If a double haul is required for casting in the wind, tap it lightly and expect a confident response. While it's more of a medium / medium-fast action rod, it's a totally different rod than the 8' 4wt and we thought it added a valuable dimension to the rod series as a whole. Best Use: This is a dry fly trout rod (not the best for nymphing) for anglers with a slower casting stroke. Having this kind of recovery rate while maintaining flexibility accommodates for different speeds of a casting stroke, which adds to the incredible versatility of the WinstonAir 2 series. In fact, they call them the 'Swiss Army Knife of fly rods'. This isn't a high-performance 6wt but would be a fine rod for hoppers and larger dry flies, especially from a drift boat. Its the new Winston. Its hard to make a bad cast with this rod. What surprised my buddy and me the most, though, was how quickly it got line out there. I appreciate the Wells grip Winston chose for this model, which reduces fatigue and accentuates the feeling of lightness. The R.L. If one can only own one steelhead rod, these 7 weights will cover a wide range of applications.Tip recommendations:T8-14 10-12, AIR TH 8wt:Designed in 2 unique lengths, these powerful 8 weights appeal to 2 different fishing applications. Featuring the time-tested Bauer signature drag package and revolutionary 5-axis design, there is none other like it. As versatile as the 8' 6" 4wt is, the 9' 4wt may be more versatile. It feels touchy but fits the hand in a way that offers plenty of support from the fingertips through the palm. As the caster advances beyond 25 feet, the loop tightens and accelerates. I stood in a halfhearted drizzle with my back to a wall of willows while I surveyed the river. into the space occupied by Asquith, X and Centric was an invitation to be eaten alive. Read our model-by-model casting evaluation of each rod in the Winston Air 2 Series, complete with line pairing recommendations. Winston Rods are hand-built in Twin Bridges, Montana, which is in the heart of some of the world's finest trout fishing regions. It will roll cast forever and deliver precise stack mends without exhausting the caster. Winston Air 2 Fly Rod 3 Weight 8'6" 4 Piece Buy Telluride Angler $1095.00 $1099.00 Winston Boron III TH Microspey 10'6" 3-wt Buy Telluride Angler $1195.00 Winston Air 2 9'6" 5-weight Buy Telluride Angler $1195.00 Winston Air 2 8'6" 3-weight Buy Telluride Angler $1195.00 Winston Air 2 9' 6-weight Buy Telluride Angler $1195.00 If a double haul is required for casting in the wind, tap it lightly and expect a confident response. Lines: RIO Gold Elite Fly Line, SA Amplitude Smooth Trout Fly Line. Either line would be great with a dry fly, but the Technical Trout will kick over a dry dropper or indicator with a little more authority. This resin also allows Winston to use a little less material in their blanks to reduce overall weight while increasing strength and preserving the feel of the casting stroke in a wide range of fishing scenarios. Really, the only big knock I have against the AIR 2 is its price tag. Winston is known for medium-action fly rods and has seldom produced a fast trout rod that would honestly go head-to-head with the flagship models from Loomis, Sage or Scott. Im a fan of longer rods for big rivers and this rod is perfectly at home on rivers like the Deschutes, wading thigh deep on slick rocks, trying to sling a stonefly around an upstream bush. When you can only bring one rodthe amazing new Boron AIR 2. Nothing truer said. Winston Bamboo Fly Rod 5wt - 8'6" - 3pc. Its the new Winston. When you can only bring one rodthe amazing new Boron AIR 2. Back at camp, we shuffled around in a bit of stunned silence. R.L. Website Design & Development by unleaded.digital. With some of the finest quality finish and components ever put on a fly rod and the trademark Winston green, the Air 2 has the classic appearance of a Winston with the performance of a top tier modern fly rod that can handle it all. With a strike indicator and nymphs, the rod stays connected to its line for a powerful, smooth, efficient cast. Best Use: This is a small stream trout rod for light nymphing, dry flies, and small streamers in tight quarters. This rod excels at throwing a variety of fly lines. I dont know how many fish I caught that day I never started counting. Over the winter I had the opportunity to fish the new 96 5-weight Air 2 on my homewaters of Puget Sound. FULL REVIEW. Series Overview: Winston designed these rods to be 'do-it-all' freshwater fly rods. Between the raindrops, I saw tiny, dark bugs fluttering lazily. It stands alone. Mike played the fish quickly into the net, popped the hook free, then held the fish up briefly so the rest of us could see. The rod rolls gorgeous loops off the light and sweet tip as if dry flies were the only way to fish. It was still at its wintertime flows, both the current and the fish barely moving. That being said, this isn't a 6wt you would want to take to Alaska or on a river where bulky indicator rigs are common. Here at the Madison River