GTPopping.com - Giant Trevally, GTPopping, Topwater & GT Fly-Fishing Resource
General => General Topwater & Jigging Discussion => Topic started by: Craig Maree on March 01, 2012, 02:51:54 AM
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I would like to let everyone know on a recent trip to Oman we had a issue with the security officials not letting us through with braid on our reels in our hand luggage. After some begging and pleading they eventually let us go through.
Friends of mine who traveled to the Andaman Islands via Dubai a week later were not so lucky and were made to take the Jerry Brown off their reels.
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That sucks!!! I will be going later in the year and your post is a great heads up! Wonder if anyone else here had faced the same problem??? Having to check-in the reels will be a major headache....... :-\
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Luck of the draw with line and airport security, some let you through others won't. I put all my overhead reels and spools of spinning reels with line in check-in luggage, and if weight is an issue, all the body of spinning reels with my carry on.
Same issue with jigs in carry on, most times they let you through but last year we were stopped in NZ and they wouldn't let us on with jigs.
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it have been years since i dared taking line in my hand lugage
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Just like Michael I would not dream of having lines on any spools in the carry-ons - mostly based on experience in Europe, US and Central America. I was stopped almost ten years ago with two flyreels with lines on when going to Belize through London and Miami. After a lot of discussions they finally agreed that the crew could store the reels during flights and I arrived with lines still on the reels. Last time to Panama they questioned the reels even without spools/line... In November in Dubai they questioned hookless stickbaits and poppers. When weight really becomes an issue I still carry reel bodys, but I am very nervous everytime as nothing seems sure anywhere.
Jonas (Sweden)
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The problem witth this is there are no set rules and it is left largely to the discretion of the security officer. A few weeks ago, some clown at Sydney airport decided to make an issue of a tiny SS popper which I use as a key ring. I was just astounded.
On a previous trip to NC, the security officer had no problem with Konishi San's reels and most of his lures but got himself all concerned about the biggest Gammas which I think he thought could be used as a club. In the end, I think they decided Konishi San didn't look threatening!
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Just went through Dubai as well to Oman. I never carry lines on hand carry anymore as customs always have a problem with them. Customs in Dubai did ask us to take out our reels to show them and when they saw that there are no lines on them, they waved us through.
But in Muscat, be warned - customs initially didn't allow us to hand carry our reels even without lines and wanted us to go back out and check all the reels in. We made a fuss and the senior officer came by and told us it's ok to hand carry them. Hopefully by now the junior customs people in Muscat would have seen enough of these reels going through
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Cheers for the heads up, will be traveling through Dubai and Muscat this weekend. Will put spools in checked baggage as usual and bring my reels on carry on. Hopefully no problems in Muscat with the reels.
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I simply don't understand why people run the gauntlet. Simply check spools into your luggage. You'll get stung one day if you think you are lucky!
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Dubai is very strict on this.
If you are travelling to fish Oman coming from Asia look at flying Oman Air. You can go direct to Muscat (with connections to Salalah if you are fishing the south) from KL and Bangkok. I had no issues at all carrying loaded reels through Muscat or Salalah - not even a question.
Likewise within Asia I never have problems with loaded reels.
In Europe and North America I have always checked spools and hand-carried reels minus the spools.
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Be very careful with your spools in checked in luggage. In transport I had two spool bottoms flattened sideways and had to force them back by hand as best I could. 1 was a 2508 Daiwa Exist and the other a 3500HD Custom Daiwa spool. They have never been the same now that the centre of gravity has been thrown out of wack.
They were inside an explorer sock each and packed into a tight fitting Tupperware container in the centre of the bag surrounded by clothes and still manager to get crushed, the bags must cop a beating airside!
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You never know exactly what to expect...some years ago some official at Frankfurt Airport made me take my Stella 10K (without spool) out of my hand luggage and put in in my suitcase, while my brother who was next in line had no issue with his Stella which was in a similar reelcase...
I use the Shimano spoolcase, which is nu guarantee my spools will stay intact, but at least gives me a better feeling about putting the spools in my suitcase separately...
I never have the spools with line in my handluggage, but in April we have a stopover at Dubai airport...we will see if they come up with something unexpected!
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Being from the UK and having to Travel the World for any decent fishing, I learnt Just after 9/11 to check all my fishing gear. Each airport security official is different.
