The Phillipson Peerless is a classic bamboo fly rod taper by Bill Phillipson. Headwaters builds it to spec as the Rogue, a 7'6" 5-weight 2-piece medium-fast bamboo fly rod, direct from the maker and priced from $500.
Bill Phillipson learned rod making at Granger before founding his own company. His Peerless model is a semi-fast, forgiving taper that feels natural to anglers coming from graphite.
What is the Phillipson Peerless taper?
The taper is the rod's DNA: the way the cane changes thickness from tip to grip, which decides how the rod loads and casts. The Phillipson Peerless is a 7'6" 5-weight 2-piece medium-fast design. Headwaters builds it to spec, not "inspired by," so you get the action Bill Phillipson intended.
How the Rogue casts
The Peerless is a semi-fast, forgiving taper. If you have fished graphite for years, this is the bamboo rod that will feel the most familiar in your hand.
It is built for graphite casters trying bamboo for the first time, and anglers who want a faster, more familiar tempo.
The Headwaters Rogue: the Phillipson Peerless built to spec
Most new bamboo rods with a name taper cost $1,500 to $4,000, with waitlists that can run a year or more. The Rogue is direct from the maker: Favorite Series from $500, Deluxe Series at $600. Every Deluxe rod carries an agate stripping guide, nickel-silver hardware, and hand-wrapped silk, on genuine hex-planed Tonkin cane. It ships with a 30-day trial and a lifetime warranty.
The Phillipson Peerless is a classic bamboo fly rod taper by Bill Phillipson: a 7'6" 5-weight 2-piece medium-fast design. Headwaters builds it to spec as the Rogue.
What is the Rogue bamboo rod good for?
It is built for graphite casters trying bamboo for the first time, and anglers who want a faster, more familiar tempo.
How much does the Rogue cost?
The Rogue is available in the Favorite Series from $500 and the Deluxe Series at $600. It ships with a rod sock and tube, a 30-day trial, and a lifetime warranty.
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