There was a thread in another forum about DIY rod "boxes" (carriers). The ones commercially available run from $150 for the exterior hood/roof mount (hold your breath and don't drive too fast) models to the $500 multi-locking roof safes (semi-)permanently mounted to a rack bolted to the roof of a car/truck canopy. I posted the $2 solution I use. A few guys "liked" the post, and a couple more wrote in saying they used variations of the same solution.

It may be hard to understand but here is the poor man's 3-bungee cord rod holder I've used for years in my SUV to drive from place to place with rigged one-handed rods. They are up out of the way from other cargo so they don't get damaged. It bounces up and down slightly but the reel slipped in between the two rear bungees holds the rods (I've had up to three) pretty securely with a passenger in the rear seat. So far so good.

There are retracting hooks in the roof of my SUV on each side just behind the rear seats to connect a cargo net.
I hook two bungee cords across the hooks. I take another bungee and hook it across the rear passenger grab handles just behind the front seats.

1. Hook the fly to hook keeper or the guide directly above the middle ferrule and reel up the line so it's nearly tight.
2. Separate the rod into two pieces with the rod tip at the ferrule end of the butt-handle section.
2.a Use rubber bands (or something) to hold the divided rod sections' "tips" and butt ends together.
3. Put both rod halves over the three bungees
4. Put the reel between the two rear bungees so it becomes a "stop".

I don't want to put direct links to display my pics but here is a link to my post that has pics. I don't think you need to be a member of the other forum to see the post.

https://www.washingtonflyfishing.com/fo ... st-1518487