Last year I was pulled over for a bag search at Melbourne Airport went through the bag with a fine tooth comb and gave me a verbal warning because I hadn't declared the wooden flybox. Luckily for me he fished and said on this occasion I could keep it but to make sure I declared it next time or it would be confiscated first time I've ever had a problem with a wooded flybox. There is ways a first time for anything. 3 years ago Security at Miami confiscated my mate fishing pliers which he had forgotten were in his fishing bag he was using as carry on.
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I cant understand why line is an issue when they let shoe laces, belts, hair ties even turbans!!!! All of these things could be used just like fishing line. It is just ridiculous.
I have been questioned on lures in both Sydney and Rockhampton but sanity won on both occasions.
Chris
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When are they going to ban muscly guys and ultimate fighter type people on planes? I think they could do slightly more damage than my spool of freeking fishing line. Clowns.
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A lot of this is just absolute stupidity. A nail clipper is banned as a deadly dangerous item but you can bring bottles onto the plane. I'd suggest that a broken bottle would do a bit more damage than a nail clipper but perhaps there is some long lost martial art that utilises nail clippers in a deadly manner than I am unaware of. :o
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Is Chris Tan allowed to get on planes Brandon..?
A body Slam could almost certainly see a plane go down... ???
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I think we can put Chris into the category Andrew was talking about ;D
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Oi! >:(
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Howzit Guys, We travel quite a bit from Dubai to Muscat, Salalah, Maldives and Seychelles and you cannot take any form of line, leaders, reels with line on the spool, flyreels nothing. This is mainly on the middle east airlines like Oman Air, Emirates, Ettihad, Qatar Air, Gulf Air. You might get away with it once or twice but they will catch you and make you go back and check it into luggage or if you are in a rush or not so lucky you will have to leave the line behind which can be a bugga up. We have had clients going to Maldives that they have made them cut off all the line off all the reels in front of them! Not a great start to the trip......
We have found that we can take big poppers, stickbaits and jigs in our hand luggage, we do get stopped and just say it is fishing equipment and they normally wave you through. So does not really make sense. But please if you do get stopped do not argue with the guys, UAE and Oman is basically military states and they don't take any crap even if you are in the right. We have learnt the hard way. Just agree with the guys and try make another plan. But best is to check everything through in luggage.
Hope this helps a bit, if anyone has any queries or needs any additional info send me a PM.
Cheers,
Nick
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A lot of this is just absolute stupidity. A nail clipper is banned as a deadly dangerous item but you can bring bottles onto the plane. I'd suggest that a broken bottle would do a bit more damage than a nail clipper but perhaps there is some long lost martial art that utilises nail clippers in a deadly manner than I am unaware of.
I agree very stupid as in business class I understand that they actually give you a normal knife and fork!!!! Do they think only economy class passengers are at threat?
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Yes, business class went back to the steel knife a little while back. It was plastic knifes for quite a few years. It really would be interesting to try to understand why a nail clipper is so dangerous though!
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its may well be if you used your nail clippers to clip you nails it may just go into the eyes of other people ,That maybe why lol .
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I went through Dubai and did't have problems.
11 September paranoid......... >:(
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Yes, business class went back to the steel knife a little while back. It was plastic knifes for quite a few years. It really would be interesting to try to understand why a nail clipper is so dangerous though!
Flying by Emirates this week all classes(economy included) used steel knife.
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Yes, business class went back to the steel knife a little while back. It was plastic knifes for quite a few years. It really would be interesting to try to understand why a nail clipper is so dangerous though!
Flying by Emirates this week all classes(economy included) used steel knife.
Second that, steel knives all round on Emirates.
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Dubai is very strict on this.
If you are travelling to fish Oman coming from Asia look at flying Oman Air. You can go direct to Muscat (with connections to Salalah if you are fishing the south) from KL and Bangkok. I had no issues at all carrying loaded reels through Muscat or Salalah - not even a question.
Likewise within Asia I never have problems with loaded reels.
In Europe and North America I have always checked spools and hand-carried reels minus the spools.
Hi Mark, what is the max weight for the check-in luggage and how many pieces can we check-in if i took Oman Air to Salalah?
thanks
izhan
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Hi Wan
Pretty sure it was a 30 kg limit in economy class. I checked in about 28 kgs - 1 carmate with 6 rods and 1 large Shimano bag which had a few clothes and loads of gear in it. I did not pay any extra baggage charges. Oman Air is a very decent airline. I was impressed with the KL to Muscat flight.
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Hi Wan
Pretty sure it was a 30 kg limit in economy class. I checked in about 28 kgs - 1 carmate with 6 rods and 1 large Shimano bag which had a few clothes and loads of gear in it. I did not pay any extra baggage charges. Oman Air is a very decent airline. I was impressed with the KL to Muscat flight.
