Split Cane Fly Rods

Rawson hand planed fly rods are made using the finest A grade Chinese Tonkin bamboo. Each bamboo culm is carefully selected to mach the purpose of the rod. The bamboo is tempered and coloured to the customers request.

The cane is split, straightened and hand planed from their rough shape all the way to their final taper dimensions. Each of the six pieces for each section is quality checked before being glued and bound together.

Handles are made using the finest flor grade cork and hand shaped to the customers desired style.

Blued nickel silver ferrules are carefully installed and lapped, before our handmade hardwood reelseat is attached, complete with blued fittings.

The rings are then marked out to perfectly match the true action of the bamboo.

Whippings are hand turned with exceptional attention to detail. Using only the finest silk thread ensures that the result is a perfect flow that compliments the coloured cane.

The wraps are then fully saturated with our varnish to prevent cracking in the future. The blank gets a series of coats of varnish creating a ‘glass-like’ finish.

Rawson cane rods are made with great care and patience, ensuring the final result is a thing of beauty, but also very practical. The rods are made to critical tolerances and with great precision.

All of the Rawson bamboo fly fishing rods are supplied with a hand sewn cotton bag as well as a sturdy aluminium tube.

Below are our signature fly rods but if you’d like something a little different, please don’t hesitate to contact us with your requirements.

— £925-975 —

The Rawson Monarch range is a collection of fast modern tapers designed and tested by us. They are essentially an updated and improved version of our old ‘Sir series’.

These rods leave the common misconceptions about split cane rods being ‘slow’, ‘heavy’ and ‘unresponsive’ firmly in the past.

All of the rods are hollow built, include a mortised butt and come with black tipped clear whippings and blued ferrules, rings and fittings. Other colour options are available.

The Monarch range comprises of three rods that should cover most of the general uses for fly rods in the UK.

All of the Monarch range are two piece rods. The listed prices are for the single tip version, however a mirrored tip can be supplied at extra cost.

Starting with an 8 foot 5 weight, it’s regarded as an ‘all rounder’. This rod is a great rod to take to medium and large sized waters, both still and running. [£975]

In the middle is a 7 foot 4 weight, ideal for streams and rivers. [£950]

Last but not least, a 6 foot 3 weight perfect for those small streams and brooks. [£925]

Small Stream Special

— £900 —

The ‘SSS’ is the perfect rod for fishing those incredible, intimate and rewarding streams and brooks that at first seem inaccessible.

The rod is five feet in length with a responsive tip and powerful swelled mortised butt, invaluable in those tricky tight spots. The Small Stream Special is rated for a #3 weight line.

The rod is available in two options, a 5′ one piece and a two piece with bamboo ferrules.

The one piece option gives uninterrupted performance and slightly better roll casting abilities. The bamboo ferruled option allows the user to easily transport the rod to their venue of choice.

Either rod with its mortised butt gives a striking appearance and the ultimate in small stream experience.

The rod is finished to our usual standards with bottle green whippings and with blued rings and reelseat fittings. Other colours are available.

Esox Lucius

— £975 —

Esox Lucius is the first split cane fly rod specifically designed to handle the hard fighting Pike. With fly fishing for Pike becoming more and more popular we’re very pleased with this rod.

The ‘steely’ taper incorporates a slightly swelled butt as well as hollowing to ensure the butt is meaty enough to handle big fish, yet still light enough to comfortably fish with throughout the day.

With the addition of a fighting butt and an uplocking reel fitting, you really do feel in control of the situation when playing a fish.

The rod is fitted with generous sized snake rings to make those fast darting strips that give the life to the fly seem even easier than ever.

This rod was designed to target pike on rivers. However, it is equally as happy aboard a boat on a reservoir, working it’s way along a drain on the levels or searching for Pike on your local canal.

Esox Lucius is available in either 7’6, 8′ or 8’6 lengths, all two pieces and all capable of throwing an 8 weight line coupled with BIG flies.

The rod is finished to our usual standards and with the usual choice of whipping colours, although we really recommend deep green and golden yellow as a tribute to the Pike’s camouflage.