Leonard Taper Blanks

CLASSIC TAPER SERIES

Leonard Taper Bamboo Fly Rod Blanks

Explore ZHUSROD bamboo rod blanks connected to the Leonard taper profiles in our catalog. Compare line weight, length, sections and measured rod character before choosing a blank for your build.

Catalog era
Golden Age
Country / region
Bangor, Maine / Central Valley, New York, United States
Active years
1871-1980s (historic company)
In this collection
13 blanks
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13 products
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  • Leonard 37 1/2 ACM

    Choose this 6'6", 2-piece profile for dry-fly presentations on creeks and small rivers.

    Specifications

    WT
    2wt
    Length
    6' 6"
    Sections
    2pc

    Character

    Bend
    Tip
    Tempo
    Quick
    Power
    Light

    Casting range

    From $119.00

    Water
    • Creek
    • Small River
    Techniques
    • Dry Fly
    Conditions
    • Tight Cover

    Made to Order

    View blank

  • Leonard Catskill 38L

    Choose this 7', 2-piece profile for dry-fly work and dry-dropper rigs on creeks and small rivers, with its practical window centered on 18-33 feet.

    Specifications

    WT
    2wt
    Length
    7'
    Sections
    2pc

    Character

    Bend
    Mid
    Tempo
    Slow
    Power
    Light

    Casting range

    From $119.00

    Water
    • Creek
    • Small River
    Techniques
    • Dry Fly
    • Dry-Dropper
    Conditions
    • Tight Cover

    Made to Order

    View blank

  • Leonard Baby Catskill

    Choose this 7', 2-piece profile for dry-fly work and dry-dropper rigs on creeks and small rivers, with its practical window centered on 18-37 feet.

    Specifications

    WT
    3wt
    Length
    7'
    Sections
    2pc

    Character

    Bend
    Mid
    Tempo
    Moderate
    Power
    Light

    Casting range

    From $119.00

    Water
    • Creek
    • Small River
    Techniques
    • Dry Fly
    • Dry-Dropper
    Conditions
    • Tight Cover

    Made to Order

    View blank

  • Leonard Tournament

    Choose this 8', 3-piece profile for dry-fly work and dry-dropper rigs on creeks and small rivers, with its practical window centered on 18-41 feet.

    Specifications

    WT
    3wt
    Length
    8'
    Sections
    3pc

    Character

    Bend
    Mid
    Tempo
    Moderate
    Power
    Light

    Casting range

    From $179.00

    Water
    • Creek
    • Small River
    Techniques
    • Dry Fly
    • Dry-Dropper
    Conditions
    • Tight Cover

    Made to Order

    View blank

  • Leonard 38H

    Choose this 7', 2-piece profile for dry-fly work and dry-dropper rigs on small rivers and medium rivers, with its practical window centered on 21-41 feet.

    Specifications

    WT
    4wt
    Length
    7'
    Sections
    2pc

    Character

    Bend
    Mid
    Tempo
    Slow
    Power
    Light

    Casting range

    From $119.00

    Water
    • Small River
    • Medium River
    Techniques
    • Dry Fly
    • Dry-Dropper
    Conditions
    • Open Water

    Made to Order

    View blank

  • Leonard Post Fire

    Choose this 7'6", 3-piece profile for dry-fly presentations on creeks and small rivers.

    Specifications

    WT
    4wt
    Length
    7' 6"
    Sections
    3pc

    Character

    Bend
    Full
    Tempo
    Slow
    Power
    Light

    Casting range

    From $179.00

    Water
    • Creek
    • Small River
    Techniques
    • Dry Fly
    Conditions
    • Tight Cover

    Made to Order

    View blank

  • Leonard 39DH

    Choose this 7'6", 2-piece profile for dry-fly presentations and nymphing on creeks and small rivers.

    Specifications

    WT
    4wt
    Length
    7' 6"
    Sections
    2pc

    Character

    Bend
    Mid
    Tempo
    Quick
    Power
    Light

    Casting range

    From $139.00

    Water
    • Creek
    • Small River
    Techniques
    • Dry Fly
    • Nymph
    Conditions
    • Tight Cover

    Made to Order

    View blank

  • Leonard 7' 3pc 4wt

    Choose this 7', 3-piece profile for dry-fly work and dry-dropper rigs on small rivers and medium rivers, with its practical window centered on 21-41 feet.

    Specifications

    WT
    4wt
    Length
    7'
    Sections
    3pc

    Character

    Bend
    Tip
    Tempo
    Moderate
    Power
    Light

    Casting range

    From $179.00

    Water
    • Small River
    • Medium River
    Techniques
    • Dry Fly
    • Dry-Dropper
    Conditions
    • Open Water

    Made to Order

    View blank

  • Leonard Letort 40

    Choose this 8', 2-piece profile for dry-fly work and dry-dropper rigs on small rivers and medium rivers, with its practical window centered on 21-45 feet.