Many thanks Mark, good to hear the 30kg limit. BTW, where can i buy extra baggage weight i.e another 5kg is surely nice!! How many hours from KL to Salalah?
izhan
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Izhan: http://www.omanair.com/wy/ (http://www.omanair.com/wy/)
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Hi Wan
Pretty sure it was a 30 kg limit in economy class. I checked in about 28 kgs - 1 carmate with 6 rods and 1 large Shimano bag which had a few clothes and loads of gear in it. I did not pay any extra baggage charges. Oman Air is a very decent airline. I was impressed with the KL to Muscat flight.
Many thanks Mark, good to hear the 30kg limit. BTW, where can i buy extra baggage weight i.e another 5kg is surely nice!! How many hours from KL to Salalah?
izhan
I just traveled with both Emirates and Oman Air and I checked in 3 pieces (carmate, clothes bag and large tackle bag) which was just under 35kg and on all legs (Australia to Dubai, Dubai to Muscat, Muscat to Salalah) no questions were asked and I not once paid an excess baggage charge 8) Thumbs up to the middle eastern airlines ;)
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Hi, Wan,
Oman Air is giving us 30kg each. That's 120 kg shared among 4.
Our flight from KL to Muscat is approx 7 hours followed by another 1.5 hours from Muscat to Salalah.
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And then 3 hours with Ahmed the driver, doing 180-200 kmh :). It's an experience :).
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And then 3 hours with Ahmed the driver, doing 180-200 kmh :). It's an experience :).
An experience is an understatement Mark 8)
180-200 kph is no exaggeration either!
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Hi, Wan,
Oman Air is giving us 30kg each. That's 120 kg shared among 4.
Our flight from KL to Muscat is approx 7 hours followed by another 1.5 hours from Muscat to Salalah.
Many thanks Lim.
I presume Oman Air transits in Bangkok.
Loaded reels can be handcarrried?
Any issues with Thai and Muscat's custom?
Is the lodge at Hallinayat Island ready? how far from the fishing ground?
izhan
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Izhan, if you check the Oman Air link I gave you will see that most flights go direct KL - Muscat. Avoid the time wasting transit in Bangkok.
Omani customs are very straightforward.
Your question about staying on The Hallaniyat Islands would be best directed by email to the operator you are fishing with. If that option is available and you choose it, be prepared for very basic facilities.
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I live in the UAE and travel quite a bit out of Dubai Airport, one thing ive learnt .. EXPECT the UNEXPECTED , they have even take to confiscating Biltong :P
@Mark , im doing my first trip to stay out on Hallaniyat island in 2 weeks.
Have you stayed on the island ?? How basic is basic ?? Is there anything in particular (over and above tons of fishing tackle) i should pack ??
We are talking about a fishing village in the middle of nowhere , basic is the name of the game i think ! :D
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Hi Barry
I have not stayed on Hallaniyat only on the mainland at Shuwaymiah. From talking to the operators in Shuwaymiah, facilities are pretty basic on the islands, particularly in regard to hygiene. Given it is only a 45 minute crossing, on an arduous fishing trip I think I would prefer some comforts, eliminate the risks of getting sick on a very expensive trip, and stay on the mainland!
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Thanks a million Mark,
Sounds like the operators are trying to do a bit of "competive advertising" if you ask me !
Ive stayed on the mainland and 4 people sharing a shower and toilet is not exactly the most hygienic setup neither, BUT in the name of catching monster GT's we are always more then prepaired to rough it a bit :D
IMHO, The hour you lose traveling out to the islands is a massive advantage for the guys out on the island, and me being the amateur that i am, i need every bit of help i can get :)
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As the mainland operators I know of also offer the option of staying on the islands, probably not on the competitive advertising point :).
Best of luck with your fishing. That area has been producing very good fish in between the bad weather in the past 2 months.
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Hi, Wan,
Oman Air is giving us 30kg each. That's 120 kg shared among 4.
Our flight from KL to Muscat is approx 7 hours followed by another 1.5 hours from Muscat to Salalah.
Many thanks Lim.
I presume Oman Air transits in Bangkok.
Loaded reels can be handcarrried?
Any issues with Thai and Muscat's custom?
Is the lodge at Hallaniyat Island ready? how far from the fishing ground?
izhan
Hi Izhan.
