Phillipson Taper Blanks

CLASSIC TAPER SERIES

Phillipson Taper Bamboo Fly Rod Blanks

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

Catalog era
Renaissance
Country / region
Denver, Colorado, United States
Active years
1946-1972; bamboo production continued to 1974 under 3M
In this collection
3 blanks
3 products
3 products
Sort by:
Alphabetically, A-Z
Filter and sort Filter
Filter and sort
Filter
  • Phillipson Peerless

    Choose this 7', 2-piece profile for dry-fly work, nymphing, and wet-fly work on small rivers and medium rivers, with its practical window centered on 21-45 feet.

    Specifications

    WT
    5wt
    Length
    7'
    Sections
    2pc

    Character

    Bend
    Mid
    Tempo
    Moderate
    Power
    Medium

    Casting range

    From $119.00

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

    Made to Order

    View blank
  • Phillipson Pacemaker

    Choose this 8', 3-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
    3pc

    Character

    Bend
    Mid
    Tempo
    Moderate
    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
  • Phillipson Smuggler

    Choose this 7'6", 4-piece profile for nymphing and light streamers on large rivers and stillwaters.

    Specifications

    WT
    6wt
    Length
    7' 6"
    Sections
    4pc

    Character

    Bend
    Mid
    Tempo
    Moderate
    Power
    Medium

    Casting range

    From $224.64

    Water
    • Large River
    • Stillwater
    Techniques
    • Nymph
    • Light Streamer
    Conditions
    • Open Water
    • Wind

    Made to Order

    View blank

THE TAPER BACKGROUND

About Phillipson

Bill Phillipson carried Granger production experience into a postwar Denver company that built practical bamboo and later fiberglass rods for Western fishing.

Documented design context

Phillipson's bamboo lines combined standardized production with clearly tiered named models, including Premium, Paramount, Pacemaker, and Peerless. The designs reflect the needs of Western rivers and a maker with both factory and tournament-casting experience.

Bamboo production was concentrated in the late 1940s and early 1950s before fiberglass became central to the company. Model, length, section count, and intended line remain necessary because the catalog ranged from all-purpose trout rods to stronger specialty designs.

Related taper profiles

Related taper designs in the catalog.

  • Phillipson Smuggler
  • Phillipson Pacemaker
  • Phillipson Peerless

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.