WARRANTY / REPAIRS But even though the casting stroke is somewhat slow and deliberate, the Pure packs a . New for 2021 the R.L. Winston AIR 2. When anglers move to a 6wt fly rod in freshwater, usually they're throwing larger flies or fishing to bigger fish. The moderate action is perfect for anglers who don't need a highly powerful rod but want a rod that loads quickly at short distances for those trout in brushy environments. 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. Best Use: This is a rod for dry flies, spring creek fishing, short-middle distances and picky rising fish. I know I extolled the AIR 2s line speed and power earlier, and I meant it. There are other rods that cast better at short range, but an 8 rod isnt supposed to be a specialty creek rod, anyway. The AIR 2 powers line, but doesnt feel like a crazy fast-action stick. The mid and butt sections are super springy, making it a joy to cast and exceptional in all those on-the-water techniques that contribute to a prodigious day on the water. So far, we were the only things fish or people caught in the rain. I stood in a halfhearted drizzle with my back to a wall of willows while I surveyed the river. Some of our staff feel that its best beyond 30 feet, but I found that it loads naturally from very short to very long. If youre looking for one rod to get you through a day of nymphing, dry fly fishing, and streamer fishing - the Air 2 would be a worthy addition to your quiver.The Air 2 is significantly lighter in hand and provides more responsiveness than the previous Air. Some of our staff feel that its best beyond 30 feet, but I found that it loads naturally from very short to very long. Carnivorous trout, thrashing bass, toothy pike and musky, jungle species like peacock bass, golden dorado and arapaima, and huge saltwater species like giant trevally and Tarpon. When you daydream of delicate presentation trout fishing, where does your mind wander off to? 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. Some might imagine casting yellow humpies, stimulators, and Royal Wulffs on their favorite freestones. It turns over a long leader with a marvelous combination of command and touch without asking the caster to stop the rod too hard on the forward stroke. The rod is, though, a great piece of fly fishing gear. The bugs were thick enough to lure big trout to the surface, but not so thick that my fake blue-wing got lost in a blanket of naturals. Sage Salt R8 fly rods: read our model-by-model review. It casts most evenly with best loop control when paired with a fly line that has a long, subtle taper, such as the SA Infinity Taper or Airflo Tactical Taper. 1325 Mayfly Drive Remarkably, the new High Strain Rate resin is perfect for the all-purpose rod category by amplifying the energy transfer allowing an angler to make tight loops and punch through the wind with incredible velocity as well as present smaller dries to rising fish at close range in calm water. Saltwater AIR 11wt:The new standard for an all-around Tarpon rod. Highly evolved and thoroughly tested, it is now time for all of us to fish the Air 2. Winston Air 2 Fly Rods | Model-by-Model Review. I am a Sage Guy, an aspiring Scott guy, a distant Loomis admirer, but for sure a Winston Purist. The 9 3-weight is one of the faster action rods in the series. This shorter 3wt is a great rod for small streams and backpacking in the backcountry. Its impossible to say what the best rod is out there, but Winstons Air 2 series makes a persuasive argument for top billing. The Winston Saltwater AIR lightweight saltwater rods with Winston Boron III technology that are easy to cast. Line mending, roll casting and loop control all come naturally. 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. In spite of its fast action character, it possesses wonderful roll casting and line mending qualities along with the tippet protection you would expect from any Winston. In overall quality, it matches every one of these rods. What this means for anglers is faster mid-sections to dictate line control and easily manage windy conditions along with Boron III technology applied in the butt section for more lifting strength to fight and land fish quickly. Its light at all stages of the cast, too, which makes it just wonderfully pleasant to use all day. Casting with no effort, it pushes the belly of the fly line out in front so it pulls the tapered head through the presentation with plenty of line speed to turn over a long leader. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Small but big: I love the modified half Wells that Winston crafted for these rods. This is one of those rods that feels faster the more line you aerialize. In 2021, Winston introduced the flagship Air 2. With a downlocking reel seat, the rod balance moves into the grip, providing more connection to the blank and less perceived swing weight. This isn't a high-performance 6wt but would be a fine rod for hoppers and larger dry flies, especially from a drift boat. The 4 parts of each fly rod play nicely together, each doing its part while complimenting the others. It wasnt easy fishing by any means the fish and the bugs kept me on my toes. It obviously replaces the Air Series, but with all the new components and performance the Air 2 is truly more than the usual rod series update. 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. Whether someone is looking for their first rod or trying to upgrade, the Winston Air 2 has the versatility and performance to excel in a variety of fishing situations and casting abilities. 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. We spend a lot of time testing gear and writing reviews to give you all of the tools to make your next trip a success. 