Starting from Hallaniyat the nearest point is 5 minutes and the farthest 50 minutes. ;)
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Thanks a million Mark,
Sounds like the operators are trying to do a bit of "competive advertising" if you ask me !
Ive stayed on the mainland and 4 people sharing a shower and toilet is not exactly the most hygienic setup neither, BUT in the name of catching monster GT's we are always more then prepaired to rough it a bit :D
IMHO, The hour you lose traveling out to the islands is a massive advantage for the guys out on the island, and me being the amateur that i am, i need every bit of help i can get :)
On a good day the travel out to the islands in only 40 minutes and it's negligible really... but if you're really concerned about it just get out of bed earlier - you can be at the islands just after sunrise if you really want. IMO the comforts gained by staying on the mainland are a huge advantage for the guys staying at the lodge as we all know how physically demanding GT popping is there's nothing quite like starting the day feeling nice and refreshed 8)
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Afternoon,
Hope everyone is well. I don't normally comment on posts that are not based on our reports or me trying to provide information or advise as I don't see the value getting involved in negative posts that do not really have any benefit to anyone as no one will admit they are wrong but in this case I feel that there is a bit of misrepresentation in comments and in perception that have been posted regarding our and our partners operation in Southern Oman.
Us as Ocean Active and Al Husn have both villas on the mainland in Shuwaymiuyah and on the Hallaniyat Islands, so we operae from both locations and have the best of both worlds. Operating in Oman and especially Southern Oman is a huge logistical job and in so doing you'll find there will be issues that sometimes need to be overcome or plan Bs put in place. We have chosen to mainly operate off the island as this cuts down time from towing the boat from the villa to the marina in the morning and evening and an open ocean crossing. If the weather is perfect which is rarely this time of year you might be able to make the island in 1.5 hours each way with launching the boat and crossing to the islands, this is traveling at a safe speed. We have chosen to operate off the island as this gives us a additional few hours fishing each day because we are 3 minutes from the fishing grounds and also we fish early morning, come back for lunch and relax take a shower and be fresh for the afternoon session, then fish late into the evening as we leave the boat in the water in our marina which is 100m from our villa. We do this so there is not so much pressure on the fish with to many boats and also so we can fish the best times of the day. We are also able to change equipment or tactics through the day depending on conditions and fishing as we can get back to the villa. We are able to fish when the weather is bad as we can fish different sides of the island which are protected from the wind ensuring we fish additional days a season.
As for the island and villa we have 10 rooms with 3 en suite rooms with bathrooms, there is high pressure showers, rooms cleaned everyday, laundry done everyday if required, walk in cold rooms for food storage, fresh food and meals everyday. We also have a 70ft dhow arriving from Salalah every 3-4 days with fresh supplies and fuel. So not sure how this is not hygienic or how hygiene is even an issue as we have not had any incidents in the passed and I have been using the island for the last 4 years? It is a lot more hygienic than when we were operating from the mainland and a whole lot easier on the clients as we are traveling less, relaxing for a bit during midday when fishing is slow and we have a large team of people running logistics from dhows, to cleaners to trucks transporting clients. So clients have the best chance at trophy fish and still get to relax and enjoy the Omani hospitality. We have also opened up our marina and villa to other operators when they have had boat trouble and not been able to get back to the mainland due to bad weather and we have not had complaints from their staff or clients. We have also had some very well travelled GT clients stay with us in Southern Oman like Mogi-san from Pro Shop Mogi, Minami-san President of Hots, Chris Tang from Wei World, Sami from Saltywater Tackle and my biggest critic my Father who is 71 yeas old and if he can stay on the island then anyone can. All of the above will be coming back and we had no complaints.
We operate off the island with 2 x 39ft Center Consoles plus two villas and have a lot of logistics that we run and this is reflected in our price and service. We operate in Dubai UAE, Fujairah UAE, Musandam Oman, Maldives, Seychelles, Mozambique and next season North Carolina USA. We have a lot of experience in this region from the last decade and we are here to promote the popping and jigging community. There are operators in all of these destinations that we operate and all of us have pros and cons, no one is perfect. But I hope in future if anyone posts information about our operation that the facts are correct and clients can make their own decisions based on reputation, price, requirements etc.
If anyone has any comments or queries please send me a PM and I'm happy to answer any queries or provide any information. We are here to provide a good service and the other operators in the Southern Oman run good operations according to their goals and capabilities and at least clients have a choice on who they want to use depending on their requirements so in all competition is good but not good when information is misleading.
Cheers,
Nick