Fishing Company, we are proud to represent our neighbors. He has no need to fish with rods he doesnt love. R.L. With amazing lifting strength in the butt section, anglers can pull hard on these powerful fish. Elegant, sensitive and plush, it casts from short to long with the cadence of a finely tuned instrument that any angler will handle with intuition and precision. These materials combined with the HRS resin have enhanced the rod recovery rate without making it feel like a wicked broom handle. by R.L. Winston Bamboo Fly Rod 4wt - 7'6" - 2pc. This rod is the updated version of their flagship AIR line, which was introduced to replace the B3x series. Please call to check if real seat is box elder or maple. Its hard to make a bad cast with this rod. While it's not the lightest 4wt on the market, it is intuitive for the angler who has a slightly slower casting stroke. Saltwater AIR 7wt:Our 9 7 weight Saltwater Air has become the perfect all-round bonefish rod. Also a great a choice for smaller Jungle species like piranha, payara, and others. That would be a good comparison though and throw in Scott Centric and Douglas SKY-G. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. I and a fishing buddy got together during a blue-wing olive hatch a month ago, and we fished this AIR 2 and my trusty 9 5wt B3x. The hatch finally petered out around 4 p.m., almost five hours after it began. Pure and simple, these rods are for any fish that require extra-large fishing tools no matter the water type.With wicked fast action, ALPHA+ rods have been designed to cast aggressive rigs including big flies, heavy lines, shooting heads and sinking tips. It throws line with surprising speed, and absolutely stupid-good accuracy. Winston Rod Co. This rod is the perfect summer steelhead rod with dry lines, lighter tips, and poly leaders. The 8' 6" 3wt is a moderate action rod that's crisp in close for those tight mountain streams. Two different lengths gives anglers of different casting styles the ability to choose the model that fits them best. The Winston Air 2 is in a class by itself. To say this rod blends power and finesse is unfair and simplistic, however. First offered in 1989 as a limited edition 60th Anniversary model, the Tom Morgan Favorite Rod has proved to be so popular it has remained a Winston customer favorite for the last 30 years. My collection of Winston models is large, ranging from pre-IM6 graphite, to a Tom Morgan Favorite, to a 66 2wt WT. A Winston bamboo fly rod continues to set the standard for hand-crafted fly rod perfection. Wed planned the trip to coincide with weather just bad enough the bugs would be out, and hopefully few, if any, other anglers. ALPHA+ 6wt.200-240 grain lines: This rod was designed for meat eating trout and bass: think mice patterns in Kamchatka, full sink tips and double articulated bugs on the Yellowstone, fast pocket water in Patagonia, and poppers and divers in the mid-west. JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. And, were talking 5-6 weight rods, this isnt striper fishing. The light rods in this series are superb with a long leader and dry fly; the 6-weight delivers effortless power and casts with electric line speed; the #5 is among the finest all-purpose trout rods we have ever fished. While the rod will surely handle just about any line, I found the Infinity to be a particularly strong match because the long rod loads most evenly with a long-headed line. Almost as soon as Mike let his fish go, Josh let out a yell. Like a concert piano, this is another expertly tuned rod in the Air 2 series. These are rods we will think about all winter. More accurate, lighter, and surprisingly, it threw line with more backbone than I expected. Copyright 2023 Telluride Angler 221 W. Colorado Ave PO Box 685 Telluride, CO 81435 1 (970) 728-3895 All rights reserved.Privacy PolicyWebsite by WEBDOGS. Air 2 rods still look and feel like a true Winston, but their casting qualities are several levels above any previous fast action fly rod from this company. The next generation of all-around freshwater fly rods (3wt-6wt). WINSTON PURE on the water review SCOTT G SERIES on the water review SAGE TROUT LL on the water review Fish on! and "When should I use this rod?" That being said, there is some crossover with the same rod model in the Pure series. Winston Air 2 Fly Rods | Model-by-Model Review. If youre a modern day Beowulf, consider this fly rod your monster-slaying Hilt. Fear not what awaits in the abyss, just cast, strip, and hold on. