Designed to flow. Engineered to perform.
At Lamson, we believe that every cast should feel natural, effortless—like the gear disappears into your hand and lets the water be your only focus. Whether you pursue small trout in mountain streams or truly big game species in saltwater. That’s why we combine sleek, fluid design and cutting-edge engineering to build reels and rods that balance lightness, strength, and simplicity.
Our Roots: Innovation born of purpose
Our journey began when Waterworks acquired the original Lamson brand in 1998, uniting two legacies of technical design and a shared ethos of elegance in function. But the story goes deeper: the founders, originally from a bike and design background, brought their experience in lightweight components and precision machining into fly fishing. What began with a better fish-release tool evolved into a full line of reels and rods built from the ground up for performance and durability. In 2023 we dropped the Waterworks part of our name to simplify our name.
Operating out of our homebase in Idaho, we travel and test our product in the rivers and waters that inspire us, iterating designs until they feel as natural as the bend of the rod or the tight loops of the line.
What we build: Gear that is so light you might forget it’s there, but commanding enough to demand attention.
Whether you're dialing in a tight cast on a trout stream or sending wind cutting cats to saltwater targets, our equipment is engineered to match your vision of seamless performance and aesthetics.
- Reels: As we’ve said - the performance benchmark for a fly reel is retrieve rate per ounce. There's no downside to high retrieve rate other than the extra weight. Re-imagine what large arbor means, cast out any doubts about swing weight with our design and engineering. With sealed conical drag reliability, large-arbor designs, and a strength-to-weight balance, our reels stand up to big runs while staying nimble.
- Rods & outfits: A rod's performance should not be directly tied to its price tag. Built for everything from small water finesse to big-water aggression, our rods complement our reels perfectly and are designed to shine wherever you fish. We make purpose built actions for specific scenarios as well as easy casting do-it-all rods that are a joy to cast and won’t break the bank.
Every product is a distillation of what matters: eliminate variables, minimize weight, and maximize what you feel at a value and price tiers to get every level of angler on the water.
Why choose Lamson?
- Fluid design — We believe design is useless if it gets in the way. Our gear is crafted to blend in with your style and accentuate your cast.
- Technical heritage — U.S. made metalwork, machining, and precision engineering is at the core of everything we do, pushing rod and reel design in new directions.
- Tested where it counts — Being located in Idaho gives us immediate access to rivers and conditions that challenge gear. What doesn’t hold up here doesn’t make the cut. We also value saltwater readiness. This means frequent trips to saltwater locations to stress test all of our big game gear, making sure it's ready for a true battle where the rules are thrown out.
- Community & continuity — Our commitment extends beyond gear. We build relationships with anglers, guides, and shop owners — listen to feedback, and invest in longevity — your equipment should be a partner on the water and as reliable as the seasons. Try it out, pick the phone and give us a shout. We're here.
See you out there.
We aren’t just makers. We’re anglers—obsessed with the next morning, the next rise, the next tide, the next cast. When you choose Lamson, you’re choosing a partner in pursuit of flow, precision, and a deep connection with wild water.
When things don't go as planned we offer reel repair and rod warranty that puts an emphasis on the quickest turnaround times in the industry. Including rod sections available on demand and 72 repair time limits. We’ll see you back out there in no time.