This thread made me reassess my own rod carrying strategy. For quite a long time now I have used the thing from Drennan that a Martin Bowler rod arrived in. You can get one made up rod plus banksticks and a landing net pole but there are disadvantages of course: you don't really want muddy banksticks in with your rod/no shoulder strap and only room for one rod. In the summer much of this didn't seem to matter. I was roving more so tended to fish with one rod and, importantly, being very impractical and buffoon like sometimes, get myself in a terrible and muddled mess putting my rucksack on and then putting a rod holdall across my chest. After just a few steps, everything would move into a position of utter awkwardness meaning many stops and adjustments. So carrying the rod holdall just seems easier.
Looking in the shed, I found that I also have the korum and the drennan quiver. At first glance, I couldn't see why I had banished the korum to the shed. Sturdy and totally protective with separate pockets for stuff. Then I tried to put my made up 12 ft rod (no, I mean into its two 6ft sections) in the rod section. Jesus! It may be just me, but I seemed to be working very hard at trying to manoeuvre the rod and reel with fine adjustments into position. I felt that I would need to almost force the thing in and would then be fearful of ever trying to remove it. I gave up knowing that even if I managed to get the rod in, I think my life force would have quickly evaporated trying to squeeze a second rod in. The thing has the ultimate protective quality-you never actually get out the door and into the wild with it. What could be safer than that.
The drennan looks ok and because I don't take a brolly fishing, one rod can go into the main compartment. A made up rod on the outside with the Velcro bit to keep everything secure seems fine but to be honest, it all feels a bit loose. On the plus side it seems I could carry the thing without the front end nose diving into the ground in front of me resulting in tears. Which is good.
All good fun on these cold, miserable fishless days.