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. This will ruffle feathers in the crowd of folks who think Winstons best rods were the IM6 ones, but the AIR 2 is the best rod Winston has built in its 91-year history. WARRANTY / REPAIRS In a 9 5wt, the AIR 2 packs more of a punch than I expected. Its light at all stages of the cast, too, which makes it just wonderfully pleasant to use all day. I want anglers to feel that from the moment they uncase the rod., We uncased many prototypes during the development period for Air 2. Winston smooth. Naturally, when he was born, I couldnt wait to share my love for the outdoors and fly fishing with him. I am so pleased with this rod, that they have found a way into the room of this crowded conversation but did it with a sense of grace. A Question of Rods: Is Old and Slow the Way to Go? We cast them side-by-side and couldn't tell which rod was lighter or which rod was faster/softer. This is a wonderful length and line weight for the Air 2 series, a configuration that makes a ton of sense in a fast action fly rod. To make such a versatile freshwater rod series, Winston rolled out a unique, progressive SuperSilica resin system that keeps these rods lightweight, powerful, and dynamic. If you could own only one saltwater rod, this 9 8 weight would cover any standard saltwater application. Check the Winston Air 2 Fly Rod out in action with this ON-THE-WATER REVIEW on our YouTube channel. Its also well suited for wading tailwaters, presenting long leaders with a little distance between angler and trout. Required fields are marked *. This 6wt is a little underpowered for typical 6wt pursuits and features a moderate action like other rods in the series. Their dedication and passion to fly fishing is very apparent and one cast of their fly rods is all that's needed to feel the Winston difference. Use this smooth and powerful 10 weight for quick shots on Roosterfish, Sharks, blitzing GTs, and more delicate presentations to tarpon. If youre a streamer junkie and searching for you next big bug stick, look no further than the ALPHA+ 6/7. While some fast action rods fling the line and fly, this one loads and explodes with truly optimized mechanics. And, I cant wait to try out the heavier models. Its a great rod for rivers like the Missouri, where the rising trout always seem to be 40 feet away. If you could only have 1 5wt which would you recommend the Winston air ,sage x, or sage LL ? Best Use: Use this rod for dry flies and small trout at short/middle distances. Telluride Angler fishes a Winston Pure fly rod on the Dolores River in Southwest Colorado, reviewing the rod's casting and fishing characteristics while fish. The AIR 2 handles small flies with the delicacy youd expect from a Winston. Their history and company culture is ingrained in each rod they produce to create the perfect balance of progression and tradition, which transcends into a distinct feel that is unmatched in the rod building industry. Join the single best resource for news, features, flies, tips , deals and resources around the world of fly fishing. So far, we were the only things fish or people caught in the rain. Specialized Rods For the Nymph Specialists. While it is the middle of January, we threw a bit of everything with the Air 2 and it handled it all with the grace and power you expect out of a Winston. What Doesn't Wind Most presentation rods don't do well in the wind. Rods that track straight, dampen quickly, and have little oscillation will cast more accurately in a competent anglers hands. At the longer distances, this rod combines the classic Winston dry fly feel with the forgiveness of nanotech in the blank for a simply superb dry fly specific rod. tellurideangler.com Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk sweetandsalt Well-known member Messages 16,141 Reaction score 7,521 Location - Well, I guess they finally got the memo, I said. These rods had to be standouts, equal or superior on a windy day with heavy flies and distant fish. The technology platform for Air 2 utilizes new high modulus materials as well as Winstons traditional boron in the butt section, the turbo charger for line speed and raw power. When an angler needs the most powerful rod for the most powerful of saltwater fish, this is a 12 weight thats up for the task at hand. Finally, the company is using a new resin that reduces weight and increases the strength of the bond between layers of graphite. These are special fly rods, not mere tools. His middle name is actually Henry, so you can tell that its a special place to our family. If youre a fan of our older IM6 and WT models, the 5 weight PURE will provide the classic Winston feel in a taper that adds more accuracy and line control. Boron Super 10 rods have been specifically designed for fishing applications that require more reach, perfect presentations and better long-rod balance. Hi guys,Thanks for youre excellent review on the Air 2 line.I really enjoyed reading it.I fish Winstons and looking to get the Air 2 5wt.I need a five to bridge the gap.I have a older dl 4 and the Alphas 6 and 8 and really should get a five its needed.Just curious what you think bout the Airflo superflo universal taper on that rod.Really digging the Airflo lines lately as Rio has been falling apart on me and not holding up past that six month mark dissapointing but things change sometimes.Like to stick with Airflo just wanted youre thoughts about this.Looking forward to hearing from you and thanks for the help. FLY RODS March is here, spring is Near - Vince Herrera, Rocky Mountain National Park Fishing Report. Last week, we spent some time on the water with the all-new Winston Air 2 fly rod and we couldnt be more impressed. Up to about 25, it feels as if the fly rod and line are searching for each other. 