    Specifications

    WT
    4wt
    Length
    8'
    Sections
    2pc

    Character

    Bend
    Tip
    Tempo
    Quick
    Power
    Light

    Casting range

    From $159.00

    Water
    • Small River
    • Medium River
    Techniques
    • Dry Fly
    • Dry-Dropper
    Conditions
    • Open Water

    Made to Order

    View blank

  • Leonard

    Choose this 9', 3-piece profile for dry-fly presentations, nymphing, and wet-fly work on small rivers and medium rivers.

    Specifications

    WT
    4wt
    Length
    9'
    Sections
    3pc

    Character

    Bend
    Tip
    Tempo
    Quick
    Power
    Medium

    Casting range

    From $179.00

    Water
    • Small River
    • Medium River
    Techniques
    • Dry Fly
    • Nymph
    • Wet Fly
    Conditions
    • Open Water

    Made to Order

    View blank

  • Leonard 50 DF Tournament

    Choose this 8', 2-piece profile for dry-fly work, nymphing, and wet-fly work on small rivers and medium rivers, with its practical window centered on 21-49 feet.

    Specifications

    WT
    5wt
    Length
    8'
    Sections
    2pc

    Character

    Bend
    Mid
    Tempo
    Slow
    Power
    Medium

    Casting range

    From $159.00

    Water
    • Small River
    • Medium River
    Techniques
    • Dry Fly
    • Nymph
    • Wet Fly
    Conditions
    • Open Water

    Made to Order

    View blank

  • Leonard 50DF

    Choose this 8', 3-piece profile for dry-fly presentations and nymphing on small rivers and medium rivers.

    Specifications

    WT
    5wt
    Length
    8'
    Sections
    3pc

    Character

    Bend
    Mid
    Tempo
    Quick
    Power
    Medium

    Casting range

    From $179.00

    Water
    • Small River
    • Medium River
    Techniques
    • Dry Fly
    • Nymph
    Conditions
    • Open Water

    Made to Order

    View blank

  • Leonard Model 50 1/2 Tournament

    Choose this 8'6", 2-piece profile for dry-fly work, nymphing, and wet-fly work on small rivers and medium rivers, with its practical window centered on 21-49 feet.

    Specifications

    WT
    5wt
    Length
    8' 6"
    Sections
    2pc

    Character

    Bend
    Mid
    Tempo
    Moderate
    Power
    Medium

    Casting range

    From $159.00

    Water
    • Small River
    • Medium River
    Techniques
    • Dry Fly
    • Nymph
    • Wet Fly
    Conditions
    • Open Water

    Made to Order

    View blank

THE TAPER BACKGROUND

About H. L. Leonard Rod Company

H. L. Leonard's shop helped establish six-strip bamboo as the American standard and trained makers whose work defined later rodmaking traditions.

Documented design context

An 1873 museum example documents Leonard's early six-strip Calcutta-bamboo construction, a form that came to dominate American rodmaking. Leonard also developed precision machinery and patented ferrule designs that supported consistent production.

The company made a wide range, from delicate Catskill and dry-fly rods to tournament and heavier models. Light-line refinement is an important part of the legacy, but individual model and production period must guide action claims.

Related taper profiles

Related taper designs in the catalog.

  • Leonard Baby Catskill
  • Leonard Letort 40
  • Leonard Tournament
  • Leonard 38H
  • Leonard
  • Leonard 37 1/2 ACM

+7 more referenced profiles

FROM THE ROD MAKER'S BENCH

Read the lineage in context

Historical names provide catalog context. They do not imply original manufacture, authorization, endorsement or an exact match between every historical rod and a current ZHUSROD product.

A few details before you choose

Tips and sections

Tip count and assembled piece count are separate facts.

Ferrule responsibility

Ferruled and unferruled Variants lead to different builder work.

Included items

Only the selected Product page defines what arrives with the blank.

Questions about a build?

Contact ZHUSROD about the product and configuration you are considering.

Leonard Taper Bamboo Fly Rod Blanks

This collection gives builders several distinct Leonard taper references rather than a generic “Leonard blank.” Baby Catskill, Letort 40, 38H, 39DH, Tournament and 50DF designs differ in length, line weight, section count and intended finished proportions.

Plan the Leonard build by model

Start with the exact taper reference, then compare whether the blank is two-piece or three-piece and whether the selected option includes one or two tips. A compact Baby Catskill or Letort 40 build requires different grip and hardware proportions from a long 50DF or Tournament project.

  • Compact trout blanks: keep grip, reel-seat and guide-train weight restrained on Baby Catskill and Letort 40 builds.
  • Classic model planning: compare 38H and 39DH by actual length, line weight and section layout.
  • Longer projects: plan Tournament and 50DF builds around transport, ferrule fit and completed balance.
  • Configuration check: confirm tip count, ferrule option and supplied section arrangement before ordering components.

These blanks are newly made by ZHUSROD from archived Leonard taper references and are not original H. L. Leonard blanks, factory replacement sections or antique components. Review the guide-spacing reference and rod-builder resources during planning. Finished options are available in Leonard taper bamboo fly rods, with components available through rod-building supplies.