and easy-to-mount without any tools, this rack checks all the most-important boxes (i.e. thoughtful tube & reel compartment design, rack and rod-tube locking mechanisms, accommodates longer rods well, etc.) and, as an added bonus, looks like it’d feel right at home mounted atop the Batmobile. 

Our (Extremely) Close Second: Riversmith 4-Banger: This also well-designed fly rod holder is lighter than the Yakima, features a more traditional look, and also leaves no key box unchecked. If you decide to go the Riversmith route, we recommend springing for the 4-Banger over the 2-Banger. The difference in price is pretty significant between the two, however, considering what we know about fly fishers — that we collect rods over time and like to fish with friends and loved ones — the 4-Banger is the way to go. On the other hand, if you want to have a rack for all situations, we certainly wouldn’t discourage you from owning one of each!

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