Question for Winstonites?

V

VTPAangler

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Jun 24, 2007
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I'm looking at getting a nice 4 wt. for dry fly fishing on spring creeks (Letort, Falling Springs etc) and am torn between the Winston B2T and the Winston WT. I don't own a Winston and want to add one to the mix.

Anyone have experience with either?
 
OOOOhhhhh yaaaaa. Question. Have you tried the BIIIx yet? Want to? Or are you in love with slower action rods? BIIIx is just awesome. Blend between BIIMX (slower) with at BETTER feel than the WT to a point that I sold my WT. I never owned at BIIt, didn't see the point with WT and BIIx both in production. I guess now that WT is special order, BIIt makes a little more sense.

PAlongbow (or something like that) is here in the reading area as well and I think he still has WT and BIIIx in 4wt. Remember the WT is a 3 piece rod. But seriously, the FEEL and WEIGHT, along with the cork quality on the BIII is sick. I have never saw such nice cork.
 
Have an 8'3 4wt LT.

Guess it's a medium action but it seems like slow action to me- I enjoy it for dry fly fishing a great deal. Probably 5 years old or so now.
 
I have a Z-Axis and figured the B3X would be similar in action. Liked the idea of getting a more moderate action rod for dry fly fishing to spooky fish. I'll have to cast a B3X before I make a decision.
 
VTPAngler If you would like to try the BIIT I have the 8'-6" 4 wt. Would be happy to meet up for a day of fishing and let you use it.
It is not near as fast as my other BIIx. I wanted a rod for Trico fishing with light tippet. This rod was just what I was looking for when fishing small dry flies. I also find myself using it in the winter when midges and light tippet are the norm.

Thanks

Rick
 
The 8' 3wt or 4wt is an amazing Trico rod. It does have a problem with distance and any remotely substantial bead head nymph. It is an AMAZING dryfly rod. Just awesome. But is' not for the Delaware IMO.

Sounds like if you get together with Rick and I you can test quite a few of the lines. I have BIIMX in 5 wt which is an amazing streamer rod and punches through wind like a champ. It seems to be designed for for salt conditions. BIIx is no longer made, but you can probably find some on clearance right now. The BIIt is a medium action rod and is still in production. The BIIIx is just amazing. Incredibly light, the tube is cool as can be, the reel seat is amazing. It's just awesome. Talk to Rick and if we all get together you can try quite a few rods.
Warning: I have Sharkskin on most my stuff, but you can try other reels/lines.
 
If you were using Sage rods you wouldn't need a 100 dollar line to punch threw the wind LOL ;-)

Food for thought one does not need a medium or slow action rod to improve your dry fly presentation it's all about how you cast . But cheap fast action rods are horrible at short distances (TFO) . You could always overline your rod to make the action slower but it won't help your presentation get any better

...........................Just Saying...........................................
 
The Tom Morgan Favorite is probably the ultimate dry fly / spring creek rod.

Now, if there is a need for light nymphing, I would look at the rods mentioned above. My small stream dry fly rod is the BII T 8 - 4. Only reason is I sometimes fish small nymphs before the duns appear.

Good luck with your search. Trying out new Winstons is always a boat load of fun. Let us know what you decided on.

I would also recommend you check the forum on the Winston website. The guys on there know their stuff when it comes to green sticks.
 
For dry fly fishing the best rod in the Winston lineup is the 8’, 4wt Tom Morgan Special. Although I do not own this rod, I have cast it several times and it is one sweet rod. It’s a 2-piece, medium action rod designed specifically for dry fly fishing with casts not much more than 35 feet or so. It’s not a very versatile rod so you’re not going to be able to heave heavier streamers or nymphs – it’s dry fly.

I have WTs in 8’ 3wt, 8’ 4wt and 9’ 5wt. Of these rods, casting wise the 3wt (medium action) is by far and away the nicest. But I can tell you from experience on the central limestones that when the wind picks up a bit, the 3wt really can’t cut it. It’s a great dry fly rod under little or no wind conditions.

The 4wt is a medium-fast action rod. It is one nice rod. A lot of Winstonites don’t care for this particular rod for a variety of reasons but I personally like it. It is a good all-purpose rod that can effectively fish dries and has the backbone to toss weighted streamers and nymphs and it also handles wind fairly effectively.

Overall I use the 9’ 5wt (medium action) rod probably 90% of my fishing and most of my fishing is done on the central PA limestones. I find this to be an extremely versatile rod that can do it all.

