“Bury Me With My Phillipson Bamboo Fly Rods,” Part III

Finally — the last installment of my series on Phillipson Bamboo Fly Rods.

Missed the earlier installments? Click to read Part I and Part II. Otherwise, feel free to add Phillipson-related comments at the bottom.

Due to the length, you’ll have to click the “Read More” link below to read the whole thing.

Enjoy!

Bury Me With My Phillipson Bamboo Fly Rods — The Final Installment

What’s most remarkable about Phillipson’s bamboo fly rods is that – for all their fishability and bulletproof construction — they weren’t designed to empty the pocketbooks of the wealthy.

Phillipson’s rods – along with Heddons and Grangers (remember, Phillipson supervised Granger production after Goodwin Granger’s death in the early 1930s) – occupy a narrow niche in the fly rod continuum.

That niche? Production fly rods that cast and fish as well as any rod, but do so at a price that almost anyone could afford.

A varnished Power-Pakt (refinished).

A worthy goal, and his success in achieving it drives me to declare Bill Phillipson the most under-appreciated builder of the bamboo’s “Golden Age.”

And — unlike so many of the more famous Eastern builders (who died paupers) – Phillipson’s rod building company was successful, and remained so after the market switched to fiberglass rods in the early 50s.

Phillipson’s Bamboo Fly Rods

While the prices for his rods varied – his early rods ranged from $20 to $75 – his least-expensive 8.5’ rod used the same exact taper as the most-expensive 8.5′ taper.

So while his high-end models featured high-graded cane, silk wraps and (sometimes) better reel seats than the cheaper models, they all fished pretty much the same.

When he started selling bamboo in 1946, his lineup was simple (from least to most expensive):

• Pacemaker
• Power-Pakt
• Paramount
• Premium

The next year he added the Paragon to the bottom of the line ($19.95) , but by all accounts, his Pacemaker was his most popular rod.

I’ve owned two Pacemakers and frankly, they fished on a par with my top-of-the-line Premiums – a reality that didn’t escape the rod buyers of the time.

With little difference between grades, all that’s really left are the different lengths, tapers and finishes, which varied over time.

For example, his varnished rods reigned supreme in the latter half of the 1940s, but in the early 1950s, Phillipson added the impregnated Peerless and Preferred models to the line, after which time his varnished rods didn’t occupy much space in his catalog.

Instead, fiberglass and impregnated bamboo (lower maintenance) rods were Phillipson’s best sellers.

A well-used Peerless Impregnated rod; redder than the caramel-colored varnished rods.

Phillipson’s Tapers

Bill Phillipson’s rods were built to handle the larger fish, bigger rivers and windier conditions often found in the West.

Over a day of fishing, you could expect to encounter everything from a small stream with little fish to a big river, big fish, and a little wind.

A rod capable of handling those conditions probably wouldn’t be shorter than 8′, and it certainly wouldn’t offer a spongy action like so many of the Eastern wands.

Still, it’s interesting how many people dismiss Phillipson’s rods as “Western wind rods,” yet rave about the Granger tapers, many of which differ only slightly from the Phillipson tapers.

It’s true that I find Phillipson’s short rods a little on the strong side; the 7’ and 7.5’ Phillipsons aren’t (in my opinion) his best tapers.

I once owned a 7.5’ 5wt Phillipson Premium, and though it was a good taper, it was a strong 5wt – a stronger rod than I’d ever use in a 7.5′ rod.

Since it didn’t measure up to any of the four Phillipson 8’ rods I owned, I sold it. Then again, I don’t get warm and fuzzy about most 7′ and 7.5′ rods, so perhaps I’m a poor analyst.

8′ Tapers: the Fly Rod Sweet Spot

When you pick up and wiggle a 8’ or 8.5’ Phillipson, you’ve landed squarely on the Phillipson Rod Company’s sweet spot.

I’d stack these tapers against any produced by more famous (and more expensive) builders, with only a handful of far more expensive rods truly providing alternatives.

I own several Phillipson 8’ 5wts, and while my early model “Premium” is a lighter-actioned rod than my late-model Peerless impregnated rods, all exhibit an unbelievably sweet, smooth action.

The later rods are particularly suited to everything from flinging a small dry to chunking a weighted stonefly nymph – a claim you can’t make with many of the delicate, light-tipped tapers favored by collectors.

I find Phillipson 8′ rods equally at home in situations ranging from a small freestoner to a fast-moving drift boat.

They load and unload smoothly and without hinging, and yet they’re remarkably light in the hand. Indeed, many times I’ve laid out a long cast with one, and figured I somehow just cheated gravity.

