Rod holder
A molded slot or strap loop on a pack that secures a rod upright so your hands are free.
On a backpack it is usually a cup at the bottom that the rod butt drops into and a strap higher up that closes around the blank. Most packs hold one or two rods. It sounds like a minor feature until you are trying to retie a leader, take a photo or climb a bank while holding a rod in your teeth.
It also matters for carrying a second rod rigged with a different bait, which is how most people avoid retying constantly.
Check that the strap closes above the reel seat, not around the reel itself, and that the rod sits close to the pack rather than sticking out where it will catch every branch.
Two-piece and four-piece rods change the calculation entirely, since a broken-down rod goes inside the pack rather than strapped to the outside of it. For anyone walking through brush, that is the better answer.
Walk through brush with the rod tip pointing behind you, not in front. Tips break on the way to the water more often than on the water.
Related terms
Where this comes up
The guides that use rod holder and show it on real gear.
Rod holder is one of 206 terms in the glossary.
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