The Sevens, Part 1: Phillipson Royal

I think that the fly rod is the coolest tool ever to be invented my mankind. Right behind the fly rod is the Matarelli whip finisher, but that's a story for another day, so let's get back to fly rods. I have cast a lot of fly rods over the years. Not only have I owned a bunch, but I worked at a fly shop for 12 years, so I was able to cast all the rods we sold there. Over the years I have come to appreciate fly rods of seven feet in length. I know they aren't always the most useful fly rod around, like if you are on big water or are chasing muskies, but I usually don't do those things. Seven-footers are very useful on a lot of the streams and ponds that I fish, so I have a special place in my heart for them.

Good thing I like them so much, because I own several! This is the first in a many-part series of posts about some of my seven-foot rods. Each post I will talk about an individual seven-footer, and why I like, or dislike, it so much. First up is my 7 foot, 6 weight Phillipson Royal.

The Phillipson rod company started out making bamboo rods, and switched over to being one of the premiere fiberglass rod builders in the country. I have cast a handful of Phillipson-built glass rods over the years, some of which were silky smooth casting tools, and some of which were clunkers. My Phillipson Royal is one of those silky smooth tools.

I hadn't cast my Royal in a while, so I recently took it out on the lawn to remind me of its virtues. It was fun. Being a 6-weight, this rod has some oomph, but it lays out a delicate presentation as well. I was able to belt out 45-foot casts into the considerable headwind that always encompasses my office building, and when I was casting with the wind, I was able to lay out 60 feet with little effort. I know this because I was casting a 100-foot long double taper fly line that I had cut in half to 50 feet. Let me tell you, seeing the backing never gets old, even if I am just casting half of a line...

I have never had any trouble casting large weighted nymphs and streamers with my Phillipson Royal, but it has the feel I need to cast tiny Blue Wing Olives on a long leader, as well. And every cast ends up right where I want it, as long as I haven't done anything stupid to mess things up.

I love my 7-foot Phillipson Royal. If you have a chance, you should try one for yourself. I think you will like it.

Gear Used: Phillipson Royal Model# RF70C 7' 6wt fiberglass fly rod; Scientific Anglers System 6 fly reel; No-name 6wt DT fly line.