The flagship rod in the WT lineup is the 8.5’ 5wt rod. It is medium-fast action and really feels nice. I have cast this one numerous times and have come very close to buying it numerous times. This is a rod you should seriously consider test casting.

One rod that has gotten a lot of positive feedback and is referred to as “The Staff of Moses” on the Winston forum is the 8.5’ 4wt BiiT. I have cast this rod several times and it is one fine rod. I wouldn’t hesitate buying the rod but I simply don’t need it.

The BiiX lineup is hit or miss. Some models are very nice (9’, 6wt) while others (9’ 5wt) are not as nice.

I have not cast the BiiiX yet but have heard good things about the rod.
 
I have WTs in 8’ 3wt, 8’ 4wt and 9’ 5wt. Of these rods, casting wise the 3wt (medium action) is by far and away the nicest. But I can tell you from experience on the central limestones that when the wind picks up a bit, the 3wt really can’t cut it. It’s a great dry fly rod under little or no wind conditions. The 4wt is a medium-fast action rod. It is one nice rod. A lot of Winstonites don’t care for this particular rod for a variety of reasons but I personally like it. It is a good all-purpose rod that can effectively fish dries and has the backbone to toss weighted streamers and nymphs and it also handles wind fairly effectively.

This is a great summary and most people don't know this. The WT is a medium action line from Winston that is NOT a boron. Most of the line up is medium action. THIS INCLUDES THE TOM MORGAN FAVORITE ! The TMF is a 8' 4wt MEDIUM action rot. The "regular" 8' 4wt is a med-fast action rod and is substantially different in wind and distance. Also note that the WT is not carried by dealers any longer and is special order from Winston.

Frankly, right or wrong, most people are in the market for the latest and greatest. The WT is $750. The BIIIx is $755. I highly recommend trying out the BIIIx in a 8' 4wt and 9' 4wt. Heck you may even be able to try out the 10' 4wt as my understanding is they have rolled off the line last week and the tracking number I got from Montana seems to indicate same! :p
 
Forgot to mention, the GVX series is essentially the BiiiX series taper except made from graphite instead of boron. It also sells about $350 cheaper. No experience but reports on the Winston forum are that there are nice rod.

And if you have never cast a Winston, do so because Winston's definition of rod action is much different than Sage or Loomis. A rod labeled fast action by Winston probably would be labeled as medium action by Sage or Loomis. Winston rods have their own unique feel and action and it seems people either love Winston rods and have several or can't stand them.
 
.....And can turn into a very expensive addiction to green sticks.

If you can, cast as many as you can. You'll see what the differences are from series to series.

Like green said. The GVX is basically a BIII-X without the boron butt section (gonna be a bit heavier). The hardware is also not as nice.
 
I have the 9ft 4wt BIIX and love it. Really a great rod.
"Walk softly and carry a green stick."
 
I appreciate all the responses thus far. I have a lot to consider. I have fished a 9 foot 5 wt Biix and BiiMX and liked both a lot. The Biix was not nearly as fast as my Z-Axis. I've also fished a 5 wt LT.

I'll look at the Biiix though my understanding is that it's a faster rod than the Biix and probably more in line with my Z-Axis. I've heard great things about the Tom Morgan rod but I'm averse to getting a two piece rod. I find myself fishing dries most of the time, particularly in the prime of the season. Most of the streams I fish could be characterized as medium sized (Spring Creek for instance). As much as I love my Z-Axis, it struggles presenting dries at short range. It's good mid-range and great long range. The Z-Axis also isn't the best rod to present small flies (ants, tricos, bwo's) imo.

How would the WT and BiiT models compare to the Sage ZXL action wise?
 
I have fished a 8'6" 4 wt WT 3 piece for about 10 years. I would call it a medium or moderate action, and my favorite graphite rod to fish. If you don't force this one it will throw nice on target loops without wearing you out. Great for light tippets and dries yet when you need to go a little large it can handle it. If I am trying to fish in high winds or dries 6 or larger, I would rather use a 5wt. I've fished a B IIx but that was a six wt. It also feels light in hand, although I don't know the total rod weight.
 
I am for the most part a Sage hound and love the selection Sage rods in my arsenal. The ZXL I believe is rated medium-medium fast by Sage.

Having said this, I also own one BIIX, a 10ft 7wt for Steelies. I've also cast the BIIX and really love that rod in the 8-8'6 4WT, which may be the perfect dry fly rod at least for me. Something about that soft Winston feel that I really enjoy..It either sings to you or doesn't.

