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 a poor man's 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) *very securely with a passenger in the back 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 now wrap one bungee over the other a couple of times to make ><><>< "slots" to secure the reels into, that prevents forward- backward and lateral movement of the rods. I take another bungee and hook it across the rear passenger grab handles.
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. *Reel in and hook the fly into the tip guide. Reel up the line so it's nearly tight but loose enough to separate the rod into two halves.
2. Separate the rod into two pieces with the tip at the end of the butt-handle section. Then reel in the slack to keep the fly in the tip.
2.a Use rubber bands (or something) to hold the divided rod sections' "tip" and butt end together.
3. Put both rod halves over the three bungees
4. Put the reel between the *two rear bungee ><><|>< "slots" 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 to the other forum 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