109 E. Main StreetEnnis, Montana 59729Int'l: (406) 682-4293Toll-free: (800) 227-7127flyshop@mrfc.com. Shop by species to find the right gear for your best saltwater fishing trip yet. The extra 6" of length means this rod mends line easier on the water and helps anglers who are fishing slightly larger streams. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. If the 9 #5 is a 7 out of 10 in stiffness, the 9 #4 is a 6 out of 10. Line mending, roll casting and loop control all come naturally. The length slows down the cast and the rod bends deep into the butt, with kinetic feel from tip to cork. The Air 2 is much more powerful, but still maintains some of that winston smoothness. The sage x is considered a fast rod, and the air seems to me to be a medium fast, which is what I was looking for. We continue to believe in Toms principle that a great fly rod is always a great fly rod, so as we celebrate Winstons 90th Anniversary, we find it only fitting to reintroduce the Tom Morgan Favorite. The rods shooting guides allow for slick, smooth mends. Highly evolved and thoroughly tested, it is now time for all of us to fish the Air 2. Winston Air 2 fly rods are a gigantic leap. A brand new Winston from top to bottom. Default by R.L. This rod is responsive, easy to cast and built for those once-in-a-lifetime shots. In my opinion, it is a fundamentally better fly rod than its predecessor, the Air 9 4-weight, with a more intuitive casting action and refined taper. The hatch was too good to worry about which fish I landed and which ones went free. The perfect rod for feeding heavy crab patterns to picky permit. Its stable, accurate and easy to cast with heavy line heads, nymph/indicator rigs and streamers. Capable of shooting huge casts on the biggest rivers, for big anadromous fish.Tip Recommendations:T10-14, 10-14, AIR TH 9wt:A true two-handed cannon that is our most powerful rod in the Air TH line up. This is the black art of rod design, the subtleties of taper change, weight and relative stiffness, the variables a rod designer sees in his sleep but must bring to life in a physical product. The AIR 2 retails at $1,095. And nothings happening.. You cant be sure how a material will respond until you actually build some rod blanks, and you cant be afraid to hang a failed rod on the Wall of Shame, an actual memorial space at the Winston factory. Maybe we shouldve waited a few weeks for the skwalas, I muttered. I have this rod in a 5 weight and it is no less the combination of grace and power you speak of. So, if youre fighting big fish on lighter line, or hook an absolute hog on 5x, dont worry. SOME EXCLUSIONS APPLY*, JOIN ANGLER REWARDS TODAY - Earn 1 Point For Every Dollar Spent, EARN 1 POINT FOR EVERY DOLLAR YOU SPEND AT MRFC.COM, Moderate action with quick recovery that allows for open loops for fine dry fly presentation along with the ability to generate faster line speed as required for different conditions, Slim profile with fine grip and guide configurations for better connection to the rod, Proprietary design puts presentation and tippet protection as the first priority, Ideal for light nymph and dry fly fishing applications, Highest performance boron/graphite composite materials, Exceptionally powerful, capable of generating high line speeds, Designed to cast big flies, heavy lines, shooting heads and sinking tips, Extra reinforced ferrules for ultimate lifting power, Designated grain windows for each rod model, Designed and Handcrafted in Twin Bridges, MT, All graphite with classic WT spigot ferrule design, Incredibly smooth with wonderful touch and feel, Extra light 4-weight, perfect for spring creek fishing, GUIDES: Chrome nanoli test ripper guide/chrome snake guides, REEL SEAT: Nickel Silver with burled wood insert, STORAGE: Premium aluminum tube with logo rod sock. Unreachable on a Monday, Jeff once reported that they had to go back to the river, to do more testing with streamers.. Some might imagine casting yellow humpies, stimulators, and Royal Wulffs on their favorite freestones. It felt like the folks in Twin Bridges had tried to cater too much to the general crowd in fly fishing that demands a do-it-all rod, instead of playing true to Winstons strong suit making high-end, light, wonderfully smooth casting dry fly rods. Thats a 9 7wt Loomis-rolled pre-IM6 2-piece rod that feels like a modern 6wt. The company is now using S-2000 graphite, which is higher-modulus than previous graphite blends. The AIR 2 bucks that trend, and its just plain fun to cast. The short range accuracy of this rod makes throwing stimulator patterns easy and delicacy at mid-range seamless. Where do I begin with this review? I could own this rod and never want another 4-weight. Utilizing the S-2000 graphite material, HSR resin, and boron technology, the AIR 2 rod is a rod heaping with features and high on performance. Blending