Michael Asimos : Fishing on the Road

I saw this really nice fly reel this morning: at Abel's Reels and it got me thinking about how much I love fishing when I'm on my adventure.

Sometimes I like to rough it in a different sense and not bring any main food prep items. I will, of course, pack emergency food like high protein bars, but I like to try my hand at fishing when location and temperature make getting lucky probable.

Along with checking the fishing reports for the immediate areas I'm gonna be in, I try to camp along the river or lake so that I don't have to travel far to get started. Plus I really like the sound of rushing water, crickets, frogs and birds.

I always have the emergency line and hook in with my kit, but I have never used it. I've used something similar to the Ronco Pocket Fisherman (see right) with a little success. It's fairly lightweight and so small that it fits inside of my pack easily. I have a small bait kit that I put together after I read the fishing report and figure out what all I need to bring.
The Pocket Fisherman isn't the most comfortable to hold all day though, so if you're wanting something that is lightweight and won't wear out your hands, I recommend the Ultralight Fishing Rod and Reel Combo at 4.55 oz. I've had it handle some hefty bass and trout with no problem at all.

Do you have a favorite rod and reel combo for backpacking?