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. AVAILABILITY DATES: all models in stock except the 9 3-wt! While my fishing is Puget Sound is technically trout fishing, its unlike any other trout fishery on the planet. All those great rods, very tough group to compete with. For floaters, Id match it with an SA Trout taper or Infinity taper all day long. Item : . It was a decent rod, but I didnt fall head-over-heels for it like I did the B3x. Thats a 9 7wt Loomis-rolled pre-IM6 2-piece rod that feels like a modern 6wt. It's the new Winston. Winston wanted to create a feeling of connection between the angler and the rod, and slimming down the cork grip allows you to feel more feedback than you would otherwise. That weekend, we did his first float and the rest is history. I love how light this rod feels at every distance. If we had to choose, the Air is probably slightly faster which makes sense. What Id hoped would get the fish moving wasnt showing up yet, and based on the weather and time of day, I doubted it would. Best Use: This is a small stream trout rod for light nymphing, dry flies, and small streamers in tight quarters. Our classic Tailwater Hat is back with new colors: Moss and Navy. Best Use: From light nymphing to larger dry flies, this is a versatile 4wt that's ideal for a variety of freshwater trout fishing scenarios. The fish of 10,000 casts never comes easy. These are fantastic fly rods. When you can only bring one rodthe amazing new Boron AIR 2. Whether youre throwing light nymph rigs on the South Platte, picking risers out of a pod, or slapping the bank with light streamers, the Winston Air 2 steps up to most any challenge. Scott F Series vs. Sage Dart: Comp on the Creek! Rods that track straight, dampen quickly, and have little oscillation will cast more accurately in a competent anglers hands. The Tech : New high modulus graphite adds feel and liveliness while Winston's signature boron butt section delivers the drive. Sure enough, he stood downstream about 100 yards, his fly rod bent in half. Best Use: This is a dry fly trout rod (not the best for nymphing) for anglers with a slower casting stroke. While we hoped it was going to be a little different than the Pure, at the end of the day this is a phenomenal dry fly rod; in fact, we really enjoyed casting it and think it's a great 4wt. The 8 #4 doesnt feel stiff, but fishes in a tremendous range. JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. I love the way it feels and I love the way it casts. The perfect rod for feeding heavy crab patterns to picky permit. You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. The company is now using S-2000 graphite, which is higher-modulus than previous graphite blends. Its hard to make a bad cast with this rod. JavaScript is disabled. Finally, the 133 is the perfect winter steelhead rod, that can get smaller flies in the strike zone.Tip recommendations:10 feet of T8 T10, 10 poly leaders, AIR TH 7wt:Featured in two lengths, a 123 for shorter heads and bigger flies, and our classic 133 taper, that honestly, does just about everything well. This is a really well crafted fly rod with specific purpose: line control for presenting smaller flies. Nothing truer said. Some might imagine undercut banks, beaver ponds, and giggling riffles on a secret cutthroat crick. Some might imagine a large pod of picky spring creek rainbows dimpling PMDs on a slow-moving currents surface. 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. If a double haul is required for casting in the wind, tap it lightly and expect a confident response. Please call to check if reel seat is box elder or maple. We were thinking Musky when designing these powerful rods. trout models to the Boron III TH Two Handed series. I own the 9ft 5 wt Air 2 and could not agree more. 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. At this point, Im struggling to find real issues with the AIR 2s performance. Feel confident that the fly will drop where you point the rod and not six feet up in the bush. In some circles the talk of resins may make one cozy up on a couch, but the new custom resins Winston is using for the Air 2 series is something to get excited about. Watch our on-the-water review video for Winston Air 2 fly rods, presented by John Duncan on the Gunnison River. One of the challenges many anglers face is how intimidating such a large body of water can be. We love the new modified half Wells grip. So, if youre fighting big fish on lighter line, or hook an absolute hog on 5x, dont worry. Perfect conditions. It fits into the series really well and, while it won't impress your friends in the parking lot, it's a rod that's built for the angler who wants to catch fish instead of bomb casts at long distances. Sage Salt R8 fly rods: read our model-by-model review. The Air 2 is available in line weights 3 to 6. Join the single best resource for news, features, flies, tips , deals and resources around the world of fly fishing. Nice job, guys. If a double haul is required for casting in the wind, tap it lightly and expect a confident response. The B3x rods are what I consider to be Winstons best production rods ever. Its the new Winston. Between the raindrops, I saw tiny, dark bugs fluttering lazily. March is here, spring is Near - Vince Herrera, Rocky Mountain National Park Fishing Report. Speaking of which, I couldnt find a line that I didnt like on this rod, except maybe the Airflo Power Taper, a streamer line designed for ultra fast tip-casting rods such as the NRX+ or Igniter. FLY RODS I dont know how many fish I caught that day I never started counting. The 8' 6" 3wt is a moderate action rod that's crisp in close for those tight mountain streams. I first cast it with an SA Infinity Taper, which is a half line weight heavy with a long head. That being said, Winston has also found a way to stay true to their brand by making these rods medium/medium-fast action and delicate when you need them to be. It's versatile, powerful, but retains the classic Winston feel that dry fly trout anglers know and love. Ferris Bueller . {"cat":"gear","type":"article_children_page","format":"default"}. into the space occupied by Asquith, X and Centric was an invitation to be eaten alive. 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. Its all about loop control and progressive acceleration. My favorite line on this rod is a Rio Gold, which hops from the tip and makes the rod feel extra light and crisp throughout the delivery. To say this rod blends power and finesse is unfair and simplistic, however. and "When should I use this rod?" CONTACT, Example: Yes, I would like to receive emails from R.L. WINSTON PURE on the water review SCOTT G SERIES on the water review SAGE TROUT LL on the water review Fish on! The 133 gives anglers a longer option without being too long itll lean closer to the more traditional longer Skagit and Scandi lines and cast longer tips. The ALPHA+ 7/8 has been designed to shoot the biggest bass bugs with over-sized lines into the thickest cover, and turn these lunkers back to the boat. 3-Weight is one of these rods backpacking in the backcountry dry fly trout rod for streams. Production rods ever the Pure packs a that 's crisp in close for those tight Mountain streams a rod! It feels and I love the way it feels and I meant it tough... 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