I know you have found your answer but you may be interested in an experience I had earlier this year. My very strong advice is DON'T BOTHER!
I wrote this for the website of my fishing Society, enjoy.
24th JUNE 2013, GULET HOLIDAY IN TURKEY
By special request I have recorded my fishing-related story from our holiday.
I had bought a 4-piece rod for the trip, which broke down to less than 3ft when in a tube. On arrival at the East Midlands Airport check-in desk I was told that it could probably go on as hand luggage. The check-in girl was very helpful making 3 phone calls, including to security, coming back with the answer that it could go in the overhead locker. Knowing what it is like to be behind someone like me in a queue, I apologised to the next in line and we made our way to security. We had loads of time to have a 5 course meal, spend time in Duty Free and read a novel, as Glenda always like to be early!
Hand luggage was put onto the conveyor and into the X-ray tunnel. All coins, watches, belts etc. were removed and placed on the tray provided and through the scanner I go, holding up trousers to stop them from dropping to the ankles. No problem there. Before I had time to gather my wallet, strap on the watch and secure the slacks, a chap in uniform pointed to the tube and said, ‘What’s that sir?’ Refraining from telling him that it was a ground to air missile launcher, as I know that can land you in trouble, I replied, ‘A fishing rod.’ I followed up with, ‘It’s OK because Security have given it the all clear.’ ‘I’ll have to ask my boss,’ he said.
Along came boss man with even more braid on his uniform and informed me curtly, but politely, ‘You can’t take that in the cabin sir.’ I related the story of the check-in and the phone call giving it the all clear by security, but to no avail. ‘I can show it to you in writing sir,’ and at that point I gave up the struggle. By now I could feel many eyes on me, probably some from people who had been behind us in the check-in queue. Wanting it to be all over I said, ‘OK, can you put it in the hold for me, please?’ Boss man replied, ‘You will have to check it in sir!’
I walked back through security, the wrong way, and the chap who had let be though 5 minutes earlier said, ‘Sir, where do you think you are going?’ So I related the story to him and he let me through. Clutching the tube I get back to the check-in area. By now the passengers who had arrived a sensible time before departure had arrived and the queues were now twice as long as before and I was at the back. Despite holding the tube up like a periscope to attract the check-in girl’s attention I still had to wait my turn. The lovely lady was apologetic and I reassured her that it was not her fault that Mr Jobs Worth had stopped me. She fluttered her eye lashes and asked me to, ‘Take it down there to the large luggage check-in.’ I complied, although in hindsight it was smaller than a suitcase.
At the appointed desk a rather large butch lady asked, ‘What is in there, sir?’ ‘Oh hell, here we go again,’ I thought but calmly replied, ‘It’s a fishing rod.’ ‘Could you open it up please sir?’ Although appearing tranquil, I was really getting agitated and struggled to pick off the plastic tape while Rosa Klebb made no attempt to assist me. I finally opened the tube, took out the bubble wrap, removed the zip up case and finally the 2 polythene bags each holding 2 sections. She looked at it and said, ‘Oh, it’s a fishing rod.’ Bless her I thought, she is only doing her job!
Now free to go back through security, it is off again with the watch and belt and at the back of the queue again to go through the X-ray and beyond. In the distance I could see Glenda waiting very patiently, as she had been for the last hour or so, clutching what remained of our hand luggage. We just had time for a quick sandwich before we were called for embarkation and the start of our Aegean gulet holiday in Turkey.
There were 16 of us on the boat, 13 women and just 3 chaps. Despite that, (whatever do you mean, Bob?) I set up a rod and tried all sorts of lures but saw nothing big enough to show any interest. I even tried trolling, popping a lure on the surface in the hope of a tuna, but got nothing apart from a twisted line. The 18 year-old deckhand probably spent more time than I did and he never caught, despite his local knowledge. After a few days I put on a float and baited a size 8 hook with bread, or the bright pink Turkish equivalent of Spam. There were fish close to the boat, but they were all too small to get the hook in their mouths.
On the last but one day of the cruise I broke down the rod and gave it to the friendly deckhand who we called Alp as he was a big lump of kid. He was very grateful and I was glad to rid myself of the pesky thing, as I dreaded the reverse trip through Turkish check-in.
As a footnote to the saga, on the last day the fish round the boat were larger and by now I was without the rod. Another passenger wanted a fish so I wrapped a length of mono around a bottle for him and tied on a hook. He caught 6 fish. Whoever said that life was fair?
