Phil Yearout
10-18-2025, 05:50 PM
I have some beautiful bamboo and graphite fly rods and love them all, but lately I've been enthralled with vintage glass rods. I was browsing a local antique mall the other day and saw this rod: Johnson Profile by Phillipson. Knowing nothing about it I passed but it just wouldn't leave my head. I went to the Fiberglass Flyrodders site and asked a few questions, and the more I read the more interested I got, so I went back and dickered a bit on the price and it came home with me; a Series 800 7'6" 2pc rod, rated as a 6wt. The last thing I needed was another rod, especially a 6wt, but hey?
I'm kinda anal about matching rods with reels so I set about finding something era-correct and came across Johnson Magnetic reels; was totally unfamiliar with them. They have no gears, discs, etc.; the spool is held in with a magnet on the spindle which also acts as the drag. Well, that's just weird enough to peak my interest, so I shot an offer for one with spare spool on ebay that I figured would be declined, and lo and behold, I own it. When it arrived I saw it's engraved with a previous owner's name: Lou Johnson. Weird.
Anyway, feels really good lawn casting; hoping to get it on the water soon...
https://i.imgur.com/BWQ8vKil.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/DMIxQG8l.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/rYyQH4Sl.jpg
I'm kinda anal about matching rods with reels so I set about finding something era-correct and came across Johnson Magnetic reels; was totally unfamiliar with them. They have no gears, discs, etc.; the spool is held in with a magnet on the spindle which also acts as the drag. Well, that's just weird enough to peak my interest, so I shot an offer for one with spare spool on ebay that I figured would be declined, and lo and behold, I own it. When it arrived I saw it's engraved with a previous owner's name: Lou Johnson. Weird.
Anyway, feels really good lawn casting; hoping to get it on the water soon...
https://i.imgur.com/BWQ8vKil.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/DMIxQG8l.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/rYyQH4Sl.jpg