The 8.5′ Rods: Fishing Tapers for Fishermen

Bamboo rods in the 8.5′ 5wt format are a problem for even modern rod builders. That’s the point where bamboo can start to feel a little heavy, and building a taper that feels light in the hand yet fishes beautifully becomes a challenge.

Phillipson’s “standard” 8.5′ taper straddles this difficult fence beautifully; I’ve seen it described as a “Western wind rod,” a great “all-around” stick, and even as the ideal rod for fishing small flies to savvy fish.

Conflicting representations? Sure. Indicators that this rod can perform many different functions?

Surely.

The top is an elliptical “hammer handle” grip on a Premium. The bottom is the “Torpedo” style. Note the highly functional lightweight metal reel seats.

Much has been written about the qualities of the Granger 8642 (an 8.5′ 5wt), yet little mention is made of the nearly identical Phillipson version of the rod.

Michael Sinclair – noted rod historian and author – once told me that when Bill Phillipson started the Phillipson rod company, he built his 8.5′ taper by retaining the best qualities of the Granger 8642, modifying the rod only slightly.

As a result, the 8.5′ Phillipson casts a DT5 line beautifully, yet fishes wonderfully even at close range.

In my opinion, the only rods that truly surpass it might be a few hollowbuilt numbers – rods far too labor-intensive for any production builder to make.

In addition to his “standard” 8.5 taper, Phillipson later introduced the “Dry Fly Special” – a faster taper that cast best with a 6wt and presaged the industry trend towards steeper rod tapers.

I’m not overly enamored of the Dry Fly Special (despite owning two of them), but admit that it’s an easier rod for most to cast, and its popularity can’t be denied. It’s an excellent windy day rod and like all Phillipsons, it’s bulletproof.

Other Phillipson Tapers

I own a 9′ Phillipson, and find it a useful rod on lakes, but it’s pushing the boundary of comfort over the course of a day. 9.5′ Phillipsons were also produced, but they’re relatively rare on the market, and a handful on the water.

Phillipson also produced a 4-pc Smuggler travel rod, a Haywood Zephyr, a handful of private label rods (for LL Bean, Abercrombie & Fitch, and others), and few odds and ends.

Still, fishermen will primarily be interested in Phillipson’s 7.5′ – 8.5′ rods.

The Fiberglass Era

By the early 1950s, fiberglass fly rods quickly grew to dominate the fly rod industry. Phillipson liked fiberglass for its low cost, ease of manufacturing, lighter weight and lower manufacturing costs, and wholeheartedly embraced the material.

Indeed, his glass rods are widely regarded as the finest of the era, with only a few custom builders challenging his superiority.

Phillipson invented the first pressurized curing system, where fiberglass blanks were cured in a pressurized bag – a technique that eliminated strength-sapping voids in the blank wall.

He also worked with fiberglass supplier 3M – the company that eventually bought the Phillipson Rod company – in the development of uni-directional fiberglass pre-peg for use in rods.

His Epoxite rods represented the height of glass rod production, and his Epoxite Registered Midge rods (6.5′ 4wt and 5wt rods that were ahead of their time) are rarely seen, and sell in the four-figure range.

Today’s Phillipsons

Phillipson’s bamboo rods haven’t enjoyed the demand from collectors other rods do – a fact appreciated by those of us who love them for their fishing qualities.

Indeed, while Granger prices grew to stratospheric levels, Phillipsons lagged, though in today’s vintage bamboo rod market, nothing comes cheap.

Less than ten years ago, a good condition 8.5′ Phillipson could be bought for as little as $250, and within the last ten years, I acquired a pair of great-condition 8′ Phillipsons for $350 apiece.

Bargains at twice the price.

Today, excellent+ condition 8′ Phillipsons are more often found in the $500-$900 range, with the 8.5′ rods a little less expensive.

Compared to Grangers and many of the more-hyped rods from eastern builders, they’re still an excellent deal.

Phillipson rods were never built for display under glass, and in today’s collector-oriented atmosphere, that’s a one-way trip to the “we’re not interested” zone.

That’s too bad for them, but good for those of us who simply like to fish the things – as Bill Phillipson clearly intended.

See you on the river (Phillipson in hand), Tom Chandler.

A 1952 Phillipson ad. By 1953, fiberglass rods reigned, and the bamboo was mostly impregnated rods. (click the image to see a larger version of the scan.)

[tags]fly fishing, bamboo fly rod, phillipson, phillipson fly rod, phillipson bamboo fly rod, fly rod[/tags]