ZXL at Medium-Medium Fast by Sage does not equate to Medium by Winston Standards. I haven't fished a WT or a BIIT but I have seen them and cast them. I'd say the ZXL is a touch faster, but no where close to the fast action on a Z Axis. From a Sage standpoint, this may be the rod for you to consider, or think about a TXL.

I'm considering picking up a BIIX before they're gone because I like that rod that much, or possibly opting for the newer GVX or testing out a BIIIX to see what I think of it. Not sure it's what I'm looking for since it's going to be more like a Z Axis in terms of action.

Good luck, let us know what you end up with and what leads you to your decision.
 
jdaddy wrote:
OOOOhhhhh yaaaaa. Question. Have you tried the BIIIx yet? Want to? Or are you in love with slower action rods? BIIIx is just awesome. Blend between BIIMX (slower) with at BETTER feel than the WT to a point that I sold my WT. I never owned at BIIt, didn't see the point with WT and BIIx both in production. I guess now that WT is special order, BIIt makes a little more sense.

PAlongbow (or something like that) is here in the reading area as well and I think he still has WT and BIIIx in 4wt. Remember the WT is a 3 piece rod. But seriously, the FEEL and WEIGHT, along with the cork quality on the BIII is sick. I have never saw such nice cork.

Have to agree on the cork quality. Even the Vapors had top notch cork.
 
Action wise, the Sage ZXL would be classified fast action by Winston.

The two single biggest knocks on the BiiX series was that the tip and mid/butt sections are mismatched (tip too soft, mid/butt sections too stiff) and there is inconsistency in performance between line weights and even rod lengths within a given line weight (some rods are great, others not so great). There was a rumor circulating on the Winston site a long time ago that the reason for the inconsistency between line weights and lengths was because Winston screwed up and used the wrong mandrels on some of the rods.

The result of the mismatch between tip and mid/butt section is the rod doesn’t transfer power effectively making distance casting (50 feet or more) not as easy as it should. And while the soft tip is great for accurate tip casting at close ranges, the softness causes accuracy problems at greater distances. Simply put, the rod can’t perform at distances like the Z-Axis.

This design flaw/mismatch is why Winston immediately introduced the BiiMX series, which is probably a bit faster than the Z-Axis. But it still left a hole in the Winston lineup because Winston did not have a rod that competed directly with the Z-Axis and now the new Loomis NXR. So Winston came out with the BiiiX series, which is what the original BiiX series was supposed to be.

Although everyone has a preference for rod design/feel, based on the streams you fish and the fact that you like to fish dries at close ranges, I personally feel you would be well suited with a WT or BiiT. Don’t be afraid to go 5wt in either series. I use the 9’, 5wt WT (medium) and it performs well at close ranges, can handle wind, has great feel, can throw heavy streamers when needed and can easily reach out to 50 feet with little effort. Will it cast much further? Not really unless you horse it but it’s not designed to be a cannon. The other rods I would suggest trying are the 8.5’, 5wt (medium-fast) and 4wt (medium) in the WT series and the 9’, 5wt and 8.5’, 4wt in the BiiT series (both medium).
 
As much as I love my Z-Axis, it struggles presenting dries at short range. It's good mid-range and great long range. The Z-Axis also isn't the best rod to present small flies (ants, tricos, bwo's) imo.

Ok, I am gonna try to be as nice as possible here. Give that rod a go with a quality casting instructor. There is no reason a 9ft 4wt Z-Axis can get a great trico/olive rod.

When you are coming down between a Z-Axis and a BIIIX you are talking feel. I like the Winston feel. The majority of most folks like the Sage feel (or more likely brand) but it is what it is. I have a lot of green sticks and really like Winstons over all feel. It used to be Winston had the "feel" and Sage had the "technical". I believe the BIIIx changed all that. Technically super rod with a great feel imo.

Which Z-Axis are you using for small dry flies and what is the problem you are experiencing? Are you talking about a 9' 5wt Z Axis? That might be the "problem".
 
Yeah the Z-Axis is a 9' 5 wt. I fish it almost exclusively and certainly catch fish at close range and with small flies, but it's not as accurate at close range as the more moderate action rods that I've used.

I'm willing to entertain the notion that I'm not adjusting my casting stroke etc., but I think to some degree it's bi-product of the rod.
 
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