power and finesse is a difficult task but this model finds the sweet spot on every cast, every hook up. When anglers move to a 6wt fly rod in freshwater, usually they're throwing larger flies or fishing to bigger fish. and "What line works best on this rod?". Every angler will be impressed with the Air 2 96 6-weight. What a magic combination. Line speed and control will match or exceed any other rod in the most demanding conditions. Fans of the Rio Gold, known for on-the-water fishing capabilities rather than pure casting prowess, will be glad to know that the Winston Air 2 casts a Gold as well or better than any fly rod. While casting this rod in a field isn't really the best test (it's a nymphing rod after all), during our casting session we felt that it was heavy and less powerful than Winston designed it to be. I own the 9ft 5 wt Air 2 and could not agree more. If we had to choose, the Air is probably slightly faster which makes sense. The rod can handle heavier lines or wind, but not both. Sage fly rods are often fast-action high-performance rods that are powerful, strong, and durable on the water. The PURE is no exception. The action is fast, but still within line class. Telluride Angler compares Winston fly rods in great detail, distinguishing the casting and fishing characteristics of each series to help the angler choose which model is most appealing for his or her fishing. Big mends and high sticking are cake. From the first cast, I pictured myself fishing this rod on The South Platte, Green or San Juan with either dry flies or a long, light nymph rig. Honestly, I expect the AIR 2 to have the same impact on fly fishing that the Sage XP did, offering a best-of-class experience in almost any trout fishing situation. Contemporary Sage innovation has led to the creation of the Sage Igniter, the Sage X, and other award-winning rod series' from Sage. https://tellurideangler.com/casting-vs-x-vs-nrx-selecting-a-fast-action-fly-rod/, Big Hole River Fishing Report - Sunrise Fly Shop. Perfect conditions. 221 W. Colorado Ave PO Box 685 Telluride, CO 81435. Its impossible to say what the best rod is out there, but Winstons Air 2 series makes a persuasive argument for top billing. The new Winston Air 2 fly rod is the obvious choice for those of you that want the most versatility out of your trout gear. Just arrived! But our ALPHA+ 9/10 has been designed for power, big bug turnover, and foot-long flies, while having the sensitivity for mandatory figure 8s and at-the-boat eats. Mike and I both lived in Utah at the time, while Ryan and Josh drove down from Olympia, Washington. Fish it with an SA Trout Taper. With that said, I think the positives outweigh the negatives here. I first cast it with an SA Infinity Taper, which is a half line weight heavy with a long head. If these are your daydreams, we encourage you to explore our all-new PURE series of trout rods. It is designed to fish, not just cast. Elegant, sensitive and plush, it casts from short to long with the cadence of a finely tuned instrument that any angler will handle with intuition and precision. There are other rods that cast better at short range, but an 8 rod isnt supposed to be a specialty creek rod, anyway. This is a really well crafted fly rod with specific purpose: line control for presenting smaller flies. Jaguars lurk in the shadows behind you. From high-stick nymphing, float tube fishing, stack mends or long drift dry fly presentations, Boron Super 10 rods give anglers the most leverage from drift to drift. The Air 2 9 4-weight is definitely faster action than the Pure 9 4-weight, which flexes into the middle of the rod on every cast, but not as powerful as the equivalent Centric, X, Asquith or NRX+. These rods can do anything present tiny dry flies to wary trout on flat water, cast a heavy streamer to the far bank in the wind, launch the entire line when you need it, and make quick, accurate close-range shots. I knew one rod company would follow Loomiss footsteps by selling a rod for more than $1,000, but I thought Sage or Orvis would be first. Air 2 | Selecting a fast action fly rod - Telluride Angler Telluride Angler's fast action fly rod review compares Scott Centric, Sage X, Loomis Asquith, Loomis NRX+and Winston Air 2 fly rods model-by-model. We love the new modified half Wells grip. The next generation of all-around freshwater fly rods (3wt-6wt). To pull this off, the Winston design team had to create a series of fly rods that was true to Winstons legacy but unapologetically performance-driven on the water. In addition to the dialed grain windows, AIR TH models utilize smaller diameter grips to give anglers more feel and intuition during the cast. Casting and presentation capabilities are truly extraordinary. It may struggle when lifting a heavy double nymph rig, but will excel with small flies, weight and strike indicators that dont create excessive drag. Thats likely more a remark on my casting skills than anything else, but I felt it was worth mentioning.

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