Agree with the previous posters. I travel with fly rods that are only two piece and therefore can not be broken down into a size that would fit in the overhead bins. I put them in their aluminium cases and then in a large paded carrying case (which most agents think is some type of bag for golf clubs).
When originating in ORD, I'm usually directed to the oversize luggage area to deposit them. In IND, they just go into the regular luggage conveyer. I would strongly advise carrying more fragile items (such as reels, flies and smaller equipment) as carryon. However, if you are going on a domestic Canadian flight and have to clear customs and recheck bags, the Canadian security will NOT allow most smaller fishing items mentioned previously as carry on. After checking the duffle bag and flyrods, I have to go to a "special service area" and they wrap my carryon in plastic, label it fragile (so far - knock on wood - there's been no damage) and check it on my domestic flight. I would also check your rods immediately after claiming them in the baggage area. There have been reports (usually from S.American flights) where rods have been removed from the cases. Be aware.